As per Sucahyo's request, I will start a setup vs. setup thread for the Lotus Elise GT1, and test it on the Redrock Valley track. I look forward to this being an invaluable tool to help me learn more about tuning; I already have my own style of driving and setup, but reading the methods and outcomes from other drivers will certainly help me grow too.
Although I've not yet participated in any sort of setup vs. setup threads, I'd like to suggest we follow a common format (the bold headings below). I feel doing so will allow us all to see the process by which each driver tunes his car, and his reasons for doing so. This will help us all learn more in the end.
Car: Lotus Elise GT1
Handling:
Pros: The Lotus Elise GT1 is a mid-engined, RWD car with a lot of horsepower. It posesses quick handling and a high top speed; it can be set up to turn tightly, even when traveling at high speed.
Cons: The car has a very high rear end weight bias, which causes extreme and catastrophic spins when used on tracks with long, high speed corners (ala Redrock Valley, High Speed Ring, etc). As well, the abrupt power delivery exaggerates this downfall.
Problem Areas: The suspension, as delivered, is set for a front-heavy bias, possibly to overcome the car's rear weight. There is also no adjustability to the stabilizers (anti-sway bars) nor the downforce (unless the racing modification is purchased).
Suggested Remedies: Lower the car to minimize/eliminate excessive weight transfer to outside wheels - reduce tendency to "throw" weight out and cause spin. Adjust rear wheels to counteract centrifugal force pulling the rear out of line.
Tuning Chart:
Overall Impression:
Initially driving the car, my style of sticking straight to the course and following my lines were immediately overcome. It was impossible to hold the car on a steady line unless I drifted the car or radically slowed down. My best times were not much worth mentioning... somewhere in the Minute Oh Nines. As well, the rear end swung around way too often; I liked that the car would steer tightly even on very high speed corners rather than understeering, but I hated its tendency to spin out. Adjustments were a compromise of tight steering or looseness... this car is just loose. I also found that when I began to controll the rear end looseness, it became very grabby. In other words, it would still try to spin out, but grab and throw the car wildly. The setup I posted is still very controllable and keeps wild, extreme slides and grabs to a minimum, but it must be noted that getting an extreme one way or another (tightness or looseness) usually resulted in undesirable handling. Purchasing the racing body for its extra downforce is helpful, but not enough to improve lap times; strangely, my best time with the car was without the racing mod!
I cannot drive this car in my style well. The car, to me, is improperly balanced and not exceptionally wonderful at anything. If I wanted a balanced MR car, I'd pick the NSX over this one any day. If I wanted something exotic, this car will compete with the NSX with way more cool points, and is worth it for that alone. I'm not very competitive in this car... that is, against myself in time trial mode, even though, at its worst, this car is superiorly faster by many seconds on every track than the computer's AI cars.
Final Statement: A good car overall, needs minor tuning tweaks to agree with personal driving habits. Has an overwhelming characteristic that I don't prefer, and is difficult to tune out without creating worse problems. If it were in my garage, I'd probably forget it was in there.
A note to Sucahyo and anyone else who read my thread with the GT2 "formula": I didn't bother to apply the formula to this car, however, I did keep track of my changes:
The suspension could be lowered a decent amount, and with favorable results. I went down 20% front and rear, but left the springs completely alone. The downforce I changed 15% higher in the rear, and only 5% up front, as I felt the front end overpowered the car in turning. Aside from that, my adherence to the formula was slim, and mostly a result of "seat of the pants" testing!
Hope this helps, and I hope you like it! 👍
Although I've not yet participated in any sort of setup vs. setup threads, I'd like to suggest we follow a common format (the bold headings below). I feel doing so will allow us all to see the process by which each driver tunes his car, and his reasons for doing so. This will help us all learn more in the end.
Car: Lotus Elise GT1
Handling:
Pros: The Lotus Elise GT1 is a mid-engined, RWD car with a lot of horsepower. It posesses quick handling and a high top speed; it can be set up to turn tightly, even when traveling at high speed.
Cons: The car has a very high rear end weight bias, which causes extreme and catastrophic spins when used on tracks with long, high speed corners (ala Redrock Valley, High Speed Ring, etc). As well, the abrupt power delivery exaggerates this downfall.
Problem Areas: The suspension, as delivered, is set for a front-heavy bias, possibly to overcome the car's rear weight. There is also no adjustability to the stabilizers (anti-sway bars) nor the downforce (unless the racing modification is purchased).
Suggested Remedies: Lower the car to minimize/eliminate excessive weight transfer to outside wheels - reduce tendency to "throw" weight out and cause spin. Adjust rear wheels to counteract centrifugal force pulling the rear out of line.
Tuning Chart:
Spring Rate: 11.8 12.8
Ride Height: 65 85
Damper Bound: 5 5
Damper Rebound: 5 5
Camber: 2.0 1.4
Toe: 0.00 0.15
Stabilizer: 1 1
Brake Balance: N/A
Auto Gear: 16
Downforce: .52 (.57) .85 (.99)
LSD Initial: 9
LSD Accelerate: 36
LSD Decelerate: 24
Best Lap Time: 1:06.883
Ride Height: 65 85
Damper Bound: 5 5
Damper Rebound: 5 5
Camber: 2.0 1.4
Toe: 0.00 0.15
Stabilizer: 1 1
Brake Balance: N/A
Auto Gear: 16
Downforce: .52 (.57) .85 (.99)
LSD Initial: 9
LSD Accelerate: 36
LSD Decelerate: 24
Best Lap Time: 1:06.883
Overall Impression:
Initially driving the car, my style of sticking straight to the course and following my lines were immediately overcome. It was impossible to hold the car on a steady line unless I drifted the car or radically slowed down. My best times were not much worth mentioning... somewhere in the Minute Oh Nines. As well, the rear end swung around way too often; I liked that the car would steer tightly even on very high speed corners rather than understeering, but I hated its tendency to spin out. Adjustments were a compromise of tight steering or looseness... this car is just loose. I also found that when I began to controll the rear end looseness, it became very grabby. In other words, it would still try to spin out, but grab and throw the car wildly. The setup I posted is still very controllable and keeps wild, extreme slides and grabs to a minimum, but it must be noted that getting an extreme one way or another (tightness or looseness) usually resulted in undesirable handling. Purchasing the racing body for its extra downforce is helpful, but not enough to improve lap times; strangely, my best time with the car was without the racing mod!
I cannot drive this car in my style well. The car, to me, is improperly balanced and not exceptionally wonderful at anything. If I wanted a balanced MR car, I'd pick the NSX over this one any day. If I wanted something exotic, this car will compete with the NSX with way more cool points, and is worth it for that alone. I'm not very competitive in this car... that is, against myself in time trial mode, even though, at its worst, this car is superiorly faster by many seconds on every track than the computer's AI cars.
Final Statement: A good car overall, needs minor tuning tweaks to agree with personal driving habits. Has an overwhelming characteristic that I don't prefer, and is difficult to tune out without creating worse problems. If it were in my garage, I'd probably forget it was in there.
A note to Sucahyo and anyone else who read my thread with the GT2 "formula": I didn't bother to apply the formula to this car, however, I did keep track of my changes:
The suspension could be lowered a decent amount, and with favorable results. I went down 20% front and rear, but left the springs completely alone. The downforce I changed 15% higher in the rear, and only 5% up front, as I felt the front end overpowered the car in turning. Aside from that, my adherence to the formula was slim, and mostly a result of "seat of the pants" testing!
Hope this helps, and I hope you like it! 👍