Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • Pikes Peak – Loeb/Vatanen
  • thepurist
    Full Member

    Just seen this video of Loeb’s recent record run up Pikes Peak

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EsRyhxa5Tg[/video]

    Now, no doubting he’s a very quick chap (understatement!) but is it me or does it look a lot tamer than back in Vatanen’s day?

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGaYz5aLegc[/video]

    disco_stu
    Free Member

    I think it’s been surfaced all the way to the top, happened a few years ago.

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    Vatanen much more exciting to watch. Did Leob step the back of the car out at all?

    BTW Strava segment KoM
    LeRoy Popowski Sep 9, 2012 15.9km/h – 243W 987 2:23:28

    http://app.strava.com/segments/625021

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
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    kiwijohn
    Full Member

    Apart from the fact that the road is all sealed now, it didn’t look like he was too stressed.
    & Vatanen is fighting a fire breathing monster.

    lowey
    Full Member

    Holy cow thats quick. That guys got some sphericals.

    ir_bandito
    Free Member

    Why are most of the strava runs only in august and spetember?

    Edukator
    Free Member

    Loeb commented on TV that the car is the quickest thing he’s ever driven (that’s quicker than sports cars or F1 then). Four wheel drive, massive downforce from the wing and abundant power. He said that it had to be driven very cleanly to be quick as the wing lost efficiency when sideways. There were no brake-ponit boards on the hill which made judging braking points difficult compared with a circuit – that’s where time could be gained. I suppose with a big enough budget they could get someone in a distinctive suit to stand in the same place on every bend for training and race.

    Popocatapetl
    Full Member

    The 208 T16 has 875 Bhp. A bit of a rocket ship 😯

    STATO
    Free Member

    There was a video where he (Loeb) was talking the Rhys Millen saying he was getting no wheelspin just grip while Rhys was having to manage his power out of corners (his was 100hp more than Loeb).

    mark90
    Free Member

    Not taking anyting away from Loab’s amazing drive, but would be interesting to see what time he (or other top drivers of current era) would do in Ari’s T16 monster on the loose.

    monkeyfudger
    Free Member

    Meh. It’s not the same is it.

    Fortunateson09
    Free Member

    There’s a pretty good article on Vatanen and the Pikes Peak in this month’s Evo mag.

    anotherdeadhero
    Free Member

    Anybody looks tame and safe compared to Ari Vatanen!

    happyrider
    Free Member

    anotherdeadhero is spot on! Check out any youtube video of Vatanen for proof! He was 100% commitment in cars that had none of the technology they do now in terms of diffs, engine management, variable spool turbos or even power steering!

    As with bikes, technology has made the cars easier to drive on the limit but it takes a very arguably more talented driver to extract the last second per mile because it’s not just balls it’s a multitude of skills, knowing where to back off, where to push, how to manage the aero etc etc all while going that little bit faster than was possible years ago.

    It’s all just brilliant I think 🙂

    mboy
    Free Member

    There was a video where he (Loeb) was talking the Rhys Millen saying he was getting no wheelspin just grip while Rhys was having to manage his power out of corners (his was 100hp more than Loeb).

    If you watch the video of Rhys Millen’s 2012 run, you’ll see that impressive as his car is, it’s by contrast a big budget homebrew build compared to the full on factory effort of Loeb’s Peugeot. Rhys’ car might have more power (that’s the easy part), but it’s only putting it down through the rear wheels. The gearbox might be sequential, but it’s still got a stick shift. Nothing is computerised etc. Loeb’s Peugeot is essentially what a full evolution GrpB monster would be today had they been allowed to evolve. It uses all the technology available from WRC, but then combines it with LMP1 knowhow for chassis design, and then eschews the limits of both classes re horsepower limitations. Only time I heard even a remote amount of wheelspin in Loeb’s car was one very tight first gear hairpin, and despite 4wd, lots of clever computers and the most talented rally driver in the world, 900bhp and very short gearing should be lighting those tyres up in almost every gear! Where Millen has to battle understeer constantly in his car, Loeb’s Peugeot turns on a knife edge. Looks totally relaxed and easy in comparison to Millen, and so much easier than the days when it wasn’t fully paved. Shame that they tarmaced the whole thing, would like to have seen the time Loeb could do on the gravel cos I bet he’d still have smashed the 9m barrier let alone the 10!

    happyrider
    Free Member

    I like that, where Group B would be now if it had been allowed to evolve.. Just imagine a full on factory fight! Crowds would have to be behind catch fencing on every stage!

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Oooh – just found a remastered HD version of the Vatanen film. Cuppa time!

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZ5J3GLSYI[/video]

    kcal
    Full Member

    just insane. full tilt, one handed shielding his eyes.
    might have been 5% of the time the car was pointing up the road?

    ampthill
    Full Member

    Long’s peak will be under snow most of the year

    Pigface
    Free Member

    Love the Vatanen Climb Dance clip and you can really hear the engine struggling with the altitude towards the end, the new Peugeot is an amazing machine but maybe lacks a bit of soul. What ever soul maybe.

    shifter
    Free Member

    Great video. I drove up that in ~2000 in a rented Ford minivan – it was JUST like that 😉

    CountZero
    Full Member

    **** me! That Vatanen film is lairy, he’s fighting that thing every inch of the way! Loeb’s run is chuffing impressive, but with all that grip and Tarmac all the way up, not as exciting.
    And shading his eyes with one hand… 😯

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    I will never forget as a kid standing next to the original “flying Finn” at the Manx rally.
    We went everywhere watching. Good old Lombard rac days too! So different (shit) nowadays…

    athgray
    Free Member

    Great videos. When Vatanen shield his eyes from the sun is amazing. Nervous cars reminds me a bit of
    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oys_R2QVvh8&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/video]

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Great vids 😯

    stgeorge
    Full Member

    Good old Lombard rac days too! So different (shit) nowadays..

    so true 🙁

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