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Somewhat Heroic posted:Having owned all three flavors of Mazda 6 (6i, 6S and speed6) I would be interested to get you take on a Speed6 or a Speed3 if you can get your hands on the wheel. I've never taken a Speed3 out, but the Speed6 was fun for what it was (although I was in constant fear of breaking it). That thing had the most unexplained tight turning radius I have ever experienced, especially for a car that is AWD. It was like the rear inside wheel would nearly be stopped if you were flipping a U-turn. I loved how tight it was. I've driven a first gen speed3 with ground control suspension and it was really quick, on pace wih my AP1. They're really awesome cars. I'll probably have a chance to drive it again in oct, I would write a review about it but I don't remember much about the controls which means that they weren't completely numb.
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Sep 12, 2015 02:12
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2000 Subaru Impreza with a 2005 STI swap Forget the normal format, I can't describe this car in one run. Normally these reviews are just a homologation of several runs and my impressions over them in an easy to read and structured format, but there's a number that changed everything, 86. This car combines two great wonders of the automotive world; turbos and AWD. Whenever someone says a car needs or would be better with AWD, I disagree. AWD is nice but the answer to too much power is better throttle discipline or a better chassis. Whenever someone says a car needs a turbo, well, yea. Turbos are awesome. But like the first person who accidentally got chocolate in their peanut butter, the first time I experienced it long ago, they do make for a great combination. The 2.5RS is a great looking car. It's probably my favorite looking subaru except for a 2004 wrx wagon. They have great coupe proportions and they're not pretty but it's a very pleasing shape. They have understated scoops and vents and little wings. Drive an Evo or STi and you have a big loving park bench wing and huge fender flares and it looks completely retarded in a fantastic way, but sometimes you don't need to have a picnic bench on your trunk.  The interior is classic subaru. It's a utilitarian interior with a long shifter. It's not super nice materials like a bmw or Audi but it's immediately recognizable. Even the newer subarus which have strayed into Camry level of being plain still have that subaru feel. I do really love the cloth and plastics, it's purposeful. This car has an STi interior swap as well and the seats are very comfy and well bolstered. The seating position is good too. Starting the car felt somewhat strange, you can feel the interia of the drivetrain which I haven't encountered with previous AWD cars, which I chalk up to the diffs. I could talk about the rest of the dynamics of the car, how it's front heavy and it doesn't understeer a ton but you can feel the weight all being in the nose. How the steering is overboosted and vague. How I wanted to become a subaru bro. But let's talk about the diff. The magical, active diff and the number 86. First run, overdrive car severely; front pushing, rear sliding, the run is 86 seconds. Second run, drove car cleanly, kept it nice and tidy; 86 seconds. Third run, tires were far beyond overheated; 86 seconds. This car just did not give a poo poo how I drove it or any conditions, it was going to set an 86. Huge powerslides, almost spins, whatever. Point wheel, give power, set an 86. Hit he throttle too hard and have the car do a giant power on oversteer slide that fucks up your line? It doesn't care. The active diff is just complete magic. This presented a bit of a challenge, I'm used to dumb cars. I use left foot braking and minor corrections to adjust the car, but there were certain points where I would be left foot braking in and I would feel the rear lock the diff, and the car would over rotate. Lift brake, off throttle, counter steer, car gets on intended path, back on throttle. I was trying to drive it like a rwd/fwd car but there is a difference. Last run. Game face on. Dad sitting in seat next to me. I have to make him proud, I give up my need to be in control and put my trust in the diff. The car doesn't understeer much but there's a noticeable heft to the front end. It doesn't want to change directions due to all the inertia, and you can feel the front diff locking and unlocking to keep its path. The wheel will be easy to turn on some cones and like fighting a bear on others. The boost response is great, I didn't find myself with a lack of power at any point, once it was up past the spool point it just pulled strongly up to the rev line. The brake feel in the car is by far the worst part, it's just absolutely terrible. The car stops but there is minimal feedback, so you just stomp the pedal and have no idea whether you have more left in it or not. Whoever does brake feel at subaru is the worst person on earth. And then there are actual turns. You can literally do whatever you want as long as the wheel is pointed in the right direction. Come in hot, lift throttle, stay away from the brake. The car over steers and the rear starts to come around, point the wheel where you want to go and let the car figure out the slide. Get on power and the huge wall of boost throws you forward. You look like a pro rally driver. This is it. This is what it's about. You can do everything wrong and it still isn't wrong, the car says I gotcha, were good buddy. You just stay in that throttle. Coming onto the last runway and this is a fast run, I've done it. I've beaten the 86, and then... No power. High g load has starved the motor of fuel and it cuts out. I don't know that at this point and I'm scared I've blown up the motor and baby it down the last leg. The time on the sign flickers, I'm disappointed in this run. But the boost buggy God just says whatever bro. 86. loving magic. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Sep 12, 2015 |
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Sep 12, 2015 02:56
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The autocross thread is closed for archiving, so I figured I would post these here. If you prefer them to not be in your thread just let me know and I'll delete this. ------------------- So, how does it look when an alien is driving a car in autocross? Pretty much like these videos, wherein Brian Peters, driving John Hogan's ESP Mustang, doesn't simply win ESP at Nationals, he *crushes* ESP at Nationals, winning the class by 2.655 seconds. That's probably equivalent to lapping the 2nd place car a couple times in a NASCAR race or something. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s83kij1DZP4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDUfqIJ0iuU Oh yea, Fred Zust in his FrankenLotus won XP for the 7th time.
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Sep 15, 2015 03:49
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Looks like the trick is to not wear a seat-belt.
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Sep 15, 2015 04:37
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Brigdh posted:Looks like the trick is to not wear a seat-belt. Lots of guys just wear a lap-belt (all that's required by the rules) so they can twist around easier.
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Sep 15, 2015 05:01
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Does that help? It seems like it'd destroy your sensitivity to rotation and grip.
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Sep 15, 2015 05:10
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kimbo305 posted:Does that help? It seems like it'd destroy your sensitivity to rotation and grip. It is usually (in my experience) in cars with racing seats that hold you in nicely. You can see in the video that he's sitting in a race seat with good lateral support. When I started running in CP, I wore a 4 point harness, but I quickly ditched the shoulder belts in favor of just the lap belt to keep my shoulders free to move. I kept that in the BMW when I moved to STU (also had race seats). In the Focus I just have the factory belts, so I wear it normally.
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Sep 15, 2015 05:34
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I'm aware of the rule and was mostly making a cheap shot since it seems everyone wants to know what is the trick behind alien driving, although I'm of the opinion that the rule should really be updated since its no longer the 70s and early 80s where lap belt only was standard on production vehicles. The rule should really require OEM equivalent or better. I generally don't see the lap belt only technique, and we've got a shitton of national caliber guys locally so it kind of stood out to me. The downside is you end up bracing yourself against the steering wheel, which may not complement the driving style. Even with the side support of the race seat, you can see the driver bouncing around a bit. Also based on how that Sparco is moving about, it either isn't mounted correctly (doubtful, those seats are pretty hard to gently caress up) or it relys on the shoulder harnesses to stay in place. One could probably argue that such a configuration is illegal, although based on how the protest committee was ruling on other things, they'd probably ok driving from the passenger seat.
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Sep 15, 2015 17:47
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I completely missed the shot, sorry about that. Brian is pretty small compared to John (the car owner), so he probably moves around a lot because the seat is large for him. I've had Sparco's, Corbeau's, and Kirkey's, and they all have a fair amount of flex in the back when they are unsupported. I fixed that with the Kirkey in my CP car by simply bolting the upper back directly to the cross-piece of the roll cage with a solid spacer. On the other hand, it's pretty hard to argue that it's a poor driving habit/style when this is National Championship #6 for Brian, and he also got the Driver of Eminence award this year. Also, he's an alien. 
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Sep 15, 2015 17:56
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I would consider it unusual, but not necessarily poor. Probably not something I'd recommend to everyone. I kinda had an "ah hah" moment this year when talking to Mannix, Wenzel, and Darden and I realized that different people have different styles (even in the same car) and so what works for one person, may or may not work for someone else. Trying to emulate someone who doesn't drive anything like you may not be the best thing.... I did make note that the ND wasn't a class killer in CS as apparently everyone was expecting. Also it looks like your CP car is for sale. Would you like it back? 
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Sep 15, 2015 18:10
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Muffinpox posted:A yellow STR prepped AP2 waits for me. I look at the BRZ and say "I will remember you" as I head back to take a run in the only model of car I've ever truly regretting letting go of. Why did you leave her
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Sep 15, 2015 18:21
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Brigdh posted:Also it looks like your CP car is for sale. Would you like it back? He's selling it again? Where did you see if for sale? Also, no thanks, I'm done with the trailering thing for a while, maybe forever. For the moment I only do local events for fun, and only when the weather is nice and I'm in the mood. That sort of attitude towards the sport isn't the right one for having an expensive dedicated car for it.
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Sep 15, 2015 18:45
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It was listed in the classified section of the local club's forums, but there wasn't a price in the post who who knows how serious he is about actually selling it.
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Sep 15, 2015 18:48
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1991 Ferrari 348: MiamiViceSoundtrack.wav A Manila folder waits for me on my desk. A new case, something horrible probably. When you work undercover you see the worst of the worst. Meaningless keying of cars. People who buy super cars and don't use them except as garage floor weights. Cases of murdered out cars. I slide the photo out and the brief; an existential case. My orders are to investigate why no one loves the 348. This is a stake out.  I need to be inconspicuous about this, to observe how people react to the car without them knowing I have it. I walk in to get coffee from Dunkin Donuts. I can't see anything from behind the polarized glasses and blinding glare of sunlight off my white suit. The entire store stops and stares at me. Perfect, no one will suspect I'm an undercover. But there is no fanfare about the 348. No "nice Ferrari" comments. No one has even noticed it, they're all just staring at me. Hmmm.  The car is easy to miss. It's all white, not very loud, and it is tiny. It's almost as small as an NB Miata. The wedge shape also gives it a low profile. While it does have strakes, it is missing the shouty colors and curvy bodylines of later Ferraris. It is not a body you would describe as gorgeous, more like coke fueled. And there have been a lot of "do you have any coke?" comments.  The interior is rather spartan. Tan with nice quality Italian leather. The cabin is wide open. The only thing that is nearby is the perfectly sized steering wheel and the long, Italian stallion gearshift. The sides of the doors don't even allow you to rest your elbows. You can move about quite a bit.  The pedal box is offset to the right. The gas pedal is a long thin piece of metal with the brake and clutch tightly spaced together. No sneakers in this car, only italian leather loafers. I may be running today so I compromise for some Converses. The dead pedal is actually quite amazing in this car, it takes up half the foot well and your foot rests on it completely naturally. The seats are supportive and rather bolstered. Anyone larger than a 36 waist would not find them comfortable for long periods of time. There's quite a bit of legroom with the targa top on, or the targa top off and stowed somewhere else, but the controls are a bit more cramped with the targa top behind the seats. Practicality was not the name of the game in this car. You long Italian mane flowing freely in the wind was. I pull up next to a pack of college kids. They glance at the car briefly. The somewhat shoddy construction and low grade plastics that adorn the bottom of the bodywork must throw them off. Are those exposed screws holding the strakes on? One of them asks if it's a Lamborghini. Enzo Ferrari spins in his grave. On a flat plane. I strap into the car. The belts are weird, the shoulder belt sits in the middle of the cabin and is buckled separately from the lap belt, which is on the outside of the cabin. A crazed man runs over and asks if he can ride in my Ferrari. I forgot tubbs so I invite him in. I realize the point of this lap belt when I have to reach across his lap to do his belt for him. Mental note: take dates out in this car. Speak at them in Italian as I caress their thigh helping them. Do it how Enzo would have. Maybe this is why no one loves the car. It doesn't scream look at me. It doesn't scream flair. It doesn't scream I made it in life. But I get the go and within half a second I am screaming because porca troia. This thing is amazing to drive. The car is completely mechanical. There are 0 assists to be found on the car. It like having a friend who wont shut the gently caress up ever sitting next to you in the passengers seat except the friend is the most perfect driving experience ever. The steering, as much as I complain about manual steering, is absolutely, mind-bendingly perfect. It's heavy when the car is sitting still, but give it a little forward momentum and it become very light and without a doubt the most talkative steering I have ever had in a car. It also doesn't kick back heavily but you can feel the cracks and undulations being slightly noted by the wheel. By the first cone I was driving the absolute poo poo out of the front end and sliding the rear with throttle off oversteer. The car is obscenely easy to catch with steering. In the NSX, I was fearful of not being able to add in enough lock to catch the car. In the 348 there is no question about how much to add and being able to do it on time. I was intentionally sliding the car so hard powering out of a corner at one point it felt like the rear tires were going to pop off the beads from roll over. The next section was a charge around a left hand cone and into a right box. The car isn't absurdly powerful but deceptively quick given the gearing. Even among todays cars, it still rates as pretty fast. First runs out to around 50mph and the motor loves being above 4000rpm, where it also picks up a shrill mechanical cry that is just orgasmic to the ears even with the stock exhaust. It pushes harder as it approaches redline, and although the tach goes out to 10 and the redline is indicated at 7500, ~8000rpm seems to be the redline. I tested out running in 1st and 2nd, 1st seemed to be ideal. I had to lift in a few sections so I wasn't tagging the redline in a 24 year old Ferrari, but hitting redline does sound hella awesome as well. Coming around this cone worked better in first since you can adjust the car attitude with the throttle very easily. The throttle response isn't Viper or S2000 fast but the linkage makes adjusting the car with the throttle easy peasy.  The gated dogleg shifter is a bit of a pain in the rear end going from 1st to 2nd. You really have to think about making the gearshift, and once you get used to it, it isn't that bad, but it's a bit too involved at times. It can make gear changes seem a bit cludgy. There's drama to it, but I don't want drama when I'm racing. I just want fast. On that note, even the clutch has absurd amounts of feedback to it. The clutch is heavy with a fairly short overall throw, but there's so much feedback on the bite point that stalling is a non issue. Even launching and balancing the throttle is just first shot perfect because there's so much communication.  Around the left we go blasting up towards redline, then it's time to get into the brakes and for fucks sake these brakes are amazing as well. There is hydraulic assist but it is barely there and they just go on for days and you know exactly how much pedal force to put in and the pedal is stiff but not too stiff so your braking is always perfect and smooth and doesn't upset the car and ugnngnngnnggngng. We come into a decreasing radius left hand sweeper. All the other cars are taking it wide and coming in towards the apex. I don't need to. Stay tight, get on brake, trail brake into the corner and balance the rears over rotation with the brake pedal. It's so insanely easy in this car I didn't blow the braking zone once, I had to continually drive at the corner harder and harder. Seriously, the inputs on this car are just flabbergastingly awesome. What is not so awesome is the handling, which is a complaint about the 348. The 348 has a nice handling balance. It turns, it does what you tell it, and it is extremely confidence inspiring, but it is also soft and the front and rear roll rates are off. Coming into the slalom, I tried to drive this smoothly like something with stiffer springs and could feel the rear becoming out of sync with the front. In a MR car, this is pant making GBS threads territory because it's the beginning of penduluming. This is when the rear goes on it's own way and when I found out that the steering makes the car really easy to catch. It's just fantastic steering. The other aspect of this softness is you need to wait on the car, so even though it is a Ferrari, it's not very fast. The NSX that normally shows up does has a bunch of aftermarket suspension stuff, but it would have been almost 5-6 seconds faster than the Ferrari on this course. So, to really drive this car and have it be consistent, you either have to drive at 7/10 or go to 11 and drive the absolute poo poo out of it and manhandle the car to get all your weight transfer done immediately. Hard steering inputs are the only way, so you drive the car a lot more with the throttle and brake inputs to make fine attitude adjustments. If you're not perfect on entry, the cars springs wont react fast enough to anything to allow for any great adjustments.  We come in from the run, a time flashes up. I don't even pay attention, I'm not here to win. My passenger is in awe of how well the car actually drove considering their reputation. Everyone clamors to me for a chance to go power slide in a 25 year old Ferrari. That's it. I cracked the case. This isn't a Ferrari to be seen in. It's a Ferrari to be driven, and driven hard. It's a car about the experience, not the times. It's something that makes you fearful to drive it balls out on the road but even puttering along it is still pure driving bliss. I don't care that people aren't taking photos and asking me about the car and Giselle isn't leaving Tom Brady for me when she sees me drive by. I just want more of this. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Oct 13, 2015 |
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Oct 13, 2015 22:55
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Now you want one don't you Well done, great review, makes me wish I was along for the ride
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Oct 14, 2015 01:46
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Will it be a regular feature at autocross events or was this just to see how it fared?
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Oct 14, 2015 03:12
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God drat I was worried Ferraris would live up to the legend.
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Oct 14, 2015 03:23
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Well gently caress. Now I want an old Ferrari. Also, that suit is awesome. Excellent post.
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Oct 14, 2015 04:44
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X9bK1YfF0Y Riding shotgun in the Ferrari.
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Oct 14, 2015 05:22
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leica posted:Now you want one don't you Yea, it's so good. It's pretty much the most perfect raw, mechanical driving experience I've had. It's the complete embodiment of numbers don't tell the story. On paper, the NSX is a better car, but having driven them both, the NSX comes staggeringly close but the feedback and noise in the Ferrari is unmatched. bsamu posted:Will it be a regular feature at autocross events or was this just to see how it fared? It's probably not the only event but it won't be a regular. Drunk Pledge Driver posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X9bK1YfF0Y This was one of the runs I was trying out second. You can hear it hitting ~4-5k in some sections but the noise above that is way better.
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Oct 14, 2015 07:48
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gently caress this is awesome. All of it.
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Oct 14, 2015 08:32
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Link to the Ferrari powerslide Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Oct 14, 2015 |
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Oct 14, 2015 18:14
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My god Muffinpox you're so fast
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Oct 14, 2015 19:11
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Muffinpox posted:Link to the Ferrari powerslide Just noticed a pic in that gallery of an ND going through a turn and holy poo poo that body roll
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Oct 14, 2015 19:42
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Adiabatic posted:My god Muffinpox you're so fast Thanks baby :bigtran: leica posted:Just noticed a pic in that gallery of an ND going through a turn and holy poo poo that body roll Yea, it was heavin over. Pretty drat quick in stock trim though.
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Oct 16, 2015 17:32
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Well, the main Autocross thread is archived, so I'll just post this here, as it's not really worth a new thread, given how low traffic the other one was. Sunday, the current 'Driver of Eminence' and multi time (six times in six classes) National Champion drove a borrowed C7 Z06 and a Z51 on the same course and provided his feedback on the two cars. Thought at least a few of you might find it interesting. Brian Peters posted:Z51 had performance alignment only with stock ride height, Z06 was stock down to tire pressures. Video in question (it's not unlisted or private, posted by the owner of both cars): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zULMkRAJMa4
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Dec 15, 2015 05:14
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