View Single Post
      12-14-2011, 08:32 AM   #241
GoingTooFast
Banned
89
Rep
1,247
Posts

Drives: fat cars are still boats
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: compensating a fat car with horsepower is like giving an alcoholic cocaine to sober him up.

iTrader: (0)

I've already posted the following vid somewhere else, however it's a very good example of how the setup of the car can influence its handling characteristics. The Evora despite of having more weight on the back (39% - 61%) doesn't understeer like the more naturally balanced Cayman.

You can see that the Cayman being tested has 19" wheels and mine are 18" having 235/35 - 235/40 front, 265/35 - 265/40 rear, respectively. Certainly it makes for a more appealing aesthetics BUT when you think that the stock wheels are 17" with 205/55 front and 235/50 rear tires you readly understand why that and also my Cayman understeers so much - too much rubber for such low power!

Also, neither have LSD an they have roughly the same curb weight (~1350kg) BUT the Evora despite of having only 15hp more does have a lot more torque, 350Nm @ 4600rpm vs 300Nm @ 4400-6000rpm, which is important in helping break loose the rear tires (255/35/19) traction.

Since the gear ratios are not that different,

Cayman..... Evora (close ratio)
3.66.......... 3.54
2.05.......... 1.91
1.40.......... 1.41
1.13.......... 1.09
0.97.......... 0.97
0.84.......... 0.86
3.87.......... 3.78 (final drive)

we can think of this torque difference as the difference between having the overboost function ON and OFF in the 1M. That's a big difference...

2.9L Cayman without LSD understeering badly


BTW, I really wish this Toyobaru could have a supercharger (instead of the more conventional turbo) just like the Toyota engine from the Evora S and dispite the fuel efficiency disadvantage:

Quote:
If the supercharger wasn’t on show in the back window you might never guess that this Evora has forced induction. There’s none of the rasping whine that characterises the supercharged Exige, and the instantaneous throttle response and linearity of the power delivery give the impression that there is simply a bigger engine in the back. The ’charger is an Eaton TVS (twin vortex series), its installation engineered in conjunction with Australian firm Harrop, and as well as lifting power to 345bhp at 7000rpm it also bumps up torque by around 35lb ft right across the rev-range, peaking at 295lb ft at 4500rpm. It’s cooled by a pair of oil/water radiators mounted in the nose – along with the associated pipes and fittings, plus the mass of the ’charger itself, the installation adds a significant 50kg to the kerb weight.
Lotus Evora Supercharged review
Appreciate 0