XM slalom video

Mandrake · Unread post by **Mandrake** » 08 May 2006, 12:40

Found on the Aussiefrogs forum:

8)

Regards,
Simon

406 V6 · Unread post by **406 V6** » 08 May 2006, 13:43

Coooooooooooooooooooolllllllllll!!!!!!! 8) 8) 8)

They should get an activa there though

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 08 May 2006, 17:12

Thanks for posting that clip Mandrake, well done it's an interesting bit of film.

8)

I completely agree with 406 V6, they should have also tested an Activa as well.

Although it does show that an XM, 8) was much more capable on the slalom course than the Granada.

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 08 May 2006, 17:37

ACTIVE8 wrote:Although it does show that an XM, 8) was much more capable on the slalom course than the Granada.

It does show that the XM has safe predictable handling on the limit and that the Granada doesn't.

The impression I got from watching the video was that the driver seemed to be throwing the Granada about a lot more than he was the XM, some of that was because the car was sliding. The XM behaved like a front wheel drive car should, it was docile and understeered but the Granada was a bit more tail happy, being rear wheel drive it slid but could be caught and corrected and the driver didn't manage to spin it. If the Granada had traction control, it may have passed the test at the higher speed but since it didn't its an academic question.

I know which car I'd rather drive for fun (Granada) and which one I'd prefer to be in if I had an obstacle to avoid on a wet motorway (XM).

PowerLee · Unread post by **PowerLee** » 08 May 2006, 17:39

That slalom video is at least 10 years old & possibly even 15.

Car handling has come on a long way since those days.

406 V6 · Unread post by **406 V6** » 08 May 2006, 17:54

Check this one out, it starts to get interewsting after 1'25"

Ross_K · Unread post by **Ross_K** » 08 May 2006, 18:00

ACTIVE8 wrote:I completely agree with 406 V6, they should have also tested an Activa as well.

Activa, I hear you say?

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 08 May 2006, 18:37

very impressed by the xm! i'd love an activa though!

Robin · Unread post by **Robin** » 08 May 2006, 19:08

I can confirm that the XM on the sport setting is quite a wonderful car to drive fast and hard. The 2.5 diesel is full of torque and great fun. My only concern is that on long fast bends you the last thing you want is for the computer to reboot or go home!!!
I can quite easliy keep up with my partner in the Porsche 924 we have until she really starts to take the bends with a vengeance.

Long live my XM

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 08 May 2006, 19:48

so is the xantia in sport mode! never been in anything like it for poise around the corners, as always, good tyres play a big role.

fastandfurryous · Unread post by **fastandfurryous** » 08 May 2006, 19:51

Aparently there was development work on an active suspension system as early as the DS... completely mechanical though, no computers. I've seen a clip somewhere but can't find it now.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 08 May 2006, 19:54

i was talking about poise on a hydractive 2, i know the activa is flatter, yes but still, the xm in that video is probably hydractive 2, and then a xantia being smaller, i would say my xantia could keep up with my cousins 306 rallye on the corners if i had 200bhp too!

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 08 May 2006, 20:07

No - the Hydractive II system was introduced in the XM with the arrival of Xantia in '93/'94. Xantia was then "born" with hydractive II, while the XM was "born" with the Hydractive (I) system.

Later the Xantia was available with the active roll bar system - Activa - which came in addition to the Hydractive II system.

Note : both the XM & Xantia was available without the hydractive system - i.e. it had the simple setup known from the BX.
Also it was available with only the SC/MAC (antisink) system added.

Mandrake · Unread post by **Mandrake** » 08 May 2006, 20:45

ACTIVE8 wrote:Thanks for posting that clip Mandrake, well done it's an interesting bit of film. 8)

I completely agree with 406 V6, they should have also tested an Activa as well.

Bear in mind that the clip clearly says 1990 - before the Xantia even came out in 1993, let alone the Activa in 1995.

So it will be one of the very early Hydractive 1 XM's.

One of the reasons I thought it was interesting is because "everyone" will tell you that a big, heavy, long, front heavy front wheel drive car can't corner or handle well and will "understeer" yet in that video I see no more understeer than the elan.

(Check the elan going past the last cone, it is clearly starting to understeer and slide through the last bend even though its almost certainly rear wheel drive)

The XM is very neutral in that clip and has a slight bit of drift at the back as well as the front.

As for the other car (whatever it is) - clearly oversteering and showing why for anything other than "showoff" driving oversteer can be dangerous...he was doing pretty well keeping it from doing a complete 180.

Regards,
Simon

bxbodger · Unread post by **bxbodger** » 08 May 2006, 21:03

To be fair to the Granada, though, it was a twenty odd year old design by then and a bit of a Dagenham dinosaur on borrowed time-Ford didn't even bother to replace it, buying Jaguar instead........... maybe a 5 series would have been a better comparison!