The July issue of Road & Track Magazine just landed in my mailbox. Here are some fun bits that I just read! The crew is pleased and we're DYING to start shipping these cars and taking over the world of stoplights and racetracks!
"It rips the tires loose in pit lane on a whisper of throttle. Forget the WRX. Forget every street car you've ever driven. This is something else."
"The 818 explodes down Gingerman's front straight. This isn't the fast you get with a 911 Turbo or a Corvette, that sense of mighty power overcoming considerable weight. It's the whoa of a linearly accelerated roller coaster. Second and third dissapear in a rush as the rear end oscillates. I find myself short-shifting just to keep the car straight. It's a genuine thrill, and even if you never took your 818 to the track, the joy of warping between stoplights would keep you occupied for months"
"It takes a few corners for my brain to catch up to how the car handles. You think a Mazda Miata is light? The 818 weighs 400 lbs less than the first generation Miata, it rolls on tires 50 percent wider. Turn-in is neck-straining at high speed. On the first lap it feels like the limits are too high to reach, but once you reach them, the 818's a true sweetheart, pushing the front predictably before uncorking its tail in a lazy slide."
Jack Baruth, Road & Track magazine and Grand Am driver.
Metrics tested/measured:
0-60 3.8 seconds
1/4 mile 12.4 seconds
Road Holding 1.12 G*
curb weight 2012 lbs. **
power: 270 rwhp, 300lb ft @ 4300 rpm
* Tires were DOT legal race tires.
** a note about weight in the article as this had everyone here concerned and we had weighed the car almost 100 lbs lighter. The magazine FILLED the large capacity fuel tank to the top as is standard for all their curb weight tests (ugh! that's 13 more gallons and +91 lbs more than you'd routinely drive or autocross with). Further the 818R cage (+22 lbs), fuel cell mounting hardware/brackets (+6 lbs), paint (+26 lbs), wheels (+16 lbs), and heavy battery (+20lbs) account for another +181 lbs, add in the street seat, carpets, and windshield and we figure the street car should be right in the mid-to-low 1800 lbs range. We will have the street car in the showroom ON SCALES for the Open House!
Dave Smith