A review of the MK Indy RR S2000 (225bhp),
The car was well built and on driving had no nasty rattles or vibrations that is common with most kit car makes. The car was easy to get on with and in and out of, and I didn’t feel to claustrophobic when sat in. Due to the elevated seating position the visibility was very good of both front wheels and the track ahead. Most pleasing was the S2000 motor. This gave me a pleasant surprise in the apparent torque it created low down. I dare say I could have drove the entire circuit in 1 gear at a good pace. It also had enough Hp to more than allow me get it up to some kind of pace of a race car if the chassis allowed. This car I dare say will work adequate on the rd and more than put a smile on someone’s face for General track use. It was a pleasure to drive.
My only critic (and I have had to develop my own car due to the same issues as you know ) is that In terms of a race-car it would be somewhat lacking due to a few simple fixes that are needed, one of which we addressed on the day. Due to the higher pace of racing, the car has to feel predictable and stable when shifting the weight around the chassis. One of the first things I noticed was the rear brakes coming on too strong when stretching out the last 10 yards of its breaking potential. Adjusting the brake bias helped with this and the problem was not there when I went out on my second go. Another big issue that would probably cost more than 5 seconds a lap was the ability to match engine revs with speed on the down shift having a H pattern box. Due to the accelerator being too far from the brake pedal It would not allow me to toe and heel drive which would create a large issue on finding lap time as the chassis is just too unsettled at high pace. This can be simply fixed by moving the accelerator over around 10-20 mm closer to the brake pedal. The last issue is the cars ability to drive on its tip toes, however this is apparent with all MK’s and MNR chassis that I have ever driven not just this one. and I must admit It is a marmite kind of thing for drivers. For me and most other racing drivers in order to get the chassis predictable you have to be able to feel the balance of the chassis on its tip toes. Due to the high spring rate and none solid mounted seat this was somewhat numbed in the S2000, I was around 12 mph down in the S2000 through turn one compared to my car not due to lack of power but mainly due to the lack of feel and the front end grip on the car. I have found through experience you can get the front end grip sorted relatively easy but the rear of the car will still remain numb to the driver without the lowering of spring rate and the use of a firm role bar and solid mounted seat. To get the ultimate time for me I have to be able to have a good connection between my arse and the grip level on the rd and then have the ability to rotate the car onto the apex through the rear of the car at high pace. I didn’t get that feel from the S2000 unfortunately but as I said it’s a easy fix but also more importantly it may not fit the market you are aiming for anyway. For general drivers is not a issue as they prefer a more stable car with more rear grip than front. ( it’s a lot safer )
Having said all the above I think for the cars market it is more than adequate for what it is built to do and there will be no complaints from me or general customers of the cars abilities rd or track until they need that last 3rd pace, which 90% of people will not find anyway, In all a very well put together car with A LOT of grunt.
Thanks for letting me have a drive. I had a great day.
Best regards,
Steve Riley
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