Forza Motorsport 5: Power vs. Grip

When choosing a track toy, do you need a track toy that is focused on power or focused more on grip? To find out, I went to Mount Panorama, which is located at New South Wales, Australia, to find out.



Here is the venue and here are the cars prepped for this comparison:

The KTM X-BOW R. The track toy armed with the super sports car technology for the 21st century. It comes with the Audi 2.0L TFSi engine producing 295HP of power and 295lb-ft of torque. It only weighs around 1,786lbs.



And then, the Caterham Superlight R500. Top Gear's 2008 Car of the Year. It maybe 32HP less than the X-BOW R but it weighs 670lbs less than the X-BOW R so despite that power difference, its lightweight bodywork is worth the gripping capable enough to classify itself as a track toy.



There's a saying that goes "Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere". That was the word from Lotus founder Colin Chapman because some car companies value aerodynamics over engine.

So, while the X-BOW R is 60% more on power and 40% focused on weight loss, and the Caterham is more on weight loss and a little care less on the power despite the fact that it has better power-to-weight ratio than the Bugatti Veyron; guess it's time for me to grab the bull by the horns, bite the bullets, and literally put these track toys to the test at the home of the Bathurst 1000.



So there it goes. The X-BOW did it in 2:29.627 while the Caterham R500 did it in 2:29.215, meaning the lightweight R500 beaten the powerful X-BOW by about 1/3rd of the second, proving that subtracting weight is better than adding power. Maybe that's why there are some wanted to lose weight rather than add power to create a track-focused high-performance vehicle.

Forza Motorsport 5: The Caterham R500

Yes, if you are wondering what is this machine doing in the world of Forza Motorsport 5, that curiosity, or should I say conspiracy, is the Caterham Superlight R500. Part of the IGN Car Pack DLC, this is the first time Caterham made it to the world of Forza even though Forza 5 has the technology to feature open-wheelers.



Generally, I really don't want Caterhams to appear in the world of Forza because...well, you know why, but there's a good reason why this Caterham makes a great addition to the lineup because of its amazing recognition by the Top Gear committee as well as its weapons-grade performance that stands out the rest. The great thing about driving a road-legal open wheeler is that you get unlimited amount of headroom because there's literally no roof and the best way to enjoy a good open-wheeler is on the track because it's lightweight body makes it agile and nimble at the corners. The only downside is that being road-legal, it can be somewhat problematic as a daily driver. With no roof, you can get chilly if you're not dressed in warm clothes as what the Top Gear blokes demonstrated...



I can hardly imagined if I was in that situation because the Caterham doesn't have a windscreen, it seems that the chilly gets chillier when used for commuting but never mind about that. The Caterham R500 is most likely a proper track toy you can toy around in the track if you have the skills to master it.

 

While it may not be an ideal car to drive on the straight line, the Caterham R500 shines well in the handling department thanks to its incredible lightweight body and its power-to-weight ratio that is more powerful than a normal Bugatti Veyron. No wonder The Stig lapped this quicker than the Veyron and earned the accolade as Top Gear's Car of the Year 2008. Free to do whatever it wants, the R500 really turns hunters into the hunted when used in the right way. The biggest downside is that because it's very dynamic thanks to its lightweight body, mistakes are bound if you're not super focused. I got spun by this car numerous times but all it takes is some practice and with enough practice, this car is a force to be reckoned with.



This lightweight Caterham R500 is worth a blast and I love it. It makes me want to come back for more if it has the urge to swing through the corners like a lit match in the firework factory. It really feels good to have a Caterham joining the ranks in the world of Forza Motorsport for now.