Originally Posted By: Olas
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Olas
The mini in that clip is a normally aspirated 1380cc 4cylinder!! 16 valves, 1 throttle per cylinder, LOTS of compression.. the guys at Kent Auto Developments (KAD) are the daddies when it comes to making fast minis. Some people prefer the bike engined Z-Cars from Leeds, but IMO they're not proper minis any more, just silhouette-racers.
...and probably weighs what, < 1400 pounds wet, with driver??
I don't know for certain, but you're pretty close with a guess at 1400 lbs. It's easy to bore and stroke and talk about how 'there aint no replacement for displacement' but that's the easy way out. What (some, not all) you guys don't realise is that power-to-weight ratio, specific output, chassis geometry and cornerweighting are FAR more important.
(if you dont believe me watch the video of a 1.4litre 4 cylinder beating a 6 or 7?? litre rear drive 'sports car' round a track
Colin Chapman of Lotus used to say that the best way to make a car go faster was to add lightness.
^^^ABSOLUTELY!
But I always say, "WHY not do
BOTH??!!" (i.e.; stuff a built, 7 liter, 900 rwhp, naturally aspirated, C5/6R unrestricted inlet, full race monster in the middle of a current Lotus Elise,
IF that is even possible.
)