Autocross 1
Took off in the morning with 100% charge just to be safe. I wasn't sure how much SOC to expect by the time I needed to do my runs. It's still fairly chilly here in the Pacific Northwest, so I had to run the heater and all that.
Rendezvoused with some A/X friends for coffee bright and early.
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Arrived at Portland International Raceway shortly after.
Had to go through tech inspection since this was the first event of the year with ORPCA.
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I've always enjoyed running with Oregon's Porsche Club. Not as competitive and usually a chiller atmosphere. I just needed a safe place to push the car's capabilities and experience how the parts interact with each other. Classification is simple - there were the Porsche specific classes, then Non-Porsche FWD, RWD, AWD.
Plus, we were accompanied by these toys. Who's really complaining?
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Video
Impressions
Power / Electronics
As you can see in the video, I was able to get the car sideways on demand.
This was achieved by using the Ingenext Bonus Module to completely disable traction/stability control and regenerative braking.
It was an interesting experience because there was no engine noise in relation to the amount of power sent to the rear wheels.
The "go pedal" felt more like an on-off switch, making it difficult to "roll" into the throttle. But if I kept all the electronic nannies on, there was no way to put the power down properly. I could go around a corner with the pedal mashed to the floor and the car would putt around without the slightest urgency in the world, in the name of safety of course...
Suspension
Considering I'm on MountainPass Performance "Comfort" Coilovers, the car still performed exceptionally well. I understand when the car is pushed like this, my ride height is not the most ideal. There were definitely parts of the course where the suspension could've benefited from extra travel.
Regardless, this setup is miles better than stock suspension or lowering springs would have yielded me. I don't believe my skill level has reached the suspension's capabilities, but I'd like to address some body roll via sway bars and damping/rebound adjustability down the line.
Braking
No complaints with the stock brakes whatsoever. Didn't exeperience any notable brake fade during these short autocross runs.
Having the ability to turn off regenerative braking was good for predictability and consistency. With that being said, it wouldn't hurt to improve brake pedal feel with MountainPass Performance Master Cylinder Brace and possibly stainless steel lines.
Tires
235/35 - 265/30 Falken Azenis FK510 Summer Performance Tires.
They got the car around the cones fine but a 265/40 Michelin PS4S square setup would've been more ideal.
Charge
I was right on the money for starting the day with a full charge.
SOC @ 87% at arrival to PIR.
SOC @ 74% after 7 (~41 sec) runs.
Just exactly what I needed for the car to have max power where it counted.
Miscellanous Notes
SR+ weighs nearly 500lbs less than Long Range or Performance models. This directly benefits agility and weight transfer of the car. This is not to be overlooked considering there are people out there who will put in great efforts just to remove a few pounds here and there around their car.
More importantly, this weight is directly removed from the front axle from the absent of an electric motor to power the front wheels. I suspect we could get quite competitive in autocross if we were to set the car up properly and gain more seat time.
I find the usable power range in these cars to be very ideal for autocross. As most may know, these cars tend to lose steam on the top end regardless of performance variants. It's that 10-65mph range these cars really throw down.
Complaint - The seats are comfortable for daily driving duties. However, they're not supportive at all when you're putting the car through its lateral limits. That's the only real complaint I have so far.
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That's all I have for now!
Danny
. Thx
