Chasing an S2K in my ///M

[piloto]

Nice video. Who was the HPDE with?I have yet to make it to Chuckwalla. It looks awesome.

[Endless619]

Originally Posted by rhouck

It's mine so I'll respond (the OP and I track a lot together )

17x9 Enkei RPF1 with 255 RS3s all around
PMU Club Racer brake pads and PMU fluid
Tein SRC coilovers
J's Racing front camber joint
Berk test pipe
J's Racing 60RS exhaust

and then just safety equipment (Recaro SPG, harness, roll bar).

210ish rwhp of fury!

Not bad. I miss my old S2000 sometimes and all the work I had put into it. Today its a nice cheap little car you can fix up fast. Not so in 2001-2003.

[Blue55]

Originally Posted by piloto

Nice video. Who was the HPDE with?I have yet to make it to Chuckwalla. It looks awesome.

Thanks. Chuckwalla is a great track. The surface is very new and well maintained. It's a very technical track with some small elevation changes and lots of run-off room. The owner is always present and making sure that an event is running well as well as monitoring the surface and overall conditions.

The surface can hold a lot of grip if it's sunny and I find it an endlessly challenging track. It tends to equalize higher and lower HP street cars since there is only one short straight and the rest is a mix of low speed to mid speed corners. The event was with Star.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by Sean05

That underbody is AMAZING.

[Nang Vann]

Nice vid, nice race track aswell

[soberin]

Originally Posted by Blue55

Thanks. Chuckwalla is a great track. The surface is very new and well maintained. It's a very technical track with some small elevation changes and lots of run-off room. The owner is always present and making sure that an event is running well as well as monitoring the surface and overall conditions.

The surface can hold a lot of grip if it's sunny and I find it an endlessly challenging track. It tends to equalize higher and lower HP street cars since there is only one short straight and the rest is a mix of low speed to mid speed corners. The event was with Star.

As someone who tracks regularly at Lime Rock, this place looks so much easier to get moving. Much wider, no guard rails, no trees, incredible runoff room..too bad it's so far from me.

[Blue55]

Originally Posted by soberin

As someone who tracks regularly at Lime Rock, this place looks so much easier to get moving. Much wider, no guard rails, no trees, incredible runoff room..too bad it's so far from me.

Make a trip to CA! It's currently my favorite track

[WolfeS2K]

Here is mine....miss her

[Blue55]

What's that white stuff? Great looking car!

[ROB_S2K]

LOL as I was watching this video I thought to myself: "Why does that M3 sound so different?" Then I realize its a 1M lol. Great vid thanks for sharing.

[Blue55]

Originally Posted by ROB_S2K

LOL as I was watching this video I thought to myself: "Why does that M3 sound so different?" Then I realize its a 1M lol. Great vid thanks for sharing.

No, not an M3, but definitely very quick and fun to drive. Rob - do you have an S2K and do you ever track?

[ROB_S2K]

Originally Posted by Blue55

No, not an M3, but definitely very quick and fun to drive. Rob - do you have an S2K and do you ever track?

I had 2 lol. I tracked one of them but I have since sold both.

[BLUDVL]

Awesome video,S2K are great cars on the track.

[ortho281]

Originally Posted by ROB_S2K

LOL as I was watching this video I thought to myself: "Why does that M3 sound so different?" Then I realize its a 1M lol. Great vid thanks for sharing.

That's funny! I was wondering the same thing before realizing it was a 1M.
Nice vid!

[Blue55]

All you SoCal people should come out and join us!

[jetpilot747]

Originally Posted by Blue55

Enjoy!

He had 210 RWHP and you couldn't pass him in your 1 series M coupe? Do you think you could even hang with him if his s2000 was boosted?

[Blue55]

Originally Posted by jetpilot747

He had 210 RWHP and you couldn't pass him in your 1 series M coupe? Do you think you could even hang with him if his s2000 was boosted?

The short answer is no. On a relatively tight track there is simply not enough room on the short straights to execute a safe pass. This particular S2000 has several notable advantages over the 1M. Even though the 1M has a superior power to weight ratio that is just one of several factors that go into the lap time. The S2000 suspension although over a decade old is superior to the 1M. The 1M uses a strut suspension and while it is compact and allows for a design that intrudes far less into the engine bay or passenger compartment, it is no match for a double wishbone suspension setup. The S2000 has practically endless front grip and rarely encounters much understeer. My 1M suspension is almost stock and although I have a lot camber, it still understeers in many situations where the S2000 just sticks. The S2000 has Tein SRC coilovers which are very dialed in for the track.

The S2000 is over 500 lbs lighter than the 1M. This combined with the ability to carry higher speeds through the corners means that the S2000's exit speeds are generally a little higher. This means that he is entering the straight at a higher speed than the 1M and I have to catch up. Because the S2K is lighter, that means he can brake later and deeper into the corner, where I need to scrub off speed earlier.

We found that in comparing vmax at the end of the short straights I might be 5-6mph faster, that's not enough to cleanly pass him. On a longer straight I could definitely pass him but it's really not as easy as you think. This is not a simple highway 'pull' where the 1M would obviously pull away from the S2K.

Finally, my friend is an excellent driver and improving constantly (as am I). We make great foils for each other and it's a lot of fun to engage in the chase. We compare notes with our other track friend regularly. Things are not really as they seem in a track environment. I have seen relatively stock Miatas pass Ferraris. Driver talent and experience has a LOT do with it. It's definitely nowhere as easy as it looks. Also, we drive with traction control completely off in case you were wondering.

[jetpilot747]

Originally Posted by Blue55

The short answer is no. On a relatively tight track there is simply not enough room on the short straights to execute a safe pass. This particular S2000 has several notable advantages over the 1M. Even though the 1M has a superior power to weight ratio that is just one of several factors that go into the lap time. The S2000 suspension although over a decade old is superior to the 1M. The 1M uses a strut suspension and while it is compact and allows for a design that intrudes far less into the engine bay or passenger compartment, it is no match for a double wishbone suspension setup. The S2000 has practically endless front grip and rarely encounters much understeer. My 1M suspension is almost stock and although I have a lot camber, it still understeers in many situations where the S2000 just sticks. The S2000 has Tein SRC coilovers which are very dialed in for the track.

The S2000 is over 500 lbs lighter than the 1M. This combined with the ability to carry higher speeds through the corners means that the S2000's exit speeds are generally a little higher. This means that he is entering the straight at a higher speed than the 1M and I have to catch up. Because the S2K is lighter, that means he can brake later and deeper into the corner, where I need to scrub off speed earlier.

We found that in comparing vmax at the end of the short straights I might be 5-6mph faster, that's not enough to cleanly pass him. On a longer straight I could definitely pass him but it's really not as easy as you think. This is not a simple highway 'pull' where the 1M would obviously pull away from the S2K.

Finally, my friend is an excellent driver and improving constantly (as am I). We make great foils for each other and it's a lot of fun to engage in the chase. We compare notes with our other track friend regularly. Things are not really as they seem in a track environment. I have seen relatively stock Miatas pass Ferraris. Driver talent and experience has a LOT do with it. It's definitely nowhere as easy as it looks. Also, we drive with traction control completely off in case you were wondering.

Yea but if your friend is boosted, he will be pulling on you instead on the straights LOL so no chance of beating him even if you started in the lead?

[Blue55]

Originally Posted by jetpilot747

Yea but if your friend is boosted, he will be pulling on you instead on the straights LOL so no chance of beating him even if you started in the lead?

I think that goes without saying. A FI S2K driven well is in an entirely different category. It's apples and oranges.

[jetpilot747]

Originally Posted by Blue55

I think that goes without saying. A FI S2K driven well is in an entirely different category. It's apples and oranges.

True. Do you think FI s2k is on the same level as c6 z06 on track then since s2k is even lighter and boosted to the around the same HP?

[Blue55]

Every track is different so it's difficult to compare these hypotheticals, but FI S2Ks can brutally fast because of the inherent weight advantage and superior power to weight ratio. The S2K can be difficult to drive quickly (as can any car) and requires a very different driving technique than bigger, heavier cars.

[jetpilot747]

Originally Posted by Blue55

Every track is different so it's difficult to compare these hypotheticals, but FI S2Ks can brutally fast because of the inherent weight advantage and superior power to weight ratio. The S2K is difficult to drive quickly and requires a very different driving technique than bigger, heavier cars.

At buttonwillow