Ok, maybe not Road Course in a Legacy S.....what about AutoX?

[Aggmeister2010]

The other day, I made a thread about prepping a Pre-Refresh Model S for road course racing.

turns out, it's a no-go. Mainly because of brake fade and thermal limiting on the battery. Thing is, AutoX is only done in 60 second bursts....Could I squeeze that in before the BMS gets angry??

I realize that the S is a fat pig, but I do have Unplugged Performance struts set to firm, all new suspension, PS4s, EBC 2 piece slotted rotors, StopTech Sport pads, and Castrol SRF brake fluid.....that should give me enough room to have some fun at the AutoCross until I can afford a GT3, right?

 

[Mash]

There is no better way to find it out other than to try.

 

[backmarker]

Mushy and soft suspension with rubber bushings. Very heavy car. Range optimized tires with low grip to reduce drag

By all means try but if you have experience driving AX or track it will be a disappointment

 

[VaztheDad]

The other day, I made a thread about prepping a Pre-Refresh Model S for road course racing.

turns out, it's a no-go. Mainly because of brake fade and thermal limiting on the battery. Thing is, AutoX is only done in 60 second bursts....Could I squeeze that in before the BMS gets angry??

I realize that the S is a fat pig, but I do have Unplugged Performance struts set to firm, all new suspension, PS4s, EBC 2 piece slotted rotors, StopTech Sport pads, and Castrol SRF brake fluid.....that should give me enough room to have some fun at the AutoCross until I can afford a GT3, right?

Short run autox isn't going to cause any thermal issues, even the short brake bursts should be fine. It will just REALLY push wear on the already fragile suspension (control arms, ball joints, fore links, etc).

If you're buying a car for this style of event, skip the GT3 as well. Low torque and big gearing isn't contusive.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

Short run autox isn't going to cause any thermal issues, even the short brake bursts should be fine. It will just REALLY push wear on the already fragile suspension (control arms, ball joints, fore links, etc).

If you're buying a car for this style of event, skip the GT3 as well. Low torque and big gearing isn't contusive.

I'm in the process of buying an E46 M3 to use for all of my tracking - I upgraded the Model S as much as I could, but it's been such a nightmare getting the service center to work on it with any aftermarket parts, it's not really worth potentially damaging something. I know it's a heavy car, but it's kinda embarrassing that it can't take a few hard turns for 60 seconds without ripping a bushing.

 

[backmarker]

As you go the BMW route... been there and it's not ideal either

IME the only company that still makes cars that are track or AX ready is Porsche. You can't beat a metzger engined Pcar for the track. I interacted for over a decade in a GT3, they're built for it. BMW you will cook brakes, break bushings/shock towers, and spend so much in aftermarket when a used 911 with good tires /pads will just work

 

[Aggmeister2010]

As you go the BMW route... been there and it's not ideal either

IME the only company that still makes cars that are track or AX ready is Porsche. You can't beat a metzger engined Pcar for the track. I interacted for over a decade in a GT3, they're built for it. BMW you will cook brakes, break bushings/shock towers, and spend so much in aftermarket when a used 911 with good tires /pads will just work

Yeah, but I'm trying to be cost-conscious. I'd rather spend $150k on a down payment for a vacation house for the family than a GT3 for me. a higher mileage E46 M3 would be in the high teens and still be fun without me worrying about depreciation at every rock chip. Granted, I expect maintenance, but that's fun for me as well. If I could get a decent 911 below the mid 30's, I'd be interested.....but I don't like the looks of the Cayman.

I was also considering buying a Racing Kart like a Birel Art or something of that nature, they're pretty cheap. Far less to fix. But the kart would only be good for karting tracks and one particular auto-x track.

 

[maximizese]

My brother-in-law and his wife race on the cheap (they buy used cars, fix them, modify them, race them, and sell them for pretty much the principal). They been through 5 Miatas, 3 WRXs, a Mustang, a Mazdaspeed3, an AP1 S2K, an E30 M3, an F80 M3, and an Intergra Type R that's mostly a trophy in the garage. They live near 4 tracks and race in various leagues. Autocross would be best with a light, balanced, and shorter wheelbase frame with good brakes...a Torsen differential if you want less wheel spin on the turns. I'm thinking the Cayman or Boxster might be more fun than a GT3 which is much more of a track car. My friend had a 2009 GT3 which had the most NA power to displacement ratio back in the day. I would not recommend the Model S for anything more than a touring/commuter car. There are far too many disastrous control arm link pics on this forum alone.