Is SSC Stylus as good as they say it is?
Discussion
Just been over having a look at the SSC website and came accross a november 2002 review of the car by Total Kitcar. They really raved about it, although some of the speeds they say were reached on Welsh roads seem unrealistic.
Could anyone with experiance of this car please confirm how good or bad this car is? As if it is as good as Total Kitcar say then I better go and speak to my bank manager ASAP. I have always thought the Stylus was the best looking of its type but never thought it was this wild to drive.
Here is the link to the review.
www.totalkitcar.com/tkc_article_115.shtml
Could anyone with experiance of this car please confirm how good or bad this car is? As if it is as good as Total Kitcar say then I better go and speak to my bank manager ASAP. I have always thought the Stylus was the best looking of its type but never thought it was this wild to drive.
Here is the link to the review.
www.totalkitcar.com/tkc_article_115.shtml
I read that same review yesterday.
Most car speedo's over-read by a suprising amount. My car originally had 16" wheels on it (not my doing!) and now has 13's. The speedo over-reads massively. I know this as I fitted a bike speedo and set it up very accurately. At a true 105mph, the regular speedo was reading just short of 130mph. Nothing I can be arsed to rectify as I'll be replacing the instruments with a data logging dash soon.
So I do expect that their speedo is over-reading by a bit. The Stylus is more aerodynamic than a Westie but if there boggo-ish Zetec claims are true then there is no way that those kind of speeds were attained in the manner inferred in the interview. Now don't get me wrong, it will be a VERY quick car and an exceptionally capable one also. But it's an very enthusiastic review from the passenger seat. Cars always feel much faster from the passenger seat than they actually are, especially if the pilot is pretty competant.
I would go and drive it and make your own mind up. It's a Jeremy Philips (Sylva) design and therefore will be very well sorted. FWIW I still believe that Sylva suspension is the best thought out and implemented design in the seven-esque world of kit-cars. His cars are very light and race proven. Basically if I were to do it all again it would be on a Sylva platform. The Zetec is a good lump. It doesn't leak, is reletively cheap to do right and can produce very respectable power levels. It will be a very good package. I just think the review was a little OTT.
Most car speedo's over-read by a suprising amount. My car originally had 16" wheels on it (not my doing!) and now has 13's. The speedo over-reads massively. I know this as I fitted a bike speedo and set it up very accurately. At a true 105mph, the regular speedo was reading just short of 130mph. Nothing I can be arsed to rectify as I'll be replacing the instruments with a data logging dash soon.
So I do expect that their speedo is over-reading by a bit. The Stylus is more aerodynamic than a Westie but if there boggo-ish Zetec claims are true then there is no way that those kind of speeds were attained in the manner inferred in the interview. Now don't get me wrong, it will be a VERY quick car and an exceptionally capable one also. But it's an very enthusiastic review from the passenger seat. Cars always feel much faster from the passenger seat than they actually are, especially if the pilot is pretty competant.
I would go and drive it and make your own mind up. It's a Jeremy Philips (Sylva) design and therefore will be very well sorted. FWIW I still believe that Sylva suspension is the best thought out and implemented design in the seven-esque world of kit-cars. His cars are very light and race proven. Basically if I were to do it all again it would be on a Sylva platform. The Zetec is a good lump. It doesn't leak, is reletively cheap to do right and can produce very respectable power levels. It will be a very good package. I just think the review was a little OTT.
Hi,
I have no personal experience, but it is the kit car I would like to build when I get round to it. The Fischer Fury is basically the same car, originally designed by Jeremy Phillips, who I think still runs Sylva.
go look at
www.dwindledot.co.uk
where you should find answers to anything you need to know.
Sparks
I have no personal experience, but it is the kit car I would like to build when I get round to it. The Fischer Fury is basically the same car, originally designed by Jeremy Phillips, who I think still runs Sylva.
go look at
www.dwindledot.co.uk
where you should find answers to anything you need to know.
Sparks
Andy,
The SSC Stylus is an excellent car, although I totally agree the report seems a little OTT on the speeds achieved.
Small point - The Stylus is not the same as a Fury, the chassis is semi monocoque as opposed to a full space frame. Suspension Geometry should be very similar on the front although I believe the Fury is independant rear as opposed to the De Dion offered by the Stylus. If considering a live axle car - the Fury is more like the Striker, which is different to the Stylus!
I own a Stylus with a cross flow and have previously owned a Striker with a cross flow - on speed outright the Stylus is significantly quicker which I can only put down to aerodynamics which are much better on the Stylus. The Striker was a lot quicker though, weighing in at around 525kg with 130bhp it was very quick. The Stylus weighs 640kg at present, so with 145bhp from the Zetec (225bhp/tonne) it should be a very quick car. I think to achieve the speeds quoted in the article, it would need a good 50bhp more! I know one of the Stylus's ran at Brighton Speed Trials this year achieving a quarter mile in under 14.5seconds, which is pretty damned quick, but it was running approx 195bhp!
If you are in the market for this type of car, I can strongly recommend a Sylva genre car over Caterhams and Westies (I read your profile) as they will easily out handle them pound for pound. If you want a seven go for a Striker, if you want a little more comfort go for a Stylus (I am biased over the Fury).
Just take a couple of minutes to look at the Sylva websites and see the success these cars have had on the 750MC kitcar championship - they have totally dominated it.
I hope this helps - If you want my advice - Go see you bank manager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The SSC Stylus is an excellent car, although I totally agree the report seems a little OTT on the speeds achieved.
Small point - The Stylus is not the same as a Fury, the chassis is semi monocoque as opposed to a full space frame. Suspension Geometry should be very similar on the front although I believe the Fury is independant rear as opposed to the De Dion offered by the Stylus. If considering a live axle car - the Fury is more like the Striker, which is different to the Stylus!
I own a Stylus with a cross flow and have previously owned a Striker with a cross flow - on speed outright the Stylus is significantly quicker which I can only put down to aerodynamics which are much better on the Stylus. The Striker was a lot quicker though, weighing in at around 525kg with 130bhp it was very quick. The Stylus weighs 640kg at present, so with 145bhp from the Zetec (225bhp/tonne) it should be a very quick car. I think to achieve the speeds quoted in the article, it would need a good 50bhp more! I know one of the Stylus's ran at Brighton Speed Trials this year achieving a quarter mile in under 14.5seconds, which is pretty damned quick, but it was running approx 195bhp!
If you are in the market for this type of car, I can strongly recommend a Sylva genre car over Caterhams and Westies (I read your profile) as they will easily out handle them pound for pound. If you want a seven go for a Striker, if you want a little more comfort go for a Stylus (I am biased over the Fury).
Just take a couple of minutes to look at the Sylva websites and see the success these cars have had on the 750MC kitcar championship - they have totally dominated it.
I hope this helps - If you want my advice - Go see you bank manager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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