If you're used to cars that actually stick, it looks painful. I swap between my E90M and my Spec Racer Ford on the same track fairly often and you have to recalibrate your expectations. The E90M, with near-stock power, is 12mph quicker at the topend of the main straight. It's traction limited everywhere even on super-200 tires, and this is not a powerful car by modern standards. The Spec Racer Ford, with Hoosier DOT tires and weighing 1600lb with 130hp, is a full 4 seconds a lap faster...on a 1:06-ish lap. At the ring it'd probably be half a minute. It sticks...the E90M on soft street suspension and street tires with 3650lb and 420hp of driving excitement...doesn't by comparison. I've done a fair amount of tracking in things that shouldn't be fun if you believe the Miata people on the internet - it's always fun.Well, normal person won't be able to come anywhere close to that time with stock setup without a crash.
Considering it's the fastest accelerating car in the world, it's almost a minute slower than gt2rs. And judging by the video, in stock form, it's absolutely horrible experience. 1/4 mile is impressive, Ring record is painful to watch.
It's not a track car. I'm not even sure that if you change a suspension, brakes, steering wheel and aero it will become one. It's a gt car - fast highway sedan. Time doesn't matter. Miata is a track car, doesn't matter that it won't do it fast, but you will have a lot of fun. Model 3 is a good short track car and a lot of fun. That video is not fun and whole record is pointless.
So, I guess what I'm saying is, painful is in the eye of the beholder. I find driving lead sleds enjoyable in its own way as it's just a different kind of optimization problem. The SRF can do quali laps all day long just about, which can get a little boring unless you're racing somebody hard. a car that is taxing its tires in all directions all the time can be a lot of fun and introduces additional strategy you don't get from a car that can just run hard all day
That said, the PS4S is not a tire I would choose for even one lap of the nordschleife. I do love it and have it as a street tire for my car, but you can take the outside tread blocks with their "stickier" compound right off the tire in a session if you aren't careful. The Cup2+ and R (or either of the two hot Goodyears) are more heat-tolerant as well. There are also almost more OEM-special fitments of the Cup2 than there are "standard" Cup2 sizes/part numbers. N-spec tires really are different and when you start talking about the track tires, even more true.
I've done the Rent4Ring experience a million years ago, and burned through half a set of front R888's in half a cool, dry-damp day with only 200hp in the FWD Opel Corsa I happened to rent. Based on my experience with both tires, I doubt PS4S would have survived the day without a rotation. Most of those corners on the Plaid lap were not corners in that car...lol
Last edited: