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Hi All, Sorry to show off, but what a day!!! [img]images/graemlins/1syellow1.gif[/img] I got invited to the Stigs (Perry McCarthy) book launch on Tuesday; meet him a couple of times before, a really nice guy, very down to earth.
http://forums.rs246.com/forums/download ... mber=26544 [image]The bonus was being taken out by Perry in an S4 (Woo he the man!) and then being able to take an S4 out myself round Thruxton, so cool, bloody nice car.
She really behaved well, and felt extremely sure footed, great power, hard to tell but there is defiantly more power there than my old B5 S4.
Plus Audi UK bought along the Le Man R8, wasn’t allowed to go round the track, but got to sit in one!!, Not very comfortable….mind you I am a bit over weight!!

Sounds like a great day [img]images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img].

How was the Stig experience - was it like he driving on the limit or did it appear effortless? Dis he have any comments on the S4?

Pray tell [img]images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Niiice [img]images/graemlins/boots.gif[/img]

Joshie, Stig said he wouldn’t push the car to much because the man from Audi said not to!! But.. he did and he canned the brake pads in 4 laps, he said it would have been 2 if he really had been going for it. There were a couple of us who went out with him, but I think he saw the twinkle in my eye...he knew I needed to be stigged!! [img]images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
As for the handling on the car, Stig said he had driven many cars in his time, and did enjoy the handling of the S4 but it is a road car, and not set up for tracks and racing. The Audi connection is to do with Le Man contract he has with Audi, (They’ve given him a top of the range A8 to drive round in!).

Oh and to top it all I also went out with Nick Mason (Pink Floyds Drummer and Motor sport racer & enthusiast!!) and he actually owned an S4 B5, said he really loved it, I took him round Thruxton really giving it some, I think I pushed it to far some times, but he was really cool.

You're very fortunate to be involved in such a great day - If I'd been there I think I'd have been asking Nick Mason more questions about Pink Floyd (one of my long time favourite bands) than his experience at Le Mans.

Interesting what you say about the brakes - what is stopping car makers (apart from Porsche) getting the brakes on their cars right?

Good stuff though - drop me a PM when the next one's up [img]images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Pink Floyd is just his long term job.

This is his real love Tentenths [img]images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

Interesting what you say about the brakes - what is stopping car makers (apart from Porsche) getting the brakes on their cars right?

I would agrre with you here Ian, but the argument put forward generally runs along the lines that these are road cars, and as such the brakes provided are fit for purpose.

I think its down to the bean counters at the end of the day. There is no "mileage" in mainstream manufacturers providing their road cars with decelerative overkill., Strange really when safety increasingly sells cars [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Tim, I think this may be changing slowly given the popularity of trackdays and the fact that many if not all of the major car publications are track testing new models.

Major manufacturers surely don't want bad press related to braking on a top of the range performance model. The Japanese seem to be getting it right too - examples being the Subaru's with Brembos as a standard fit.

Interesting what you say about the brakes - what is stopping car makers (apart from Porsche) getting the brakes on their cars right?

I would agrre with you here Ian, but the argument put forward generally runs along the lines that these are road cars, and as such the brakes provided are fit for purpose.

I think its down to the bean counters at the end of the day. There is no "mileage" in mainstream manufacturers providing their road cars with decelerative overkill., Strange really when safety increasingly sells cars [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Scarey stuff is braking force and distances, Its easy to forget that being able to stop from 60 to 0 in a couple of seconds is all very well and good, but can the 38 tonne wagon thats sat on your [img]images/graemlins/033102ass_1_prv.gif[/img] do the same?

Ferari?! [img]images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]