Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

I've got a Hedtec, which is in that "not a famous brand but passed all the same regs as the famous brands" group too.

Also you can get Black Cat helmets which are part of that group.

Otherwise you're looking at about £400 for a Bell.

Most hire helmets are less grim than the ones you get at go kart tracks, but it's always nice to have your own.

Get a balaclava to protect you from the hire helmet ming

Can you wear a motorbike helmet? If it's ACU gold rated?

Yes, they don't check. I wore a motorbike helmet for years before I got a car helmet. The major difference that you need to be aware of is a motorcycle helmet is not fire retardant.

Also, bike helmet might have less ventilation so you'd get a sweaty bonce if it's a sunny day.

Ok if you get MK3 be careful as there are pre cat issues. Oh and less storage space than the MK1. Quicker than the MX5 but handling is different.

Motorbike helmet is fine.

You'd need to get used to a mechanical sequential paddle shift though...

Meh, it's easier than a manual box; squeeze paddle, dinky little lift, bang foot to floor, wait 3 seconds, repeat.

Right up the point where the driver forgets which one's up and which one's down.

Down=away, up=toward?

Right up the point where the driver forgets which one's up and which one's down.

Good point is good.

Down=away, up=toward?

Yes, but with which hand?

Maybe don't do an arrive and drive package dan.

Bets on fastest laps, and dashcams. This should go swimmingly.

As the Minardi team owner of the grid, I think there should also be a handicap system, based upon horsepower...

My car has 38 bhp.

If it's a stick shift then generally that's how it works, yes, although I know cars which work the other way round. Usually where the car started off with a Fireblade 893cc engine, and then got upgraded to a 919cc, where the gear shift works the other way round for some inscrutable reason only known to Mr. Honda.

However, the Fury doesn't have a stick shift - it's got mechanical paddles, in the form of the shiny thing behind the steering wheel:

That's connected directly to the gear selector shaft via a bellcrank:

So you could pull and push on one side, but generally you just pull on the appropriate side. And the question is - which side?

Right=up, left=down.

Hah, lucky guess. But yes, it is. Unless you're in neutral.

Nope
Tis a lushe car

Child...

LFGSS track day - most consistent laps. Laptimes that are of the time. Best corner, best off?

Maybe using an app like this http://www.gps-laptimer.de/Home.html to get fastest corner etc

No but still concerned about the size of that number plate.

Quite tempted by one of these: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/lightbox?advertid=2740223&index=0&link=false

What is the joystick in the centre console for?
Do you have sidewinders at your disposal? Pretty sure thats against the rules in most forms of motorsport.

As investment or for hooning around in?

And as the Pastor Maldonado of the grid, I reckon I should probably not go near any other vehicles :-)