Cars were German spec as far as I could tell. JCW seats, no aircon, but with DSC (in some countries remember these are FOC options). Left hand drive (of course).
Surprisingly civil when idling or pootling around, much like a regular JCW S. When you floor it though very nice indeed. Exhuast is amplified a lot, sounds quite loud but not as loud as some cars I've driven with aftermarket systems such as milltek, and very, "raspy" when you're really gunning it, and the super charger of course sounds lovely when you're up high in the rev range.
The track is extremely hard on cars (it's mainly a motorbike place) so the brakes took a hammering (as did the clutch I'm sure). The only thing I felt let the car down in this situation was the brakes, but apparently (according the drivers, not the "PR people") all cars they'd had on there really suffered with the demands of breaking, every corner basically is a 2nd gear corner, there's only one twisty section you don't have to brake for!
The way the rear end handles is very different from the regular S, much more controllable and predictable I felt. It's a very managable car, I would think very easy to have fun with. The effects of the spoiler kick in around 80 km/h apparently.
As for the rear view, I asked about that. Apparently the changes to the under car aerodynamics, and the lower, but further out position of the spoiler, creates a very low pressure area (of course), but it's further out than the regular S, so under testing (in September in Germany) they found it no worse than the regular S, in fact less so, so the rear wiper delete shouldn't really be a big issue.
The rear spoiler is carbon (the flat area), the side parts are plastic (to mould carbon in that shape they didn't think worthwhile). This also has an effect on the air flow around the rear sides of the car.
They all seemed to like it, either as a fun car on the track, but they also seemed impressed by it's road manners and useability at slow speeds. The suspension and ride was also being commented on as very assured, but not crashy.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Jun 22nd, 2006, 11:22 AM
.
. 
Similar Threads 
