Perspective of roadholding

[Petrus]

Any here familiar with the 2CV?

As some will be aware, it has incredibly soft and even longer still wheel travel. Large diameter, narrow wheels too.

It is the ant-thesis of main stream tuning for road holding conception. Yet it has jaw dropping road holding.

Imo it is a ´madatory´ experience for anyone wanting tp improve the roadholding of his/her car.

The video below is uphill ánd a van; heavier and with higher cog 


https://youtu.be/W5x9zCO6jsI

[Joesson]

Any here familiar with the 2CV?

As some will be aware, it has incredibly soft and even longer still wheel travel. Large diameter, narrow wheels too.

It is the ant-thesis of main stream tuning for road holding conception. Yet it has jaw dropping road holding.

Imo it is a ´madatory´ experience for anyone wanting tp improve the roadholding of his/her car.

The video below is uphill ánd a van; heavier and with higher cog 


https://youtu.be/W5x9zCO6jsI

A neighbour had one in the 70's, a friend of his ran a one man Specialist Garage for 2CV so was aware of them. Very simple arrangement and SUPPLEsuspension!
I remember a magazine article of a 2CV with engine in front and rear.

[SV-3]

Any here familiar with the 2CV?

As some will be aware, it has incredibly soft and even longer still wheel travel. Large diameter, narrow wheels too.

It is the ant-thesis of main stream tuning for road holding conception. Yet it has jaw dropping road holding.

Imo it is a ´madatory´ experience for anyone wanting tp improve the roadholding of his/her car.

The video below is uphill ánd a van; heavier and with higher cog 


https://youtu.be/W5x9zCO6jsI

As the French say: "Voila, regarde la Plonker!"

[Petrus]

I remember a magazine article of a 2CV with engine in front and rear.

That is the ´Sahara 4x4´.
Very much sought after and crazy expensive now.

[Joesson]

I remember a magazine article of a 2CV with engine in front and rear.

That is the ´Sahara 4x4´.
Very much sought after and crazy expensive now.

Was that used in the cross Sahara Rally or whatever that race across the sands is called?

[Topdownman]

I remember a similar drive only I was on the inside with a 17 yr old school mate in his mums car many years ago.

They are amazingly good offroad.

[Joesson]

I remember a similar drive only I was on the inside with a 17 yr old school mate in his mums car many years ago.

They are amazingly good offroad.

Just as well cos they " look" like they are not going to stay ON the road!

[Joesson]

The 2CV, perhaps the French version of the original German VW Beetle People carrier. Simple / simpler design and fit for purpose. No unnecessary frills and reliable. Where did it all go wrong?
You could probably start with Lord Rootes offering of the Hillman Imp.
Similar concept to the Beetle but Automatic choke, pneumatic throttle , fuel gauge!
Unreliability built in.
Today's cars are, in the main, reliable but so much added for what purpose?
The new Defender is, perhaps, a "good" example of the modern take on practicality.
I have not seen it up close but it looks suspiciously like a Defender.
I would wager that it couldn't be fixed if it went wrong halfway up the Khyber Pass or somewhere along the Amazon.

[Ardent]

I remember a magazine article of a 2CV with engine in front and rear.

That is the ´Sahara 4x4´.
Very much sought after and crazy expensive now.

Was that used in the cross Sahara Rally or whatever that race across the sands is called?

Dakar?

[Petrus]

The 2CV 4x4 was developed for military exploration. Not used in any rally afaik.

There have beena nd are 2CVs used in off tarmac events. They are awesome save for the lack of oompf. The for long distance camino rallies inevitable luggage weighs the car down making gradients a challenge.

The road holding though... awesome. The wheels are like subject to double gravity, thus maintain contact, thus traction.
The max cornering speed of the 2cv on real world less then perfect tarmac is a lesson well worth learning for sports car owners.

[Joesson]

I remember a magazine article of a 2CV with engine in front and rear.

That is the ´Sahara 4x4´.
Very much sought after and crazy expensive now.

Was that used in the cross Sahara Rally or whatever that race across the sands is called?

Dakar?

That's the one Jason, thank you.

[Petrus]

Dakar?

That's the one Jason, thank you.

The model AW, aka ´Sahara´was launched in 1958 and production stopped in 1967.
Paris Dakar saw it´s first edition in 1978.

[Petrus]

The biggest thing is mismatching the needs of the driving condiitions with the set up.

´Common knowledge´ is all but exclusively oriented on track tuning. Real world tarmac requires a different set up.

A sports car used for back road scrubbing is yet another step further removed from track conditions.

The 2CV is for many a real world user a more useful perspective than the myriad of track tuned hypercars.

The other shining real world example is the Renault 4 btw.  Very much the same thing only a small step less extreme. In the only 5000 soles mountain village where I live there are still several in daily use!

Also the Renault 4 GTL was even homologated for Group A Rally. Jacky Cesbron raced one in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1993 and the Tour de Corse in 1991. Pinto dos Santos raced a Group N 4 GTL in visiting every round of the WRC. To celebrate the car's 50th birthday, Renault themselves officially entered the R4 in the Monte Carlo Rally in 2011.

The 2CV nor R4 are cars ányone looks at when thinking to improve upon the MR2s OEM suspension set up.
My take is that for a proper understanding of the possible needs it is better idea to look thataway than look at the LSW track set ups.