Holdens Nurburgring plan backfires

[pottery beige]

article just confirms JD is retarded.. maybe they knocked him back on cheap VF ute..

[Danny]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Well if that constitutes a bagging these days maybe an extra ration of cement at brecky is needed for those that feel aggrieved......

Seriously.....

Aggrieved?? How do you 100% ford fans feel when doweling bags the *** off the falcon? It's absolute butthurt city with 50 threads on how falcon always gets a beating...

My aggravation is with the whole tone of the article, its written like its a big funny joke, like "ooooh big laugh, how funny, the SS couldn't even beat a Megane", is that how stupid Australian car enthusiasts and journalists are? The fact is that the 265 is the fastest FWD car around the gring, and a mighty finely honed vehicle at that. It's not just a Megane, and it's certainly not a joke, nor a big surprise..

To those in the know, comparing the SS to the RS 265 Is a massive fail. You may as well compare it to a Cayman or a Boxter such is the reality of how the 265 performs.

Here is a brilliant car, well documented as being lauded as the best hot hatch ever made, drawing comparisons to performance cars nearly four times the price, and this knob pulls out some article like this using it as a springboard in which to deride the SS ute like its some massive shameful embarrassment. The knuckle draggers. What a joke Aussie motoring journalism is, when all it requires now is to pour crap on any car, at any cost.

My contribution to topic of this thread is this: the SS is a good car, it most definitely probably is the fastest ute on the gring, and likely the fastest commercial. Holden didn't set out there to prove that they were faster than a well honed hatch with F1 heritage and technology behind its engineering. In my opinion, nothing has backfired. Is Doweling completely retarded????

As for a teaspoon of cement, I'll remember that advice next time 50 butt hurt threads pop up about the next Failfax or LimitedNews story which absolutely demoralises the Falcon.

[usernametaken]

I had a 172.

Anyone dissing RSports has no idea..

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Danny

Aggrieved?? How do you 100% ford fans feel when doweling bags the *** off the falcon? It's absolute butthurt city with 50 threads on how falcon always gets a beating...

My aggravation is with the whole tone of the article, its written like its a big funny joke, like "ooooh big laugh, how funny, the SS couldn't even beat a Megane", is that how stupid Australian car enthusiasts and journalists are? The fact is that the 265 is the fastest FWD car around the gring, and a mighty finely honed vehicle at that. It's not just a Megane, and it's certainly not a joke, nor a big surprise..

To those in the know, comparing the SS to the RS 265 Is a massive fail. You may as well compare it to a Cayman or a Boxter such is the reality of how the 265 performs.

Here is a brilliant car, well documented as being lauded as the best hot hatch ever made, drawing comparisons to performance cars nearly four times the price, and this knob pulls out some article like this using it as a springboard in which to deride the SS ute like its some massive shameful embarrassment. The knuckle draggers. What a joke Aussie motoring journalism is, when all it requires now is to pour crap on any car, at any cost.

My contribution to topic of this thread is this: the SS is a good car, it most definitely probably is the fastest ute on the gring, and likely the fastest commercial. Holden didn't set out there to prove that they were faster than a well honed hatch with F1 heritage and technology behind its engineering. In my opinion, nothing has backfired. Is Doweling completely retarded????

As for a teaspoon of cement, I'll remember that advice next time 50 butt hurt threads pop up about the next Failfax or LimitedNews story which absolutely demoralises the Falcon.

Well maybe you need to be a bit clearer about to whom you are ****** of with next time, your first post certainly seems to me it was aimed at some of those who posted before you, no mention of JD or the article....I wasn't defending the article, just those that posted.....

Originally Posted by Danny

Have any of you people actually driven or tracked a Megané Sport? Oh, and also had a performance ute to compare it directly to? (Sorry, TWO performance utes)....

It's not surprising, it is not odd, it is not unbeleivable. The Megané 265 is a ripping fast car, both in a straight line, and it handles like a $120k Porsche Cayman (go on, do some research).

I've munched dozens of VE SS's in a straight line, then around corners, its just absolute dynamite. So don't begin to bag something you don't even have any real world experience in..

Otherwise why would you give Leadfoot81 a thank you in post 21....

Anyway nuff of this off topic stuff.....

[tranquilized]

When I heard the Holden utes time was close to the Megane I was impressed at how well the ute had done. To flip the whole thing on its head and suggest the exercise was a failure is typical JD journalism. He just doesn't seem to know much about cars.

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

I drove the ring over Easter 2010.
made the treck across from london with a 20 strong group of small ford owners, the least powerful was a 350Hp Capri.

...

Anyway we didn't find one but I did find Rent-for-ring which offer fully prepped suzuki swifts for hire. The quickest version capable of 8:40 BTG (bridge to gantry) yes a suzuki swift in the right hands.
In my first run I managed 9:51 as per the video. Bearing in mind first time in left hand drive ar and I had no idea where I was going and a video toting passenger on board.
after a day of lapping at 22 euro per lap without passenger I got down to a low 9 minute lap ( basic watch stopwatch timing) but the weather closed in and stopped play...I wasn't going to risk damage while or semi slicks in the rain. If you crash you pay for lost earnings and track repair as well as recovery etc
However at one point on my first lap a 'ring taxi' (sabine schmidt type driver) BMW M5 with a full passenger list blew past on a straight Like I was standing still...the advantages of knowing where your going I guess
I had a fantastic time and the car was amazing Id fully recommend it, all in all it cost me about 400 Euro for half a days hire and track passes

I did a few laps of the Ring back in 2006, damn time flies...

Sounds like things work a bit different these days. Companies hiring dedicated cars for the ring weren't really around. The normal car hire places weren't so onto it then so we just went to the SIXT car rental office at the Frankfurt train station and hired this;



Cost us 190 euros for 2 days, bought an 8 lap ticket (I did 4, my mate did 4) for 108 euro. We had to let the car rest after every lap to let the brakes cool down, but it was a pretty damn good effort from the Benz to take the beating from a pair of amateurs who were constantly hitting the rev limiter and generally thrashing the life out of it. It didn't miss a beat.

When we were there, lap timing and photography were banned. Is that still the case, but generally ignored? My mate did use his phone to film me driving a lap, but we were kinda paranoid about breaking the rules so the footage isn't very good, and we didn't time any laps which is crazy now I think about it. Definitely will next time!

[mik]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

In all fairness, more of it has to do with driver skill on the Nurburgring than just vehicle capabilities.

that is some of it, most of it is preparation i think, a lot of these companies that go for a nurburg ring assault spend big bucks on basically a full race pit crew testing tyres, tyre pressures , tune, practicing the best cornering lines, etc, some times for days , and no mention of the time put in as if they just drove the car up there and did a lap.

[Nikked]

How is it a backfire?

Holden ute @ Nurburgring = exposure.

Cars the SS ute is faster then.

-M3 E46
-Lotus Exige S
-Jaguar XKR
-Porsche Cayman S
-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII

And...its a >$50k car, that can carry stuff in the back...its not a sports car.

[Cheese3]

Originally Posted by Nikked

How is it a backfire?

Holden ute @ Nurburgring = exposure.

Cars the SS ute is faster then.

-M3 E46 They are 10years + old now
-Lotus Exige S
-Jaguar XKR
-Porsche Cayman S
-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII

And...its a >$50k car, that can carry stuff in the back...its not a sports car.

They look like an old list of cars . . .

[uniacidz]

Former Holden boss behind the wheel?

Sheesh. Not a fair run and should have hired someone like Sabine Schmitz do do the lap/laps and filming.

[Dave R]

I cannot believe Holden were dumb enough not to put a professional driver behind the wheel, what a moronic move. They should have got Mark Skaife out there.

[tweeked]

i can understand what goes on with Dowling. The angle he has taken on this is unfair and nothing to do with what GMH where up to. It is great to see Holden investing and doing this, wish Ford could do the same.

Will love to see Dowling in the future driving a Great Wall or a Mahindra or whatever they are called. That is all that will be left if people believe his drivel. He is a moron.

[midnightXR6]

Thats it im putting a centre silencer on the ute this year and doing it properly for the ring.

[XRtowcar]

Think the ute time is quite respectable considering its a UTE. What the hell comparing it to a Renault Megan has to do with things is just Dowlings way of kicking the Aus car industry again anyway he can.
Look at the times here and see how it compares.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...eife_lap_times

[midnightXR6]

I would be happy of that time in a ute.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

I cannot believe Holden were dumb enough not to put a professional driver behind the wheel, what a moronic move. They should have got Mark Skaife out there.

I must admit, those were my initial thoughts. However..

Link - GM Corporate, Mark Reuss

[Ruess] is a certified industry pool test driver on the North Course of the Nurburgring Motorsport Racetrack in Germany, and he earned his license for Grand American Road Racing.

So there you have it, the guy probably knows at least some of the ropes out there.

[Benjamin Smith]

Originally Posted by midnightXR6

Thats it im putting a centre silencer on the ute this year and doing it properly for the ring.

So your the guy with the xr ute in europe. Take a video of it with the time and send it to Dowling

[Neale]

just goes to show just because you have a big v8 doesn't mean that you are going to be fast.

Its just a shame Ford didn't do a better job of marketing the time of 7:22 set by the 1.0-litre three-cylinder powered road legal Formula Ford

[Bossxr8]

Holden must have forgot his monthly bag of bribery cash so vengence has been swift


I'm just shocked he somehow didn't find a way to insert a Falcon is dead seqway into it, its probably the first article i've seen from him about a Holden that doesn't mention Ford shutting down.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Holden must have forgot his monthly bag of bribery cash so vengence has been swift


I'm just shocked he somehow didn't find a way to insert a Falcon is dead seqway into it, its probably the first article i've seen from him about a Holden that doesn't mention Ford shutting down.

See the article on the Malibu?

Sunk it in to that as well...


Apparently it chews too much fuel, and Holden have prepared sales kits for the dealers, to avoid talk of fuel economy...

But, he did point out that the mondeo used more fuel...

[EVLKNEVL]

Originally Posted by Neale

just goes to show just because you have a big v8 doesn't mean that you are going to be fast.

No, I don't think it goes to show that at all. 8:21 is a reasonable time for a V8 ute.

[EDManual]

If you hopped into a car and did an 8.21 you would be loving it believe me! Its flying!

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by EVLKNEVL

No, I don't think it goes to show that at all. 8:21 is a reasonable time for a V8 ute.

Compared to what other V8 Ute time or even Ute time?

I do agree it isn't too bad.

[EVLKNEVL]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Compared to what other V8 Ute time or even Ute time?

I do agree it isn't too bad.

I didn't compare it to another V8 ute time or even ute time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...eife_lap_times

Compared to cars running similar times, many of which are focused sports cars, not practical utility vehicles, it's a reasonable time for a V8 ute.

[mike_nofx]

What time could a sedan be reasonably likely to do, if that's what the ute can do?

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Smith

So your the guy with the xr ute in europe. Take a video of it with the time and send it to Dowling

would like to see that as on a track the falcons are usually faster, GS Ute would be pretty cool

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Gumpert Apollo if you didnt know, not the most attractive car around but definably a formidable car.

...driven by a "pimply faced 21 year old Russian"....


...no doubt with a father in the "import export business"...

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by EVLKNEVL

I didn't compare it to another V8 ute time or even ute time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...eife_lap_times

Compared to cars running similar times, many of which are focused sports cars, not practical utility vehicles, it's a reasonable time for a V8 ute.

Yeah i know what you were refering to, i guess its just hard to compare it to anything it may be competing against is what i meant.

As i said, i agree it is a respectable time for sure.

[dallasv8]

there is a vid on youtube somewhere of they taking an F150 Raptor around that track,i think it was posted in these forums a while back

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by dallasv8

there is a vid on youtube somewhere of they taking an F150 Raptor around that track,i think it was posted in these forums a while back

Did they find a scrub track through the centre of the track to use

[vanman_75]

Got to agree about driver , as others here have done the rent a ring deal . I was passing bmws,mercs, 1000 cc bikes etc etc .. its all about grip there I was on the verge of none ...but Crist those things in race form stick like you know what ...

For a Holden Ute to get around it at all is quiet an effort , serious.
For it to be marked against the fastest is very lucky ...pity Joshua is a little retarded with a pen .