OK people, this is no wind up.
I received an e-mail from Colin Neill @ CVR at 13:01 today
The following is a direct cut and paste from the mail
"Hi Mike,
Happy New Year !!!
We have taken delivery of the first car, our engine for that is on its way to be converted to run E85, we have some quite exciting news to announce in the coming weeks.
Will keep you posted !
Many thanks,
Colin"
Good News all round
"We have taken delivery of the first car, our engine for that is on its way to be converted to run E85, we have some quite exciting news to announce in the coming weeks"
................ But the fact Colin says on the websute they fully intend to get out with a two car team leads me to believe someone is in the pipeline as a second driver. So that leads me to believe that things are going more than to plan.
Lets hope this is the case, maybe VXR seeing 2 yellow Leons again will be spooked
Yeah!
But for me it all depends on the power of bio-ethanol on the engine. I know nowt about the mechanical side to touring cars but, although I don't know about the other petrol Leons in the BTCC but the car has exactly the same spec as the petrol verion in the WTCC. The bio-ethanol car also has a max. outup of 260bhp @8500rpm with a torque of 250nm @ 700rpm. Whether that is enough to say the Leons would keep pace with the Vectra I am not sure.
Well, although its a different engine, in the Swedish Touring Car Championship, Volvo ran 2 Bio Ethanol C30's, which seemed pretty competative (these cars were rumoured to be heading to the UK for 2009)
As you said, GR-Asia website, the Leons in the WTCC is 260bhp @ 8500rpm, running on standard fuel, and torque of 250nm @ 7000rpm, same claim as CVR's car, lets hope this is accurate for the E-85 engine
Fingers crossed, it'll do the business.
The BMW is a good all round car. Strong powerful engine for the straights, but it can also get it's power down well exiting the twisty bits thanks to it being RWD and not having to worry about understeer and front tyre wear.
I am totally with you there. I have been made aware on various message boards, though not completely I feel, of what the RWD cars can do. But my question I have for the 320si is for how long after exiting a corner is the BMW's able to hold the power down for before they have to brake in the right zone to take the next corner.
Oh no another season of having to pretend i like you lot.......
Be a bit different if we cant park on South Bank......... Oh well its all part of the fun....
A disadvantage of RWD of course is being arse happy in the wet (remember those Ford Capris in the British Saloon Car Championship in the 1980's, one spot of rain, all over the place)
The current BMWs are good when it's wet, as their performances at Rockingham, Croft and Silverstone show you. Their weak spot is when it's drizzling and the track is damp. That's why they performed so badly at Donington last year compared to everywhere else. They either need totally dry or soaking wet.
Great news that CVR have their first Leon. I imagine funding is very tight in the current climate but they are heading in the right direction. I suspect they are looking for a paying driver for car no 2.
Re Brianos post on the Arena Ford Focus, 4th picture down is undoubtedly how it will look........................................... in the hands of Tom Chilton