Autocar's Best Driver's Car

[PetrolTed]

Well hats off to the guys at Autocar for getting Peter Wheeler to test drive a BMW at Rockingham! Disappointing to see that the Tuscan missed the mark on the track with the tyres going off really quickly, leaving it some way down the pecking order. PW decided that the Tamora''s handling needs more work after driving it around Rockingham too. PW did come across as a bit of a stick in the mud after driving the Noble M12 (came second to the Elise overall). PW: "The Noble M12 produced so much performance and generated to much grip that I never felt particularly comfortable with it. It almost felt like I was driving a car with four-wheel-drive traction"

[tjones5420]

Hope that means they don't delay the Tamora !!!

[McNab]

Autocar's comparison features are brave and in many ways valuable, but there's just a tinge of subjectivity in them. A truly objective verdict is probably impossible when so many of the drivers work for the same publishing group (in which a politically correct opinion is inevitable). Congratulations then for bringing in Peter Wheeler. The production Tamora will be a improved thereby, but what about the Tuscan's tyres? There must be a 'right' tyre which doesn't go off so easily during track days, and it would have been helpful if the article had recommended one or two alternatives. Suggestions?

[PetrolTed]

I was surprised to discover that the Tuscan was running Goodyear Eagle F1s. Is that what Tuscans come with these days? No more Bridgestones?

[philr]

I used to run Goodyear F1s on my previous non-TVR car. They were incredible for grip in the wet but didn't last long if given some heavy use. Having said that though, the SO2s on my TVR are well on there way now aswell. Maybe its just my driving !

[Gaffer]

The Tamora is running on Avons at the moment and the Tuscan is on SO2's but PW isn't that impressed and so is trying out Toyo's on new Tuscans. I appear to be a Tyre expert today

[IPAddis]

quote:I was surprised to discover that the Tuscan was running Goodyear Eagle F1s. Is that what Tuscans come with these days? No more Bridgestones?

I thought that was odd, especially since if you look closely at the photos, the front tyres look more like S-02's (Wide grooves) than F1s (narrower grooves). Maybe the article stated the wrong tyres and they actually wore out a set of S-02s? Ian A Griff 500

[PetrolTed]

He was set up though really wasn't he? Apparently his remarks were taken out of context in a conversation with someone else. True or not it wasn't a smart PR move to put him in a situation like that and hope that the journo's wouldn't exploit it.

[andyvdg]

You've not quoted the whole paragraph. What I read was that PW was saying about the Noble "...didn't feel comfortable..lot's of traction..needed to drive a lot more to get near the limits". I think he was praising the car and taking a dig at the scumbag journos ;-) who make judgements on cars after only driving them for two days!

[leatheradams]

I heard that Bridgestone have discontinued the SO-2 range and replaced them with SO-3 which PW doesn't rate. Hence the move to Toyo's. Has anyone tried P-Zero's?

[tvr_nut]

Perhaps a bit "off topic", but I am very soon to be in the market for some new rears for my Griff 500, and am interseted in any views on SO3's. Have been told tread blocks are larger to avoid them overheating/squiriming on trackdays etc, but will this adversely affect wet grip (I know damp/wet is more a compound thing, but I live in Lancashire and wet here means tyres shifting water by the bucketload!!) TVR_nut