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Tim Raven

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About Tim Raven

  • Birthday 04/01/1954

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  • Name
    Tim Raven
  • Car
    Lotus Seven S4

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  1. Good Morning Esprit enthusiasts ! It’s been several years since I logged onto this Forum, very glad to see its still up and running ! I have an Esprit S4S , maybe five or so years ago a fellow Forum member had developed a replacement master cylinder and ABS delete system for the car . I’ve not driven mine until recently for several years and had forgotten just how dangerous the standard braking set up actually is . I actually purchased a kit from the Forum member but never took delivery because my wife very unexpectedly passed away at that exact time, and my focus was diverted from Esprit brakes . I wondered how the kit has worked out long term , and if anyone knows who the Forum member was who developed the kit ? Best Regards, Tim.
  2. It won't stand as an "Official Lap Record", I've not read anywhere that anyone is saying that it is ? Lap records are set during a motor race, and whilst the VLN is pretty fast, it's got a way to go to match Bellof's record, also it uses a different circuit layout , which is longer .
  3. I always had this argument with The Pits, my time in the VLN with Manthey, I met so many German folk, many who have become life long friends ! The guys from the Porsche Factory Team ( when they ran the Hybrid 911 ) were obviously real enthusiasts just like lotus people ! Personally very, very sad to be leaving the union, but thats another story !
  4. I was lucky enough to race in the same team as Timo, albeit only as a "gentleman driver", but he always seemed quite a shy, timid kind of chap, massively enthusiastic about rallying , he had his own home build BDG engined Mk2 Escort ! No all Germans are bad !!!!
  5. It was certainly developed by Ricardo, but the original engine was a Maynard without doubt .
  6. I know someone who was involved in the McLaren road car project from very early on, the engine was in fact originally based on a still born Indy car engine from Maynard .
  7. Super impressive engineering by Lotus to get what is now a very old engine ( the Toyota V6 ) with an aftermarket supercharger through emissions testing at all ! Clearly still so very smart people there despite what seems to have been a mass exodus to McLaren and Aston Martin .
  8. FWIW, that’s my Cayman GT4, the silencers were made for me by Mike Edwards Motorsport, they slip on in about five minutes, two supporting nuts and bolts and two circular clips around the exhaust stubs. The system gets me into everywhere except Goodwood, where induction noise scuppers me . Was at Brand hatch GP today completing the GT4’s sixtieth track day in just over two and a half years, the silencer system has been faultless through that, but does cost about 15 bhp . The important bit, the system from memory cost four hundred and fifty Pounds as a one-off.
  9. .......and guess what it’s that hateful “Porsche Man” that’s going to see it ! Who doesn't see everything Lotus through rose tinted spectacles, but has been a Lotus fan pretty much his entire life, just not liking cheap and nasty front wheel drive drive trains moved to the rear axle and laughingly termed “mid engined” when they are clearly “rear axle engined”, the Esprit is the last traditional “mid engined” Lotus, it has plenty of flaws, but at least it’s design philosophy is pure ! Needless to say with “The Pits” approval I’ll be keeping the twin outlet exhaust system ! Look forward to meeting John and the S4S next week , and hopefully a great drive back from Scotland to Surrey !
  10. I was referring to my personal experience at Portimao last week, you don't have to convince me about Caterham's track or road performance, utterly remarkable. It was only a very unpleasant meeting with a couple of large Deer that made me sell my wonderful CSR a couple of years ago . My much more antique Lotus 7 S4 is a poor replacement but feels fast at much lower speeds. The Lotus Club Championship, racing against other Lotus's , hardly Jonny, it's like me quoting the Porsche Super Cup results ? As I said you are a fine word smith, I'm a left handed dyslexic, but I assure you, I've seen time and again on various forums how you try to bully people, you won't intimidate me ! So perhaps you should ban me ?
  11. Not worth arguing Jonny , you are I believe a 'a word smith' by trade , and I'm absolutely no match for your expertise in this field . I did chuckle at your throw away sentence about the Evora's success in competition, as I'm a keen club racing follower and can barely remember any Evora successes, other than with the very special Mr.Cor Euser at the wheel, so I looked them up , and was spot on !
  12. I did take a passenger ride with an experienced track day friend around Portimao in his 991GT3RS, with all driver aids switched off , it was utterly remarkable, such poise and balance and such amazing speed, he was able to live with the numerous Caterham 620R's on the event . I think the point has been reached where Porsche's engineering prowess and seemingly endless engineering budget, has taken them into another league from almost all other manufacturers , sadly . The GT3 owner had to return early to the U.K., the car was left on the upper deck of the transporter , so I took the chance to inspect the tyres, quite expecting them to be shredded after such sideways tyres smoking antics, they were barely worn, how do they do it ? The Cayman GT4 ( even modified ) is a shadow of the 991GT3RS, and that car is already almost obsolete , such is the speed of Porsche's development program . It appears the new generation engine with its finger followers, smaller bearings and therefore ability to run with lower oil pressure is even more special , the development is relentless ! I genuinely admire your patriotism , but I think you are living in a "Lotus Forums" fantasy land if you really think Porsche make exaggerated claims about their power figures , again I'm sorry if this offends .
  13. The Pits, your guess is probably better than mine ! I'm really looking forward to offering you a drive in the GT4 if we ever actually meet up ? I'd say you have to be driving the GT4 very hard to find the Chapman Strut giving up on grip, and when it does, it's in a very progressive and safe fashion, so probably ideal for journalist to get their inevitable over-steering photographs ? On a positive note, I thought Bruss's Evora had a lovely engine with loads of low down torque and had marvelous brake feel . It's a lovely place in which to sit, much more special than the Porsche .
  14. To be balanced and fair, with regard to the GT4 v Evora v Elige V6 debate , I've been away on the Bookatrack Iberia trip taking in days on track at Jerez, Portimao and Estoril. I met up with Forum member Bruss who has a beautiful Grey Evora which he has slowly modified over the last couple of years . Like myself Bruss has a small amount of racing experience and we are both of an age that we should know better, we agreed to swap cars for a few laps, Bruss in my modified GT4 and me in the modified Evora . Bruss has written his views of the swap on the other Forum, but it seems to him and to me that the Chapman Strut rear suspension on the GT4 is much less of a handicap than the physics defying engine position of the Evora . As a road car I have no doubt the Evora is great, but in extremes on-track it's nowhere near as nimble and adjustable as the GT4 . Sorry .
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