Road Sports A spec compared to Mega Graduates

[andy97]

Can anyone tell me the difference between the above race car specs please, or are they essentially the same?

[Red Seven]

The original Roadsport A's (up to about 2002 or 2003?) were a great spec of car, with 1600 supersport spec engine (different cams and ECU), long four branch manifold, six speed box, LSD. Many also had dry sump and Stack dash.

Mega's are the same spec engine, using the stock short four branch exhaust, but use a 5 speed 'box, with tranX straight cut close ratio as an option, but no LSD.

Caterham used the name "Roadsport A" again later, but didn't have some of the really nice to have stuff like six speed, LSD, and dry sump.

[andy97]

Thanks, thats very helpful. The one i have just bought is a Mega with stack dash, wide track and no lights or screen. Not dry sumped but otherwise as described

[sfaulds]

Mega grads use to have a baffling spring & damper combo (250/215 on M0 dampers), and they had a different throttle body and plenum that mainly seemed to produce more noise and vibrations.

[Red Seven]

My son bought a ready to race Mega almost four years ago.
I was surprised to see that it had standard springs and dampers, not the stiffer springs.
Yes, they must be horrible with stiff springs and not enough damping!

Similarly, for sprint/hillclimb use, the M1 dampers are too stiff. Stiff rear springs and dampers make for very poor traction from a standing start (exasperated by now using cold tyres), or out of slow corners.
Standard springs and dampers really work very well!

[MR2_SC]

The super grads race alongside the mega's but have standard springs with narrow track. They seem to corner at the same speed as the mega's in the dry but have an advantage in the wet. General thoughts are that the mega's are over sprung...

To compensate most run with no rear ARB and either a soft front ARB or no front at all.

It would be great if the mega spec was updated to allow an LSD and lighter flywheel as they'd be more equal with the current supersport/sigmax spec. Which would open up options to compete on equal terms in other race series (mag7, toyo 7, etc.)

Edited by MR2_SC on Tuesday 15th August 17:22