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UK & Ireland S2000 CommunityDiscussions related to the S2000, its ownership and enthusiasm for it in the UK and Ireland. Including FAQs, and technical questions.
Last Friday I was fortunate enough to join Charlotte Osborn's Topcats racing team for the day at bedford Autodrome.
I managed to get myself a place driving their TVR Tuscan racecar for the day - I can't begin to describe how different an experience driving one of these beasts is.
I turned up at Bedford to discover that it was a TVR corporate day, my S2000 looked a bit out of place in the car park:-
After a (complimentary, thanks TVR) breakfast and coffee, Jonathan Palmer gave us a briefing and welcomed us to his circuit. He explained we would be using the full 3.6 mile 'Grand Turismo' circuit.
Then it was off to the pits to inspect the car:-
A 4.2 litre V8, slightly detuned from full race spec of 450bhp to a measly 410bhp and weighing about 840kg (about the same as an Elise) - Warren, the engineer said he wanted us to get the full racecar experience. This car has won Tuscan races in the past and is unchanged from it's race spec except for a second seat and a brake pedal in the passenger seat.
After a couple of laps with Charlotte driving, we were strapped in and sent out with Charlotte instructing us via intercom:-
The Tuscan is a totally different car to drive, when I'm driving my Locost, I can chuck it into corners, relying on the handling of the car to help me round, same with the S2000. The Tuscan demands a different approach, you MUST do all the braking and downchanging (with a dog-box, I now hate dog -boxes) on the straight approaching the corner, turn in (difficult with wide slicks and no power steering) and get on the power (gently) straight away. If you coast through the corner, the car oversteers. This is a car you drive all the time, you get no rest at all. Exiting the corner you gently feed in the power and all of a sudden, road-going TVRs are disappearing backwards like you've gone into warp drive. Charlotte's instruction played a large part in ensuring that none of us span the car and all of us improved through the day.
I've driven all sorts of cars on the track, from the S2000 to single seaters but I have never worked so hard in all my life, at one point I couldn't see for the amount of sweat running into my eyes.
This is so difficult and yet so satisfying, it made me realise how I am really starting out at the bottom as a race driver, I have the utmost respect for Charlotte and the other drivers who race these things on a regular basis.
Oh, and being a TVR, we had a mechanicam failure at the end of the day (just before my final session ), but then you expect these things with racecars (and especially TVRs).
Quality pic's them Stew I nearly got a TVR cerbera but the reliability issues scared me off them I am so glad I got the S2000 instead, cause every time I drive passed a TVR the driver and passenger nearly snap their necks trying to check out my BABY & that proves I made the right decision
Andy
More Exciting to Drive than the S2000....
and weighing about 840kg (about the same as an Elise) - Warren, the engineer said he wanted us to get the full racecar experience. This car has won Tuscan races in the past and is unchanged from it's race spec except for a second seat and a brake pedal in the passenger seat.
), but then you expect these things with racecars (and especially TVRs).
I'm stuck for words.
I am so glad I got the S2000 instead, cause every time I drive passed a TVR the driver and passenger nearly snap their necks trying to check out my BABY & that proves I made the right decision
