Sonic7
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 02:18 PM |
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5th Gear Jason Plato test drives the new “Westfield Sport Turbo”
5th Gear Jason Plato test drives the new “Westfield Sport Turbo”
http://fwd.five.tv/fifth-gear/videos/road-tests/westfield-sport-turbo
I think its fair to say that he is not a fan !
Can the kit car Industry do better, or has he just got it wrong ?
nigel
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mookaloid
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 02:32 PM |
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He is probably right about that particular car. It clearly wasn't very well set up.
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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Sonic7
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 02:39 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
He is probably right about that particular car. It clearly wasn't very well set up.
But surly as a manufacture you don’t offer up a new car for a prestigious test without having first taken the time to set it up properly .
If so Westfield have not only done themselves a disservice but let down the whole industry.
nigel
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loggyboy
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 02:43 PM |
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Despite wanting to run to the cars rescue, It seems most of his points are fairly valid.
Shame really as the caterfields are the 'flag ship' for the kit industry in the UK (a far as the general public go) so they really should
be trying harder, or aiming in a different direction so as things like velcro'd trim and wobbly handbrakes arent going to spoil the enjoyment of
the car.
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stevec
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 02:45 PM |
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I think one of his main gripes was driveability. 225 hp from a 1.6 Turbo engine is unlikely to deliver power smoothly, the thing you would probably
want in a type of car that likes to swap ends anyway.
Steve
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coozer
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 02:50 PM |
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Some other thoughts here from an earlier post...
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=146658
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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A1
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 03:34 PM |
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whats wrong with using velcro? its light and does the job.
still need to watch it though...
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mookaloid
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 03:37 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Sonic7
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
He is probably right about that particular car. It clearly wasn't very well set up.
But surly as a manufacture you don’t offer up a new car for a prestigious test without having first taken the time to set it up properly .
If so Westfield have not only done themselves a disservice but let down the whole industry.
nigel
Indeed........
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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Thurbs
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 03:38 PM |
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What were Westfield thinking ? fancy sending such an ill prepared car.
It's about time these motoring shows looked further than Caterhams and westfields as in my opinion some of the lesser main stream smaller kit
manufacturers turn out far better cars.
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interestedparty
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 03:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
quote:
Originally posted by Sonic7
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
He is probably right about that particular car. It clearly wasn't very well set up.
But surly as a manufacture you don’t offer up a new car for a prestigious test without having first taken the time to set it up properly .
If so Westfield have not only done themselves a disservice but let down the whole industry.
nigel
Indeed........
I think the whole thing was out of context. He didn't like the car, you get that with testers sometimes. I've seen much more expensive
cars slated much worse than that on tv and in magazines.
I don't think its going to stop people buying them, not a lot of choice in that particular market (fully built cars of that type, in Europe
where normally you can't register kit cars because of the legal problems
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!
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Flamez
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 03:47 PM |
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The main issue was price, £25k is excessive for any type 7 in my opinion. Plato is right you can get a much better track car for that money,
Gets the popcorn ready....
my build mac1motorsports
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A1
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 03:49 PM |
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hes a prat...he doesnt get what these cars are about...
however, id never let a handbrake like that out my garage. or the steeringwheel.
also Id love to see him make a better one in his garage
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BenB
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 03:56 PM |
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Well the last thing I saw him review was when he reviewed the Atom and he said he doesn't "get" Caterhams and cars like that. So he
was unlikely to say how much he liked it...
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Sonic7
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 04:03 PM |
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Having now read many of the posts, on various Forum that this has come up on and looked again at JP’s review, I’m of the opinion that Westfield have
simply let themselves down and in doing so not helped the industry at all.
Please, Please would one of the newer kit car manufactures step forward and write this wrong, for the sake of the industry.
SDR with the Vstom - Vick gave a fair report in the FT, how about an update review of a well sorted Subaru powered version.
RTR with the Rocket ? Typhoon with the Valdris ? Raw with the Fulcrum ? MEV with the Exocet ?
Come on Industry there’s got to be some designs out there that can light JP’s fire.
nigel
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interestedparty
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 04:09 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Flamez
The main issue was price, £25k is excessive for any type 7 in my opinion. Plato is right you can get a much better track car for that money,
Gets the popcorn ready....
£25K for a fully built, brand new car with all new bits isn't bad, I don't know if anyone else could match that. Also, it isn't a
track car and isn't intended to be, it's an on the road fully built ready to drive seven which you can buy and register in every country
in Europe.
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!
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UncleFista
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 04:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by A1
also Id love to see him make a better one in his garage
Me too, but that's not comparing like for like.
Now if you'd said "I'd like to see him buy a better built car for £25k" you have made a better point 
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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GMPMotorsport
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 04:51 PM |
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25K for a poorly put together car? I don't think so, they must have known this test was going on so why not pull out all the stops and have a
perfect car, they have only themselves to blame, the dash was flimsey, the handbrake poor and the interior quality stuck together with velcro,
don't think the engine is the best match for the car either.
www.gmpdevelopments.co.uk
www.gmpmotorsport.co.uk
ARDS Instructer.
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loggyboy
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 05:01 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by stevec
I think one of his main gripes was driveability. 225 hp from a 1.6 Turbo engine is unlikely to deliver power smoothly, the thing you would probably
want in a type of car that likes to swap ends anyway.
Steve
I took the Corsa VXR out for a test drive a while back (the same engine albeit with 199hp) and it was exceptionally easy to drive and the power
delivery was very un turbo like. Maybe squeezing that extra 25hp has spoilt it.
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James
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 05:04 PM |
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I haven't seen the show yet and don't know Westfields that well apart from a couple of friends ones that seem pretty well put together.
My suspicion is that the TV company probably gave Westfield bugger all notice about it and so they didn't have time to put the car together well
(they may even have had to borrow a customer's built car!).
I have a PPC from 3/4 years ago where they reviewed a bunch of Se7en's versus Caterham. PPC had contacted MK with 24hours notice and said:
"X manufacturer has pulled out of our review, can you supply a car?". All MK had to hand was a Transit engined Pinto car to go up against
Caterham's finest! Obviously this was hardly the highest performance car to compare, but it was better than nothing. The MK still got a
reasonable review!
Just wondering if the arts graduate types who run a program like 5th Gear would have known that it takes a while to put together a decent car.
Cheers,
James
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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fesycresy
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 05:41 PM |
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James, I think it's their demo car, seen at all the shows.
Even with bugger all notice, they should have asked who was driving and under what conditions. Look at some of the comments on the WSCC, there
aren't many in WF's defence.
Remember when Top Gear tested the Caterham, cars sold really quickly after that, I wonder if this will have the reverse effect?
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The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
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D Beddows
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 08:14 PM |
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I absolutely DETEST Jason Plato (and all the other 5th Gear presenters come to that!) BUT he does have point on this one....... £25k is a LOT of
money and you'd want a proper car for that...... I look at the adverts on pistonheads sometimes mind you and wonder what would possess someone
to give £9k to a fully trained accountant who's built a BEC in their shed...... but what do I know
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sonic
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 09:18 PM |
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To be honest i have owned and been in many 7 type kitcars now,both BEC and CEC and i would never shell out £25k for a seven type car.
If you look at what you can get a very well built good spec MNR for now i don't think the Westfield or Caterhams are any better in any
department,its more about snobbery and bragging rights.
I would like to see a good MNR/MK tested back to back against a Westy or Caterham to see which handles etc etc the best and posts the best time around
a given track/sprint etc.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 27/11/10 at 10:50 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Well the last thing I saw him review was when he reviewed the Atom and he said he doesn't "get" Caterhams and cars like that. So he
was unlikely to say how much he liked it...
So why did he review it? I don't "get" underpowered tinboxes so no-one would ever let me review one because I can tell you right now
"It's crap, only buy it if you only drive to get to work and want something marginally better than having your backside kicked all the way
there"
quote:
James also sed
My suspicion is that the TV company probably gave Westfield bugger all notice about it and so they didn't have time to put the car together well
(they may even have had to borrow a customer's built car!).
Remember the Jaguar XKRR? They lent it to Clarkson and company then when they wanted it back for the Stig to drive they said "Sure, but
we've been fiddling with it and it doesn't handle well"
If I had bugger all notice I'd say "Sorry we're not giving you a sub-par car so you can either wait a week/month/however long, or
don't it's up to you"
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