Re: transition to faster cars (long)

[Mat635@xxxxxxx]

Dave M. writes:

<< So my question to the digest is how?  How do I make the transition from
 a quick car to one that is truly fast?  Everyone that drives a fast car
 has had to make the transition at one time or another. 
 Whether this was done before track experience (I think) can make a
 difference.  In my case, I have done ~10 schools with the 318i.>>


Hi Dave,

Your problem is somewhat rare in my possibly limited experience. I have found
that most people who have had to drive a slow car for years at the track
become so good (key word= smooth) that when they move up to even a completely
different car (ie slow FWD to fast RWD), they are usually fairly confident and
fast. Were you as fast or faster than most of the ///M cars in your run
group(s) at driving schools? If not, I would say you should keep on driving
the 318 until you are. For me, very little feels better than passing an ///M
car or turbo P-car on the track and watching him get squirelly (sp?) in your
rearview (only after exiting a turn of course) as he tries in vein to keep up
with you and your sub-200hp vehicle. I feel that if your limits aren't very
close to your slow car's limits, then you need to keep on driving it until
they are (close that is.......unless you have an F1 contract, your limits will
never match your car's, much less surpass them). 

If your 318 feels so much more neutral than the E30 M3, try some stiffer rear
springs in the 318. That will make the car much more tail-happy, and will
allow you to become aquainted with catching a car at much lower speeds than
you would usually be doing in a M3. 

OR if you must have the M3, drive it _a lot_ in big empty parking lots in the
rain (or snow) until you are _very_ comfortable with sliding the car. Then, do
some auto-x'ing with the car. After that, tackle the track WITH STREET TIRES
ONLY and (please!!!) let your instructor know that you really want to work on
practicing catches/slides before you go out there and dirt-track the car out
of the blue. 
 

<>


Well, the easy fix for taking the pitch and roll out of the M3 is to put an
aftermarket suspension on it. The _correct_ fix is to learn how to drive the
car smooth with the existing set-up. After smoothness, speed will
come..........it always does!

 
<<Is my problem only self discipline?  Or can someone
 give me some advice of making the transition.  It's time for me to move
 on, the 318i (2.2L) is too slow and the next logical step is an E30 M3.
 I'd hate to think that I can't handle the M-power. >>


I wouldn't necessarily say that self discipline is what is wrong. You just
have to get adjusted........it's not hard. With ten schools under your belt,
you shouldn't have any trouble.

I still think the stiffer rear springs (and a lot more practice at the track)
on the 318 are the way to go for now. Stay in the 318 with street tires and
make yourself as fast as the ///M cars on track tires. 

If you have already bought the M3, then just work on smoothing out all of your
inputs (steering, braking, gas.....). And just practice drifting the car in
parking lots, etc... until you become comfortable with the ease of power-on
oversteer in that car.


To tell you the truth, I haven't found any E30 cars that are overly twitchy to
me. Maybe your 318 had too much understeer dialed-in or the M3 you drove had
an unusually high rear spring rate (doubtful since you said it pitched so
much).

Some easy mods you can do to your M3 to get out the oversteer would be: 1)
front strut tower brace (never, never, never put a strut brace on a FWD
car......it makes them push twice as bad as they did before.....I digress),
2) BIG front swaybar (just make sure that you reinforce the mounting points!),
3) more negative camber in the rear. There are millions of things you can
do....those are just some starting points if you have tried to learn the M3 at
several track events and just can't.


Again, I can't stress this enough..........become so smooth that any
instructor (or student, whatever the case may be) who gets out of your car is
in shock and no longer feels quite as confident about his/her driving. Once
you are that smooth, you will be ungodly fast.


Sorry for any incoherence in this post, I had to make a little run to the
store in the middle of it and might have picked-up a few extra trains of
thought along the way.   :-)


Hope this provided some insight, and good luck!


Matt Meakin
#121191
Tarheel Chapter / SCCA / ISOP
'88 325iS (club racer under construction) *sponsorship anyone?*
'79 635csi euro (my baby)
'79 635csi euro (faaaaast daily driver)

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