Autocar - First for car news and reviews

Is the new R500 faster than a superbike?... Watch Video

 Possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen.

 What about going against a real superbike next time? Something like a Yamaha R1, which has over 170bhp perhaps?!

simonali:

 What about going against a real superbike next time? Something like a Yamaha R1, which has over 170bhp perhaps?!

 

Or how about the Ducati Desmosedici RR with 200bhp (cost about the same as the caterham too).  Don't get me wrong I love cars and bikes but there is nothing any road car can do to match a bike when it has someone who can really ride on it.  Yes, I'm sure we're going to hear nothing but Veyron this Veyron that but at the end of the day it's all completely useless.  Comparing bikes and cars is pointless because they both offer completely different experiences.

The real difference between cars and bikes though is that even a complete nobody with no talent whatsoever can get about 90% from a fast car given a few hours practice.  On the other hand you have to really know what you're doing and have vast experience (which I don't) to get even 90%, let alone 100% out of a bike. 

never mind all that!  check out how much the R500 gets!

 

Nice driving by Steve as always and I love how the R500 gets airborne, such a wonderfully balanced car. I think everybody generally agrees that cars are faster than bikes due to better braking and higher cornering speed, one area where bikes tend to be more interesting is in the sheer fun and excitement for the money, I still have great memories of having a blast on a 15bhp Suzuki 125GN on a twisty b-road.
Great website, keep up the good work !

NB: Oh and by the way, the 1100S isn't a superbike ;)

I thought this was a great article and a really neat video. 

Steve, do you think a standard Elise SC would have been any faster on the hill route than the sports pack equipped model that you tested?  Where do you think the sports pack equipped Elise lost time?

 

Am I the only one who can't get this to work? My computer just says "connecting to media" in the black box and then goes back to "ready"...

Sibbo:

Am I the only one who can't get this to work? My computer just says "connecting to media" in the black box and then goes back to "ready"...

 

 

I have difficulty playing windows media files, so I did a search on youtube and there's a copy there.  Just like I did for Sutters' Honda F1 drive.  That's longer and you need time to watch it, and it's worth it!  This is fun from the moment it starts.  Great commitment from both.  True, it's not a 'proper' superbike, but hey, still brilliant driving from both driver and rider.

The Caterham is awesome.  Sutters seemes sooooooo calm. Mucho Cheers !! !  

 

How does the car get 13 seconds ahead after such a late pass?  I can see perhaps 2-3 seconds, but the Caterham doesn't seem like it has that much advantage.  Also the numbers indicate that the car has a significant power to weight advantage over the bike , especially when the weight of the operators is factored in.  So why does the bike pull harder on the straights?  Can Autocar clarify this for us?  The car should pull harder everywhere... if these basic facts- the power to weight ratio and the lap times- are muddied then the whole exercise is a pointless Clarkson-esque display of camerawork, smirking and editing that contains no actual information.  I guess getting each machine to make a dozen hot laps and then comparing the actual clear lap times the way Road and Track Speed and Evo did is just too much to ask, huh?  They could still make a some passes together for the camera...

britishbikes:

How does the car get 13 seconds ahead after such a late pass?

I think you'll probably find that they did separate timed laps and this lap was just for the cameras.

britishbikes:

So why does the bike pull harder on the straights?

You can hear Steve say at one point that the car is a tiny bit quicker on the straights.

awesome bit of video. As some others have said it would have been interesting with a "proper superbike" like a GSXR, Fireblade or R1.

Top bit of driving & riding in the video