A very interesting line of discussion, but I can only be an interested bystander, if you recall at LeSept, we run Lotus Twin Cams, 4-speeds and live axle cars in various states of tune. Sophistication such as Vx, DeDion and 6-speed we can only dream of.
But that is the point, the 7 development has had various twists and turns, and individuals have also taken the theme in personlised directions, that hopefully will continue so that discussions like this will continue.
I have only briefly driven ‘standard’ Vx and K engined cars and the understeer of the Vx was noticeable. The K series was a ‘softie’ Caterham and so with body-roll and no LSD had difficulties putting the power on the road. In other words both were different.
The equation is car+driver=performance and some drivers like using torque others perhaps favour peak power. Chassis settings are also done ‘to taste’. An out-of-context example is Berger/Alesi comments after taking over Schumacher’s Benetton as “Undrivableâ€. Not that I am a Schumacher fan, it is just an example that there is no perfect answer to the discussion.
How many engines have been fitted to the chassis, some of the weird ones I know of, Rover V8, Mazda ****el ( now, there is a light engine.) Turbo-Ford and Turbo-Vauxhall are a local specialty.
I personally believe that the spirit of the seven is the highest power for the lowest weight in a ‘relatively’ unsophisticated package (cost?).
So what about the Blackbird ?
Geoff