EDIT: Only one more today. Wish I had more time.
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Leader Board
dr_slump Trial Celica:
Run 1: 2:00.604
Run 2: *:**.***
Praiano Integra:
Run 1: 2:03.196
Run 2: 2:03.134 (2:02.915)
Acan Civic:
Run 1: 2:03.646
Run 2: 2:03.295
AssassinTuner/Noobsteer's bro Civic:
Run 1: 2:03.408
Run 2: *:**.***
Rotary Junkie Mazda6:
Run 1: 2:03.597
Run 2: *:**.***
raVer Integra:
Run 1: 2:04.779
Run 2: 2:04.084
VTiRoj Lolvo C30-500:
Run 1: 2:05.194
Run 2: 2:04.211
shmogt SRT-4:
Run 1: 2:04.342
Run 2: *:**.***
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dr_slump Trial Celica:
Run 1: 2:00.604
Run 2: *:**.***
Ahhhurmm. Yeah. Well, I can't say it
felt fast, it really didn't. I borrowed the car, thanks Doc, so no issues regarding fidelity of the setup. Yet another slippery monster, haul on the anchors too hard or with the wheels turned and you risk spinning. At the very least, you'll light up 3 out of 4 tyres and forfeit your lap. Get on the gas too soon and you'll skate sideways. As soon as the outside front lights up under acceleration you're corner is all but done. I hit the outside barrier coming out of the second tunnel onto the bridge. I've never done that in a car ... ever. I've hit it numerous times once on the bridge, where the barrier steps out, but never before it. All because I yumped the curb and got on the gas too soon.
All that being said, you can't deny two and a half seconds. It's fast, stupendously fast. I put the above time in after only four laps. I know I've said I won't break 2:00, but there's no doubt in my mind I'll find that 0.6 of a second, no doubt. I'll run this car after we're all done here. I'd want to tame the rear end a little, maybe lower the toe angle. Unconventionally, I'd probably run more downforce. I'd also want to improve control under braking. I appreciate all these changes somewhat nullify the Time Trialling nature of the car and build, but I've got thumbs like Scammell wheel nuts.
Unequivocal Champion. This car won't be beat. I've yet to try the other version here, and I'm quite looking forward to doing so. If I had my way, I'd ban the car. But don't let that detract from what the Doc has done here, I like the way he's set the car up. If I had the time to participate, I'd have expected to find myself with something that looked similar to this. Bravo Sir...
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shmogt SRT-4:
Run 1: 2:04.342
Run 2: *:**.***
My SRT-4 is a reasonably high miler, 24k+. Only had to limit the car 88.1% to reach PP. Car is slippery under braking, if you miss your braking point youll sail right on past your turning. Lots and lots of wheel spin on exit, even with such a high Accel figure. Could benefit from some lift-off over steer in moderate speed corners, try as I might, I couldnt get it to come back on to the racing line if Id pushed wide. Also, if you touch the grass, you're spinning. Id have to watch a replay to see which wheel it was touching, Im not sure if its the aforementioned wheel spin from the fronts or the rears dragging across the green stuff.
I think this car was always going to be a challenge, I dont think its the best behaved of cars. This is a brave effort and in better hands than my own may actually be a terrifically quick car. Just a bit American around the corners.
AssassinTuner/Noobsteer's bro Civic:
Run 1: 2:03.408
Run 2: *:**.***
Couldnt achieve the same first gear, so I set mine to 3.509. I ran the car with ABS 1 setting.
Really isnt much to say about this car. Predictably rapid, lights up outside front under heavy braking and is a little reluctant to pull back on line. Low Accel settings means it pushes wide if you get on the gas too soon and spins wheels on heavy corner exiting. Otherwise as fast as you'd expect.
I think the Civic could well be the car to displace the Integras. Seems like the Civic has longer legs and the long wheelbase really helps in the high speed corners.
Rotary Junkie Mazda6:
Run 1: 2:03.597
Run 2: *:**.***
Oooh my word, have I been waiting to try this car. I didnt know that it would be turning up here in this challenge, but I knew Master Junkie had been working away on it since the epic 23Z. Before even getting in the car, I could see that it was going to require some driving proficiency. Sadly, as I was to find out, I lack the necessary proficiency to show how fast this car can be. Like quite a few others here, its all a bit knife-edge. The difference between mediocre and epic laptimes is miniscule. I failed to improve on my time above, even though on that particular lap I was wide in the final tunnel and I could easily make up another tenth or two over the first sector. I quit after raging at my Ghost, which seemed to sail past me with ease when Id built up a lead. I used ABS 1 settings. This requires that your application of the brakes is measured, but due to the setup you can kick the rear end round like its a RWD car. Diff and gears keep wheel spin to a minimum, in fact if youre not a completely ham fisted chimp like myself, I suspect you can do an entire lap without once turning the tyres red.
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So, although I'm not officially listed anywhere, I though I might add my thoughts and perhaps provide a benchmark for others.
I've run four cars, all listed below, all around Grand Valley, all as per Builder's spec. Those that don't feature, the two Mitsu builds and the other Integra I haven't done because I either don't have the cars or in the case of the Integra, couldn't decipher what parts to install or remove. Sorry.
I ran 5 laps as a reference for myself, in a car I knew. Both my reference cars happened to be RKM built cars, a C30 and a Civic. Both had previously been stripped back to 500PP, so they were perfect for my purposes. I've put hundreds of track miles on both.
I ran all Lap 1 times first, and then repeated to compensate for getting used to the track. Although I've raced here often enough, faster laps are a natural with repetition.
Reference lap 1: 2:04.047 Volvo C30
Reference lap 2: 2:03.336 Civic Type R
VTiRoj Lolvo C30-500:
Run 1: 2:05.194
Run 2: 2:04.211
As per above, one of my reference cars was an RKM sourced Volvo C30, so I wasn't about to be surprised by the car. However, the weight and its distribution did surprise me. Initially the extra weight made the car feel ponderous and it pushed wide in the corners constantly. After my first set of laps and some subconscious pondering, I finally began to understand the car. All the weight is over the front of the car and the rear is light as light can be. The weight keeps the front of the car solidly placed, there's barely any wheel spin and provided you don't just slam the anchors on, it won't light them up under braking. As you can see above, I made the biggest gains in this car. I can't every see me getting near 2:00 in this car, nor any of the rest, it's just too much of a specialist motor for me. Deceptively quick, but always going to struggle against the VTEC boys.
raVer Integra:
Run 1: 2:04.779
Run 2: 2:04.084
The brakes or my ability to use them failed me with this car, it was just too loose under braking, particularly going into corners. I span it quite a few times before I eventually posted my fastest first run. There's a fair bit of tyre smoke on corner exit. There's plenty of grip in high speed corners, provided you've got the car under control. Too much or too little speed will see you heading for the verge. With a decent LSD and gearbox setup, this could be as fast as Praiano's.
Praiano Integra:
Run 1: 2:03.196
Run 2: 2:03.134 (2:02.915)
Nose up, tail down build. Make my eyes water a little, but I know exactly why Praiano has done it. Some of the other settings appear to counter the pendulum motion of sticking the rear on the ground and this is understandable when the difference in height is this much. However, set this way, theres a massive amount of lift-off over steer, which means if you scrub enough speed off going into the hairpins, you can lift off the accelerator and fly round like you're on rails. It's brilliant. There's a decent amount of wheel spin when pulling hard out of corners, I suspect that reducing the difference in height will help get some of the weight back over the front wheels and tame the tendency to spin. Undeniably the fastest car that I've driven, whilst I couldn't make a clear 2:02.xxx, the red listed time above was a dubious call by the Line Judge, a matter of a pixel or two if you ask me.
Acan Civic:
Run 1: 2:03.646
Run 2: 2:03.295
This is another favourite of mine. Not quite sure what happened here, but I only had to limit mine by 89.9% (346bhp) to reach 500pp. Those extra ponies paid off. I love the simplicity of this build. I knew the car was brilliantly quick in a straight line and Acan's gear ratios provide acres of top end speed. They also do a brilliant job of reducing wheel spin on corner exit. I think some adjustment to the Final Gear and the addition of a custom diff to improve acceleration and traction could see this car top the pile.