Kett":17hx9ill said:
10":17hx9ill said:
I'm a bit conflicted about the car to be honest, for all the reasons I love the V6, I worry that I won't like the GRY! Or maybe I'm hesitant to drive something that is so objectively good it highlights the complexities of the V6 in a negative way. Most likely, I'm over thinking it!
I did the same for years! Driving mud-pluggers as my daily driver to make the Vee performance seem special. The reality is that 2000-2005 is long behind us and the game has moved on.
The beauty of Vee vs GRY is that they have different motorsport takes: Vee is a Group B impersonator, whereas the GRY is a bona fide Group A proposition.
I reckon it would much harder to adopt a GRY whilst co-owning a Scooby/Evo/Cossie/Integrale etc.
I think one needs to look at each car objectively, and what they were built for. Having wanted to get back into Porsche for the last 5 years, my rationale for ruling out the GT4 was that it couldn't offer what the Vee, GRY and RGB collectively would offer. Further, each of these cars is different enough to offer something special each time you drive it.
Top Gear's 'Homologation Special' should show where the GRY stands amongst the other rally greats, so let's see how it fares in that group test. I have no doubt it will be faster, but will it give the same (raw) feel as, say, the Evo TME or the Quattros of yesteryear? Can't wait to find out how the GRY matches up to the old school rally stalwarts. I never owned one but did consider acquiring a Lancia Delta Integrale Evo not too long ago but stories of unreliability and parts availability made me change my mind. Since the bodyshell has been homologated and its engine conforms to WRC2 rules, I am sure we will see the GRY compete in WRC2, so a few years down the line the GRY will be a bona fide member of this group, if it is not one already.
From my perspective, the Exige S RGB is the raw (I call it the 'bucking bronco') experience that brings back memories of the 964RS, which I miss so much. The GRY is the ultra-competent, all-weather experience, with a touch of old-school feel. The Vee is bang in the middle.
With the GRY, it was the whole concept, design and engineering that was the clarion call for me. It is exactly the type of car that switches me on, and the fact that it drives so superbly, albeit it not as raw as either the 964RS or the Lotus, or have its steering feel, or is not dynamically challenged as the Vee (the reason that makes the Vee such a draw), is just a mega bonus. Unbelievably, some criticise the GRY's interior, the fact that it has no rear wiper etc. and I cannot help that they have missed the point about what the GRY really is and what it stands for.
All cars that I consider 'great' are compromised in one way or another, so one needs to get into one knowing what those are. In the case of the GRY, its the steering feel, which probably is because it is electrically assisted, and has a dead spot at 12 o'clock. This is something I noticed with the Alfas Quadrifoglio as well (it was more pronounced in that). The other is that the driver's seat is too high (a hatchback thing - same with the Vee and 182 Trophy, but this is a rally car and rally drivers apparently sit higher than their navigator). The space between the brake and accelerator pedal is too wide for comfortable H&T. However, opinion is split on this as some don't find it a problem, but I will need to find a solution for it. The exhaust noise is non-existent, but that would be an easy fix and some are even starting to like the sound piped into the cabin, which
can be turned off via the OBDII port. :approve: If one needs the GRY to be a bit 'loose' then, in a CP car, changing to less grippy tyres will sort that out. IMO the GRY's mix of gearing, damping, power, ride and handling are just perfect.
The Vee is full of character, and one can get it to drive and sound well with some fettling (suspension, TTV, LSD, exhaust, induction etc), or just leave it as is and enjoy it. Based on my relatively short exposure (of 3 hours) to the GRY, and the Lotus, which I have recently acquired, the GRY needs to be driven relatively hard to be enjoyed. I felt the same with the 182 Trophy, which was absolutely awful on a motorway but really came alive on a B road. The GRY is far less compromised on a motorway than the 182 Trophy was, but it is hugely more competent on a B-roads. On a circuit, it wouldn't have the feeling that the Lotus has, but, as can be seen, will be plenty fast, especially in wet or greasy conditions.