Enzo vs Carrera Gt vs SLR McLaren

[Thunf]

Originally Posted by LateNightCable Just for the record, the SMG is a BMW system ( standing for Sequential M Gearbox ) not a Mercedes or McLaren component. But what you mean is a hydraulically operated manual. About the air-brake on the SLR, I'm thinking it's just a trick feature. It has some effect simply because it disturbs smooth air flow over the body of the car, but the SLR would have to be an aircraft for it to have a great effect on forward momentum. A small wing is not going to noticably slow the car from barreling down the road, but the break discs would do that.

Ah, that is correct! Yes a tiny effect is what I could expect. Wings of aircrafts have very large frontal area when braking, there it works. What kind of brakes does the Enzo have? Was it some sort of carbon-metal mixture?

[thepolarfoxqx]

The pop-up spoiler tupe thing on the SLR is to create downforce on the rear end. Because it is front drive, it doesn't have the benefit of engine weight over the rear axle to hold it down under breaking, so during high speed breaking, the downforce from the fly-up wing just helps hold the back end down.

Having never driven an SLR myself, I'll just have to believe the Robb Report when they say the SLR is the only supercar they could comfortably drive every day. The GT isn't unbearable, but definately much more stiff. SMG is a trademark of BMW, the electro-hydraulically shifted transmission has been around F1 for a while before they got to it, and ZF - their transmission maker makes the SMG tranny. BMW calibrates the electronics, but SMG is not the BMW monopoly you make it sound to be. For sequential transmissions, I almost wonder if having a clutch might not be a good idea. I'd almost think that a high stall torque convertor that only unlocks for shifting connected to a electro hydraulically shifted manual transmission would go faster, but I can't say for sure.

[LateNightCable]

I didn't suggest BMW had a monopoly with the SMG, of course not. "F1 style" transmissions are a plenty. Ferrari has their's, Porsche has the Tiptronic, Alfa has their Selespeed, Lambo and E-Gear, the list goes on. But the point being is that SMG is a BMW thing.

The SLR has pretty balanced weight distribution, so a softish suspension would be why the rear needs help staying down. And the SLR is not front drive, but front-mid engined and rear drive. The air-brake is trick.

[zit]

the thing is that they are all great if i had my choice out of the 3 i would go for the carrera GT its a convertible and is a great looker as well its more eye-catching i think than the merc and enzo plus it doesnt have that pound shop interior that the merc has i mean plastic on a £350,000 car i mean that's a sin

[Thunf]

Originally Posted by LateNightCable And the SLR is not front drive, but front-mid engined and rear drive. The air-brake is trick.

ok, but what I meant with FR car was not frontwheeldrive but Front engine Rearwheel drive, FF cars are frontwheeldriven and MR are Midengine Rearwheel drive.

Originally Posted by thepolarfoxqx so during high speed breaking, the downforce from the fly-up wing just helps hold the back end down

That might very well be, but it looks like it's going way to much straight upwards instead of acting like a spoiler... it only looks like a flat plate. however it's just a show.

I'm not that into 'real' automatic transmissions, but isn't new automatics like 7G always mechanically locked but not when it shifts gears..? But I can't comment 'the high stall torque converter', don't find in dictionary!

[LateNightCable]

Sorry Thunf, I was actually refering to Fox's quote that the SLR was front frive. The quote about the wing holding the back down was his by the way.

I'm not sure what you mean by locked, but about the 7G-Tronic specifically, this transmission employs a torque converter lock up clutch. ( the old gearbox did as well ) This eliminates slippage for the most part creating a sold connection between the crank and shaft.

[thepolarfoxqx]

it's a front motor, which is what i think we were all talking about.

as for the spoiler, it's active aerodynamics - which is something mclaren is into. the high stall torque convertor is good for performance. It lets the engine get further ahead of the transmission. Because there is a greater difference between the engine and transmission side, which lets the engine make more power, sooner. The lockup only takes effect in higher gears, as there is no real point in locking in first or second. The downside to high stall torque convertors is that they are less efficient. They let the engine make more power, so overall, they improve performance. That is where the lockup comes in. Mercedes is one of the two best manufacturers of autos, and my guess is that if they do it, it's done right. Their autos come as close to feeling right in sports cars as can be expected.

[Driftster]

No argueing the Merc Auto's are the best Auto's around. The CLK DTM is proof of that.
But was this the car to put an auto transmission in? Really?.

Oh well, I'd take the CGT out of the lot.

The Enzo is without a doubt the fastest of the group, and the SLR is nothing but a GT, and if I had a choice it would always be a supercar not a superGT so that eliminates it right off the bat. CGT based on the form/function ratio of the car as compared to the enzo ...."Modern art" looks and amazing function