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McLaren W1 is a bit brutal:


1275hp and 1340Nm in a rear wheel drive machine. The traction control had better be clever. The 2.7 seconds claimed to 100km/h isn't bad considering it is only two wheel driven.

The launch video on Youtube had all the usual suspects rushing to comment.

Dry weight of 3080 lb so probably ~3300 lb or so wet.

That car is going to be insane as a pure RWD car. 200 HP more and probably 500 lb lighter compared the C8 ZR1. From a dig, both will probably be similar performance wise since they are going to be extremely difficult to launch. But remove launching issues, that thing is just going to go especially with the electric assist filling in the gaps of the ICE in power delivery.

This vs the C8 Zora as rumored will be interesting. But again this cars lighter weight will probably keep it on top.
 
The other thing about the Corvette is what kind of downforce it has, also aerodynamics. It's still a Corvette underneath while the W1 doesn't have the restrictions of being based on a mass production car so they can go all out. Those things will probably slow the Corvette down on fast tracks.

You'd hope the W1 will be faster than the AMG One - it recently demolished its own Nurburgring record and potentially could have been faster still, at one point it was over 10 seconds up on its old lap record. Even so they still did 6:29.

What's always amazing with that AMG is just how stable it always looks.
 
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Perhaps they feel safer because they’re driving in something that’s almost like a tank?
In relation to my wife and what gives the sense of security when driving her car, is not necessarily a vehicle being like a tank, but the degree of frontal and lateral visibility. She feels more secure when sitting high enough on the driver's seat to see the hood and the front fenders as much as possible.

I have no idea if this apply to most drivers, but I do feel better or more secure when driving a vehicle that offers visibility all around (I drive both cars and trucks), and since I am not very tall I like to raise the drivers seat as much as possible, but not as much as my wife :)
 
My new to me 'weekend banger' ;)

A 2007 BMW E81 130i LE with 143k miles on it and the first manual car I've owned since 2010... I've had to learn to drive again 😂

wheels1.jpg


Full detailed project is here if you're that bored ;) https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=2093671

I work from home; so it's literally a weekend car - I'm slowly putting 'my OCD touch' to it
 
Watching the Ferrari F80 in action at a rain soaked Imola race track - simply unreal how fast it looked through corners and the way it got out of corners. It looked effortless. I'm sure the driver was very skilled but the car looked very well sorted out.

It wouldn't be nice following the F80 in the rain however, it acts like giant vacuum cleaner pulling up all the water off the road and throwing it up in a big cloud.
 
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My new to me 'weekend banger' ;)

A 2007 BMW E81 130i LE with 143k miles on it and the first manual car I've owned since 2010... I've had to learn to drive again 😂

View attachment 2434734

Full detailed project is here if you're that bored ;) https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=2093671

I work from home; so it's literally a weekend car - I'm slowly putting 'my OCD touch' to it
Thats's a beauty. I love the black color, too!

I miss driving cars and trucks with manual transmissions.
 
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So what is up with Mini Cooper turn signals?

Was behind one the other day on The 101 and hit their turn signal to move right. So while the right side did light up, it was an arrow pointing left. This can't be a good idea. Took me a minute to process what I was seeing.

s-l1200.jpg
 
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^
Its been that way for a while now, its the British flag with the middle stripe serving as indicators.

Think its an unfortunate coincidence it looks like an inward pointing arrow.

Screenshot 2024-10-29 at 11.17.40 PM.png


Always ironic when British car brands are manufactured or powered by the Germans. A bit like the Royal Family.

Speaking of germans, our BMW just received an urgent Takata airbag recall...which i didn't realise was still a thing.
 
^
Its been that way for a while now, its the British flag with the middle stripe serving as indicators.

Think its an unfortunate coincidence it looks like an inward pointing arrow.

View attachment 2444055

Always ironic when British car brands are manufactured or powered by the Germans. A bit like the Royal Family.

Speaking of germans, our BMW just received an urgent Takata airbag recall...which i didn't realise was still a thing.
A bit like the Mercedes AMG F1 team with a German brand and powered by British technology and drive train.
 
They illuminate the British flag…

Why couldn't they have put them on opposite sides. Then they could replicate the British flag AND point the direction you are turning. :)

When did they start putting these on? My SIL's has the normal all red ones.
 
Why couldn't they have put them on opposite sides. Then they could replicate the British flag AND point the direction you are turning. :)

When did they start putting these on? My SIL's has the normal all red ones.

I think it would look weird if they had the flag flipped, it probably would look less like the British flag, and more like a complicated arrow, which would not be a nod to the vehicle's history.
 
Why couldn't they have put them on opposite sides. Then they could replicate the British flag AND point the direction you are turning. :)

When did they start putting these on? My SIL's has the normal all red ones.
We have Mini’s driving around Europe with these Union flag rear lights and I have never thought the indicators were confusing. It’s an orange light and if it’s flashing on the left side of the car, it’s turning left and vice versa. Not sure where the confusion is tbh.
 
I love engine sounds, and all sorts of them (yea, even a diesel can sound right).
Being a biker I went from a lovely sounding triple (Speed triple) to a parallel twin and now own a V4, all different sounds but the V4 is prob among my favorite.

Same with cars but the latest trend with "virtual" or "enhanced" engine sounds in the coupe isn't really my bag. Had a VW T-Roc version R with 290HP for a week and it was just annoying. Sure, fun car to drive but after a while it just feelt quite annoying.
I have both a 1983 Honda VF750 and a 2014 VFR800. I love to ride them both, the '83 is retired now and the VFR is stock (quiet) exhaust. The '83 has Vance & Hines pipes and Kerker slip-ons (very loud). Great bikes, but they never sounded like a super bike, the cadence of the V-4 is unique, but not hot sounding. The best sounding engine I ever owned was a 1967 Ford HP289 in a Italian body. Solid lifters, Mallory dual point ignition, Holley 4 barrel. I got 62 mph in first gear and continually beat the hell of Corvettes! Same performance as a 289 Cobra.
Silver Torino Coupe.jpg

Only decent photo of the Torino I could find, mine was British Racing Green.
 
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We have Mini’s driving around Europe with these Union flag rear lights and I have never thought the indicators were confusing. It’s an orange light and if it’s flashing on the left side of the car, it’s turning left and vice versa. Not sure where the confusion is tbh.

My mind was probably comparing it to a Mustang which has sequential turn signals:


I think it would look weird if they had the flag flipped,

Ok, I get it now. Both sides together make up the flag.



About ten years ago.


And the mystery has been solved. They are not available on US market vehicles. So someone ordered them aftermarket. Explains why I had never seen them before.
 
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