Brundle Tests: 1986 Lotus Renault 98t

[DOF_power 0]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KYZW3bHXo_w

Yet again I'm so disappointed.

Anther "so easy to drive" car from the past.

And if that's not enough I remember reading about the 1988 McLaren MP4-4 with Prost saying it had some entry understeer, but a little, that it was so nice to drive and that in winter testing he drove it with just one hand and set a better lap time then the rest.

I'm starting to think that for all their current safety, power steering and paddle shifters today's cars are quite monsters with their unsuited grooves, entry understeer/high front wing and exit snap oversteer ?!

[dribbler 6]

I know that a driver can get a sesne for the inherent nature of a car, even when not on the limit. But surely it (as would all the car Brundle has driven and deemed 'easy') would take on a whole new personality if he drove it in anger, with correct down force levels and tyres?

[DOF_power 0]

I don't know but there seems to me that the gap between cars of the old (suposebly only drivable by gods) and current cars (witch idiot could drive them) isn't what many think it is. Some of those cars with big fat slicks could certaintly take some trashing the current ones can't.

[raw 0]

If somebody can get me this Lotus and for example a 2005 McLaren I could provide an idiot brave enough to drive them.

I would bet my life savings that he would crash a 2005 car faster than this Lotus. The reason of that I think is that modern F1 cars are completely undriveable while not at the limit - cause they rely more on downforce and brake temperatures than mechanical grip.

This is trash talking of course. But if somebody says that old cars could be driven only by gods and modern could be driven by apes he doesn't have a clue about f1 or race driving itself or he's Jackie Stewart for example and he just wanna build up his own legend or smth.

To get to the truth we need to divide something here.

If Martin Brundle says it's easy to drive it doesn't mean it is for regular driver with no racing experience or even for somebody with such - let's say a low budget semi-amateur touring car racer. For Brundle easy means that it's predictable and driveable at the limit. He knows what the car will do so he can get maximum of it. For regular guy every single F1 single seater would be just impossible to drive straight away. As for Jackie Stewart a modern F1 car would be far more easy simply because he wouldn't have to write his last will before every race...

Conclusion - biggest difference between old and new drivingwise is that new is not a widow maker, it's bodyguard instead.

[DOF_power 0]

Ofcourse the 2005 would be crashed first, as it's faster and would get to the crashing point a lot faster.

[AleHop 0]

Really interesting.

I remember Alonso driving a street car in old Nurburgring (Nordschleife) and he said a nowadays F1 car would be undriveable there and the old Nurburgring was closed around '84. Only Heidfeld drove an exhibition lap recently but it was just that kind of promotional thing.

Lobato: Can you imagine driving here a Formula One car?

Alonso: Imposible.

Lobato: No, they used to do it...

Alonso: Those were different Formula One cars, I guess.

Thank you guys.

[Rainmaster 7]

Well we know that modern F1 cars are impossible to drive 'slowly' (without correct temps/pressures etc) so maybe for the older cars it's the opposite way round, as in easy to get a fair bit of speed out of, but very difficult to drive on the limit.

I think that's probably wrong, but it sounds good.

[Jean Todt 4]

Really interesting.

I remember Alonso driving a street car in old Nurburgring (Nordschleife) and he said a nowadays F1 car would be undriveable there and the old Nurburgring was closed around '84. Only Heidfeld drove an exhibition lap recently but it was just that kind of promotional thing.

Lobato: Can you imagine driving here a Formula One car?

Alonso: Imposible.

Lobato: No, they used to do it...

Alonso: Those were different Formula One cars, I guess.

Thank you guys.

I could trash that guy with a Logan.

[HandyNZL 1]

Me thinks FOD is relenting on his active-ride etc etc is best mantra!!! OMG!! OMG I sound like a 13yo girl! Like, OMG!!

Tell you what though...next time you watch Kubica from an in-car shot just watch his hands on the steering wheel up and down shifting...each shift requires what looks to be two paddle depressions in quick succession...index then middle finger...either that or he has a real bad twitch...

[DOF_power 0]

What the hell do active rides have to do here ?!

This was an active fuel management turbo car from 1986. The active suspensions came on the 1987 Lotus.

[dribbler 6]

If somebody can get me this Lotus and for example a 2005 McLaren I could provide an idiot brave enough to drive them.

I would bet my life savings that he would crash a 2005 car faster than this Lotus. The reason of that I think is that modern F1 cars are completely undriveable while not at the limit - cause they rely more on downforce and brake temperatures than mechanical grip.

This is trash talking of course. But if somebody says that old cars could be driven only by gods and modern could be driven by apes he doesn't have a clue about f1 or race driving itself or he's Jackie Stewart for example and he just wanna build up his own legend or smth.

To get to the truth we need to divide something here.

If Martin Brundle says it's easy to drive it doesn't mean it is for regular driver with no racing experience or even for somebody with such - let's say a low budget semi-amateur touring car racer. For Brundle easy means that it's predictable and driveable at the limit. He knows what the car will do so he can get maximum of it. For regular guy every single F1 single seater would be just impossible to drive straight away. As for Jackie Stewart a modern F1 car would be far more easy simply because he wouldn't have to write his last will before every race...

Conclusion - biggest difference between old and new drivingwise is that new is not a widow maker, it's bodyguard instead.

Good post.

[The Rumble Strip 0]

I grow up watching F1 in the 1980's and it's amazing to see how the cars from that era differ from their modern day counterparts.

In the 1980's, everything seemed on view in the c#ckpit and although I'm usually a traditionalist, I prefer the look of the modern day car.

[lily 0]

Cherishing Words As Gold

(Originally In Chinese)(wow power leveling,)

Once there was a child who had lived to be seven without

ever having spoken one word. His parents thought he was dumb. (wow gold,)

They took him to a doctor, but were unable to find out the reason

why he wouldn't speak. No matter what they tried,

he did not say anything.(wow gold,)

One day, as the child was eating soup, in the middle of the

meal he suddenly exclaimed, "Ayah! Too much salt!" (wow gold,)

Everyone was startled, "Ah! Aren't you dumb?"

"What!" he replied. "Who is dumb? I think you're dumb!" (maple story power leveling,)

His family wondered and asked, "Why didn't you say anything

for the past seven years, and now all of a sudden you begin to talk?" (maple story power leveling,)

He replied, "There had never been anything to complain about!

But whoever cooked the food today, put so much salt in it. (maple story power leveling,)

How can anyone swallow something like this!?" (wow gold,)

[Ash1 0]

Ofcourse the 2005 would be crashed first, as it's faster and would get to the crashing point a lot faster.

doesn't stop the fact that he called you an idiot, I think