treynor
Enthusiast
How can I describe this car? It is so far beyond anything I have ever driven that comparisons seem ludicrous. I used to own a modified Yamaha YZF-R1 1000cc sportbike; compared to my DLM car, that bike was slow. Perhaps a narrative will best suit the purpose of this post:
I start up the RT, and the first and overwhelming impression is that I am in a civilized pro-mod dragster. The engine fires with a roar, then quickly settles into a lopey idle like that of a fast powerboat. The supercharger is almost silent at idle, with just the hiss of escaping air from the bypass valve to remind the driver that this is no ordinary V10. Around town, the RT drives like any big-cammed Viper: slightly cold blooded, unwilling to accept large doses of throttle delivered ham-****** at low RPMs, a machine clearly able to accomplish the task of low-speed transportation but not particularly optimized for doing so. The hiss from the bypass becomes noticeable above 2000 RPMs in 1st and 2nd, before wind noise drowns it out, and nearby motorists stare in alarm at the hissing snake which has just slithered by them. At crusing RPMs the RT is civilized, with the Corsa and the high-flow cats keeping the noise at quite tolerable levels.
When speeds rise above the 10-25 mph of city traffic, the DLM car comes into its own. The power is stupendous, overwhelming, anywhere above 2500 RPM. Even with 3.07 gears and larger-than-stock 345/30-19s, first gear is simply an excuse to lay long black stripes on the road through 60 mph. Second gear is no better -- anything above half-throttle and both tires evaporate into clouds of smoke. On a good road, third gear will finally provide traction until around 100 MPH, when the boost gauge climbs to its 15 PSI peak and the rear end begins to wag as both tires slip. Not until 4th gear is the beast's full power reliably usable; the engine roars and the speedometer climbs from 90 to 140 like a stocker running from 0 to 50.
So how fast is it? On a cold (50F) morning recently, both rear tires spun in 4th, at 120 MPH, as the blower came on boost. The thrust available in the powerband of 4000-6000 RPM is unreal. The first time I kept the pedal pinned in 3rd from 60 to 100 I just slowed back down and laughed -- nervously -- for a good 20 seconds. Although I played down my initial impressions of the car with Doug, the truth is that for the first week it was back my palms would sweat and my heart would race every time I started it up. I'm no longer afraid of it, exactly, but it's a vehicle which deserves and requires respect from the driver.
Now I need to work up the courage to try it with the NOS turned on...
I start up the RT, and the first and overwhelming impression is that I am in a civilized pro-mod dragster. The engine fires with a roar, then quickly settles into a lopey idle like that of a fast powerboat. The supercharger is almost silent at idle, with just the hiss of escaping air from the bypass valve to remind the driver that this is no ordinary V10. Around town, the RT drives like any big-cammed Viper: slightly cold blooded, unwilling to accept large doses of throttle delivered ham-****** at low RPMs, a machine clearly able to accomplish the task of low-speed transportation but not particularly optimized for doing so. The hiss from the bypass becomes noticeable above 2000 RPMs in 1st and 2nd, before wind noise drowns it out, and nearby motorists stare in alarm at the hissing snake which has just slithered by them. At crusing RPMs the RT is civilized, with the Corsa and the high-flow cats keeping the noise at quite tolerable levels.
When speeds rise above the 10-25 mph of city traffic, the DLM car comes into its own. The power is stupendous, overwhelming, anywhere above 2500 RPM. Even with 3.07 gears and larger-than-stock 345/30-19s, first gear is simply an excuse to lay long black stripes on the road through 60 mph. Second gear is no better -- anything above half-throttle and both tires evaporate into clouds of smoke. On a good road, third gear will finally provide traction until around 100 MPH, when the boost gauge climbs to its 15 PSI peak and the rear end begins to wag as both tires slip. Not until 4th gear is the beast's full power reliably usable; the engine roars and the speedometer climbs from 90 to 140 like a stocker running from 0 to 50.
So how fast is it? On a cold (50F) morning recently, both rear tires spun in 4th, at 120 MPH, as the blower came on boost. The thrust available in the powerband of 4000-6000 RPM is unreal. The first time I kept the pedal pinned in 3rd from 60 to 100 I just slowed back down and laughed -- nervously -- for a good 20 seconds. Although I played down my initial impressions of the car with Doug, the truth is that for the first week it was back my palms would sweat and my heart would race every time I started it up. I'm no longer afraid of it, exactly, but it's a vehicle which deserves and requires respect from the driver.
Now I need to work up the courage to try it with the NOS turned on...
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