Tuning 197bhp Abarth 500!!

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Tuning 197bhp Abarth 500!!

Without trying to upset anybody, there is no way a properly driven Elise, even an early low powered one, will bo out oerformed by an Abath 500, even one with 200bhp.

in the dry i agree, but in the 'mildly moist'/wet is a different story ;)

i have done a few trackdays with the lotus boys and my 500 1.4 was going well so an Abarth would do very well (y)
 
I did the Exige driving experience at Silverstone a couple of years ago. Most fun ever. The way the car drifted slightly, but still felt glued to the track round Club corner was fantastic. I thought I was quick until the pro driver took me around for a couple of laps and I discovered I was not.
 
I'm aware the standard engines are "good for 270bhp", again take that with a pinch of salt, also I do work for the Trofeo Abarth GB and power wise 300bhp A500 on track would be slower IMO.

The old saying "its not what you have it how you drive it" holds very true with comparisons of A500's and Elise's.
 
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No you misread what i typed, i said he probably timed it on a dyno, to get to 0-60 time, nothing to do with traction.

I think you'd be quite surprised by the Abarths performance on track, i know people who have done track days and kept up with an Elise (similar power to standard A500/SS) if not beat it, so i reckon a 288 BHP version of the A500 might be good competition for an Exige! Would be good to see anyway :)

Problem you have is that you are still trying to put 288bhp down through the front tyres, while an Exige has a more balanced set up. Yes people have put more than that down with FWD successfully (current Focus RS for example) but it was with a much more complicated Front suspension set up and a proper mechanical limited slip diff. Not that the abarth is a bad chassis but at those sort of numbers you are hitting the edges of what FWD can do. You have to steer and accelerate but you most definetly have a fixed front tyre area to do both, you can make the tyres a little bigger but not really enough to compensate for big power and then you instigate tramlining with the camber of the road nevermind torque steer.

I had a mate who ran a modified galant V6 with about 210bhp at the front wheels, in reality it wasn't that fast a car but in the wet it was monster just because despite 225 section tyres it just couldn't steer and accelerate at once and if you caught a mid corner camber wrong on throttle in it you HAD to be awake otherwise it'd be over the kerb or on the wrong side of the road.
 
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I know someone who will be campaigning one of these Exiges on the circuits shortly

http://www.rsperformance.co.uk/rswevo_technicalspecification.htm

To summarise weight 700 kilos, 520 bhp:D, Should win a few races I think

How about something Italian instead - 600kg and 450bhp? An X1/9 with kevlar/GRP Dallara bodywork, no frills and a Punto GT engine tuned to its limits, just wish I could get the car finished again...

Of course I have both an A500 and the Dallara - the best of both worlds?

The A500 on track is superbly quick and feels great and that is just the base 135bhp model with single rate springs - very close to the old tin tops I used to race but it doesn't take that much skill to push hard, just lots of bravery and commitment.

The Dallara on the other hand is a monster, it takes real skill to balance it through the corners and keep it pointing in the right direction while maintaining proper race speeds but the speeds are that much higher (we have to limit it to 160mph to avoid a take-off scenario).
 
i raced an elise once on the motorway, left it for dead then went down the slip road which is quiet bendy and actually couldnt see him.


mate has an exige, bummed that aswell lol


the joys of 310 ftlb of torque
 
you can have my 210 bhp for 23K now thats got to be a bargain.
:slayer::slayer::slayer:
 
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