Frequently Asked Questions

• Why do you drive a (silly) plastic car ?
Yes ! That’s the same question I asked when I first met fellow Darrian pilot Tom Lambert in 1992. His answer then is just as relevant today. “It’s very strong, stronger than a metal car, its very quick, it handles really well, and its fantastic value for money”. What other car could give you the ability to compete with WRC cars for such a modest outlay ?

• Aren’t you worried about crashing in a (silly) plastic car ?
No. I would rather have a big accident in a Darrian or other composite monocoque car than a metal chassis car. The composite structure is better at energy absorbtion that metal (how many F1 or formula cars are made of metal ??) and the structural integrity of a car where the roll-cage is actually part of the chassis (it’s boned into the car on a Darrian) is tremendous.

• That’s big talk, but have you actually crashed in one ?
Yes. In 2003 we put the car head-on into a grantite wall in Jersey (coureosy of a kind farmer who had dropped diesel on the road). We hit the wall and came to a dead stop from around 40 miles per hour. The radiator took a big hit, but the car and the occupants were both fine. Over the past 20 years Darrians have been involved in some huge crashes and in all cases the structural integrity of the car has been beyond reproach.

• Why a V8 ? That’s very old technology !
Yes, it is old technology, but it’s also very reliable technology, and most importantly its also very affordable technology. We were inspired by the late 1994 ToC winner Roger Hearn and his 3.5 V8 engined T9 Darrian. The MSA gave us permission to build a 3.9 V8 and we could do this for very little money. We have had 6 years of 100% reliability from the engine and our rebuild costs have been tiny. We highly recommend John Eales at J E Developments for supply, advice and building of Rover V8 engines.

• So, if V8’s are so good why are you changing to a V6.
There are three main reasons. 1) We want to be able to compete in Southern Ireland. The Irish MSA has a strict capacity limit of 3.5 litres, and so my remaining with our V8 we are effectively resticting ourselves from competing in Ireland.2) The V8 is often referred to as a “light” engine. It is light only when compared to American steel-block V8’s. In reality it is a heavy engine, and requires a correspondingly heavy gearbox to deal with its prodigious torque. This means that any Rover V8 installation in a Darrian is something of a compromise with a lot on engine and transmission mass and a higher than necessary centre of gravity. 3) We wanted to opt out of the heavily controlled MSA K.37.1.3 category; this would allow us to re-engineer the car with a more optimal engine/transmission package.

• What does the Darrian actually feel like to drive ?
Quick. Very Quick. 0 to 62 mph comes up in just over 3.5 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in 6.5 seconds. However, the thing that most people comment on when they get a ride in the car is the phenomenal stopping power afforded by the Darrian. An estate agent would call the inside of the car “cosy”. The car feels very stable. It has tremendous turn-in in any condition. It is very flattering and rewarding car to drive.

• What is your favourite event ?
We only compete on Tarmac events. In terms of closed road rallies, it would be a tie between the two Isle of Man rallies (Manx National & Manx International), the Jim Clark Rally, and the fabulous Circuit of Ireland.

For Single Venue rallies it would be very hard to beat the Carnival Stages at Abingdon.

The Renault is an original Group B Rally car, and as such is ineligible to compete anywhere in the UK, or within the bounds of the MSA. It will be used at real rallies, but within the auspices of the Slowly Sideways organisation.

• Who prepares the cars for you ?
We prepare build, maintain and run the cars ourselves.

• Does the wing on the back actually do anything, or is it just for show ?
The wing, the front splitter / air dam and the general shape of the body work (known as the aero-package) was developed as a joint venture between Team Duffee Darrian Cars and the Motorsport section of the Swansea Institute College. A considerable amount of effort was expended on computer modelling, and the car was then placed in the MIRA wind tunnel for several days whilst various permutations of bodywork, and wing angles were evaluated and data-logged. The resulting shape(s) are all functional and produce a significant amount of downforce.

• How much does the Darrian weigh ?
Last year, the car weighed 956 kilos with 1/4 of a tank of fuel. The MSA approved min weight for a Darrian is 840 kg. As you can see we are over 100 kilos beyond that weight. This is partly due to a heavy engine & drivetrain, but also to some extra roll cage material and Kevlar strengthening in the car that we specified when it was built. We hope that the new V6 engine will allow us to shave some mass from last year total.

• Is the Darrian a kit car ? What is it based on ?
No, the Darrian is not a kit car. It is a low volume British Production Sports Car. When a customer approaches Darrian cars, he or she can specify a certain level of work that they want to do to the chassis themselves, or they can buy an entire rolling chassis, ready-to-rally, from Darrian cars.

• How much does it cost to run a Darrian ?
That depends on what events you choose to do in a year. However, the based design principles behind the Darrian have keeping running costs to an absolute minimum during the year. Our car costs a fraction of what it costs to run any sort of 4x4. Transmission really only needs looking at once a year (if that) and tyre wear is low.

• Do Darrians hold their value ?
Very much so. If the car is properly maintained, it is likely that you would loose little or no money on the Chassis. It provides very cost-efficient rallying.