Damn! Kato is going like a rocket!!

Well Chaps and Chapettes, I don't think that a 30 year old Mondial and only the 3.0ltr one at that, has any right to give a 360 F1 and a Maserati Cambiocorsa a hard time on the road, however it seems that my Kato has other ideas.
This weekend has seen us out with some visiting friends and their toys and what with the weather being perfect we all decided to go out for a bit of a thrash.
Now I have to say that last time I raced a couple of 360 Ferraris my clutch expired, BUT not before I realised I'd got the measure of them.
So yesterday was kind of rematch time and I have to say I did fancy Katos chances, I know Kato did. The only unknown was the Maserati but what with parent company pecking orders I figured the Maser had to be slower a 360.
Anyway Kato has recently been on a bit of a weight loss diet and this has made quite a difference to his speed out of the blocks.
So today was Grand Prix day, not just for those blokes in Spa....
Well to cut a long story short I'm now of the conclusion that Kato is fast as bloody hell!
After doing several straight shoot outs that are designed to eliminate driver ability, neither the 360 or the Maserati could make any ground on yours truely and Kato.
In fact Kato was indeed a bit quicker than the Maserati which as I said earlier I felt would be the case.
Now I know this may seem like a bit of a tall tale and I did think about doing a video to show Kato in action but here the UK is fast becoming a surveillance state, so I thoght better of it.
Anyway I am thrilled that Kato the old boy can still get up and surprise a few of these young upstarts and I have to say also that now as a result we have finally accepted him fully as one of the family..
And just in case there is any doubt as to his credentials, Kato is putting it out that he is up for a scrap with any 360 anytime!

Anyway here are some pics of Kato with one of his buddies.
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Err yes the reason they are so close is my friend doesn't know how long his bloody bonnet is, he just missed me by 1inch! Yes Kato has had a few little experimental tweeks here and there and for some strange reason that I just can't understand, the front number plates keep on falling off or get stolen! I believe it to be Aliens...

 

Some weight loss etc.
I've just been checking on the 360 0-100 and it says 10.5secs
The Maserati is 10.9 0-100
Kato 0-100 is 13.9 before a weight loss of 70KG
On the road for what ever reason it didn't seem to account for much, even my girlfriend commented about them not getting away from us. Also when we were in front on a twin carriageway going hard through the gears she was watching in the mirrors and only the 360 was making a little ground on us, but not enough.
She thought they might not be trying but I explained that last time we did this I was in the Lotus V8 and that absolutely ate them both, so there was no way they would be charitable to me this time.
Anyway what ever I'm not really that bothered just pleased to give them both a real shock with the old Mondial, and I like being the underdog who comes through ;-)

 

MvT you are dead right about the weight thing and I was prepared for a bit of a scrap withthe guys so I boxed clever and ran with a minimum of fuel just 1/4 of a tank!
Also both my girlfriend and I are quite slim, she weighs 126lbs and I am 161lbs
Our opponants were well lets say BIGGER! and yes they were runningfull tanks of fuel
BUT hey we're not cheating here, I'm just playing a weaker hand more tactically that's all
and it's me also try to think like Colin Chapman.
Loosing weight works, at every level.... but as Colin once said taking out light bits of trim won't make your car lighter, it's getting the heavy stuff lighter that's the trick.
Lithium Ion car battery.....whoo ha haha!

Just to add a thought, I think that it's true to say engine power on todays cars has gone up but weight seems to be going through the roof as does physical size.
650hp should send a car into orbit, but the sheer weight of the FF for example massively blunts the performance and whilst the FF is quick it's not bloody mental like the McLaren F1 which feels way faster.

 

PSK thing is I used to race and they hav'nt so it's not really a fair challenge.
When we convoy I never ever push hard in the curves either if I'm in the front or following, if anything I try stay 'ín touch' but without pressing. This when you are underdog can be hard and you have to read their moves almost before they make them.

Some straight line drag times will be useful though, I'll see what I can do ;-)

 

The 'tweeks' are just weight loss, all the aircon stuff has gone now that was a massive weight, special battery, lighter front undertray, massively lighter heatshields, exhaust, even the speakers are gone, no spare wheel. Wheels weigh a ton, so am looking to get carbon wheels made but in the same style so as not to show. (I'm working with a wheel company)
Kato is on the old TRXs which I love because they have loads and loads of feel on the limit and you can get them nice and hot. Modern tyres would have more ultimate grip sure but I like the retro feel I'm so bored of low profile, everythings got them now and the're all 'bump thumpy' even on a Bently
But hey I'm not trying to make a racer out of an old Mondial I'm just removing old Iron that does nothing for the car and slows it down. True the carbon wheels are not cheap but then I'm not really paying for them either so I'm lucky there.
Oh yes springs I had made 20% stiffer 1.5 inches lower.

 

Well to be honest I don't want to do anything to the car that's not easily reversible. The aircon on my car is now illegal so it can never be used again.
The speakers are unecessary when you are in a Ferrari, if I want to listen to music I either put my foot down or stay at howe and listen to my electrostats.
Heat shields are a ridiculous weight so that was easily fixed.
Any spare wheel is unecessary these days and inflate gas has always worked for me, modern cars rarely carry a spare. Also leadacid car batts are about to be outdated too an average one weighs 70LBS.
So looking at my car you wouldn't really say it had been lightened because it's not stripped out at all, it's all hidden and with carbon wheels I'm going to save loads and unsprung weight is reduced. How will this effect damping? Well we'll see but it's moving strongly in the right direction and that has to be good.
;-)

 

Hey MvT tell me about the whole huge, bloody huge car thing! I remember not so long ago when a Ferrari 308 or Mondial was a big car. now it looks tiny next to even a Fiat.
I don't know why car makers have lost the plot, I mean under no circumstances is a bigger heavier car ever better than a light one. And yet even Ferrari are building big red London buses these days. Like I said earlier in this thread 700BHP in the 80s and 90s would have sent a car into orbit but now it just makes them mearly fast.
Take the McLaren F1 (yes please) with 650BHP it feels like it's tearing your face off in 2nd gear, but not so with a 650BHP Ferrari and the Bugatti needs over a 1000BHP to match the McLaren! Gordon Murray you see he's a car design genious who hasn't lost his way.
And as for the Bentleys well they always have been fast trucks so I'll let them off, lightness has never been their philosophy, but Ferrari really should be doing what Lotus are doing and have been doing for years. They've got all the materials so why don't they use them?....
Oh well rant over Ha ha ;-)

 

Modern living means we are getting bigger and so are our cars.
Some numbers to digest..

Yesterdays Supermodels:
McLaren F1 Year 1992 Weight 1,000 KG
Lotus V8 Year 1998 Weight 1,250 KG
Lotus Elise Year 1996 Weight 720 KG
Lotus Elan 1968! Weight 688KG
Fiat X19 Year 1972 Weight 880KG

BIG BOOTY:
Ferrari FF Year Present Weight 1,900KG
Ferrari California Year Present 1,750KG
Bugatti Veyron 1,888KG
Lamborghini Aventador 1,750KG

I know which figures I prefer.... ;-)

Here's some more size comparisons Soucorp, note that the diminutive McLaren that actually seats 3 people.
And MvT I've only ever driven the F1 in the dry but even though it has stacks of power it is very safe handling and not at all scary.
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