Originally Posted by
jrgitar
Wise, indeed! Though I do recall a "special" Stig bringing the FXX to JC, Hamster, and Capt. Slow, so maybe a similar appearance could be arrainged with a certain (Finnish) driver with the initials "MS" playing the silent racer this time instead of the other "MS." I can see it now: The Stig breaks his leg in an accident at Silverstone, so you have a special guest Stig (Salo) to lap the P4/5's, an interview with both the driver(s) and Mr. G, followed by a lap in the Reasonably Priced Car! To make it really interesting, Clarkson could round up willing owners of an Enzo, a Scuderia, a 430 GT2, and a 458 GT2 to compare lap times, and call it another Top Gear Shootout DVD Special!
Back to the questions:
So even with the extra 200+ hp, the original won't beat the "C" around the track? What are the respective weights of the two cars, and how much more downforce has the wind tunnel and fluid dynamics software shown you have at speed (at say, 100kmh, 200 kmh, 300kmh) between the two? I know the big rear wing adds a lot, and the diffuser looks to be straight out of the 2009 F1 Double Decker Diffuser Debacle, so it must act like a Dyson sucking that thing down to the ground, but is there really that much more downforce to overcome the extra power in the P4/5? Maybe I just don't want to believe that a lowly 430 GT2 powered car could beat the awesome Enzo's V12, but I suppose this is where modern technology and innovation has disproven il Commendatore's axiom that "aerodynamics are for people who don't know how to build an engine," no?
I think swapping out the GT2 running gear for the (original) Scuderia stuff would be my inclination after its competition career is over, given the extra power and, I would imagine, long-term reliability of an engine designed as a street/track-day toy versus a strict racer. Not that money's tight in the G's garage, but I would imagine the Scud engine would be less costly and involved to maintain over time and the GT2 would require more maintainance, attention, and even prep just to go for a cruise. However, I do see the allure of maintaining the car as close to race form as possible (with the fewest possible concessions to make it street legal), even at the cost of power, simply because the sound, smell, and overall experience would be different if the beast were tamed too much for those NY roads. And I'm sure Mr. G's intention was not to make it feel like a 430 Scuderia in a very expensive custom suit once he has it on the road, so...