42 replies to this topic

[MAXR]

I've spent the last few years and few thousand trying to get my car driving better but not adding power etc. I'm not sure exactly your spec so you may already have some on these bits, and also you mention you want better handling in the corners so is that feel or outright grip? But my 2p is...

1. Ditch the 5 stud for lotus 4stud forged wheels immediately!!! Massive improvement in feel and makes the car more finger tippy. Plus if you go for the lightest ultras you'll save half of your target as unsprung mass which according to Williams F1 equates to a benefit of multiple times that as onboard weight.

2. Look at new seats, I have tried a few and Tillett B5s are mega comfy on long trips (and I mean Germany in a day long) and much better on the track for making you feel part of the car. I've tried Reverie Mulsannes but they were back breaking for my shape. B6 will grip you much more but they need you to have snake hips which I don't.

3. Possibly change the steering wheel, again it's all feel over performance but I fitted a Reverie carbon jobbie on my car and I know it's 100% in the mind but everyone whose driven the car agrees it just feels nicer to drive somehow. It's smaller and nicely shaped etc, and looks cool as f***!

4. Lastly I would be wary of aero stuff, you may end up making things worse.

I want to run 18/17" combo wheels with wider tyres. So the weight will be increased over 17/16" unfortunately.

I defo agree that feeling comfortable in your seat and having a nice feel steering wheel and good driving position will allow you to drive more relaxed and probably quicker. Several driving books also say the same.

Aero is always a contentious area to cover. I intend to try a few variations out. As most time is made up along straights, perhaps minimal rear wing and sticky out parts will be better...but, a compromise is probably the middle ground.

[Exmantaa]

We got some prototype front hubs from Tonie; -30mm.   

 

To shedding the air from the front wheels; That Badster car did something like that:

 

 

 

 

or a bit less extreme:

 

[The Batman]

2 - more twitchy

4 - i dont know why but i just hated how it braked, if you are gonna do it then fit a bias valve

8 - dont you have new doors and windows now?

9 - get a bigger one that one is for a mini metro

10 - i thought you said aero catches not aero changes BGW FTW!!

14 - i still have the same one as you in my tool box, never used it

[pete-r]

I want to run 18/17" combo wheels with wider tyres. So the weight will be increased over 17/16" unfortunately.

I defo agree that feeling comfortable in your seat and having a nice feel steering wheel and good driving position will allow you to drive more relaxed and probably quicker. Several driving books also say the same.

You can get the ultralight's in a 7.5x17/10x18 set which go on the V6 Exige so you'd have to fit the correct hub. They would weigh 6.8&9.5kgs so still lighter than stock I think. But in terms of feel a larger will wheel make it feel heavier and your pushing the track out with the extra width.

I want to fit a larger spacer to my wheel because I like the wheel closer to me so I steer with my arms not my shoulders, and currently to do that I feel too close on the pedals.

Weight loss is the king though. My mates and I share own a Leon Cupra, standard 180bhp drivetrain but on coilovers and R1Rs and it's about 75% of the way to being completely stripped out. Right now it can hold station with a Golf R up to motorway speeds!!!

Edited by pete-r, 18 October 2018 - 10:10 PM.

[MAXR]

I want to run 18/17" combo wheels with wider tyres. So the weight will be increased over 17/16" unfortunately.

I defo agree that feeling comfortable in your seat and having a nice feel steering wheel and good driving position will allow you to drive more relaxed and probably quicker. Several driving books also say the same.

You can get the ultralight's in a 7.5x17/10x18 set which go on the V6 Exige so you'd have to fit the correct hub. They would weigh 6.8&9.5kgs so still lighter than stock I think. But in terms of feel a larger will wheel make it feel heavier and your pushing the track out with the extra width.

I want to fit a larger spacer to my wheel because I like the wheel closer to me so I steer with my arms not my shoulders, and currently to do that I feel too close on the pedals.

Weight loss is the king though. My mates and I share own a Leon Cupra, standard 180bhp drivetrain but on coilovers and R1Rs and it's about 75% of the way to being completely stripped out. Right now it can hold station with a Golf R up to motorway speeds!!!

Let me start with weight reduction. I am fully onboard with the benefits of weight reduction. Over the years, my car has always been on a diet and shedding weight wherever and however I can. I intend to get my car below 800kgs fully fuelled, which is easily achievable.

Again, I have to also have the steering wheel closer than many tend to have. It does definitely allow better control with quicker inputs and as you say, to use your shoulders and upper body more. I have a alcantara smaller s/wheel, which feels nicely weighted and allows better input more quickly. Having quick release with a larger boss has afforded me a better reach with the pedal distance being unaffected. Being comfortably seated with a well adjusted seat, to me is very important.

As for wheels and tyres, I've yet to formulate a suitable setup. I'd rather not go down the 18/17" route if I'm honest, but my body panels will dictate that I have to compromise. I will look into hubs as I'm likely to be swapping to GT Race hubs and also have to replace wheels and tyres.

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... Im really after people's comment's who have made changes / modifications to their car and that have evidence or real arguments that it has improved their car.

Take Joe, he has GT Hubs on his car but consistently drives like he's on a Sunday jaunt. His comments and evidence clearly won't sway me or anyone else!

Areas of interest include and I'd like to hear from are people who have a brake bias fitted, minimised unsprung weight on their car. Those who have properly fitted and working or fitted gearbox or additional oil cooler, that keep inlet, water, oil temps down on track. The many with an M62 fitted who thinks that their car can make Bedford's drive consistently when on full chat?

How many have their car's suspension setup with a low ride height and who actually thinks it is better than standard height? Do rear diffusers giant rear wings actually works to improves lap times?

I know many, like me have tried various options over the years. But for me, only a very few have made a tangible difference that I would openly recommend. Fitting a huge rear wing adds weight and will slow you down unless you have evidence that it benefits you through fast corners. Saying it feels faster or better is just too vague. For example, fitting side skirts to a car that is not low seems all but pointless to me, unless someone has evidence that it has made a noticeable difference.

Ive had some of my best improvements through just adjusting my tyre pressures, front arb and also tweaking damper settings. Total cost: £0. Improvement: Clearly much, much better.

[Arno]

You can get the ultralight's in a 7.5x17/10x18 set which go on the V6 Exige so you'd have to fit the correct hub. They would weigh 6.8&9.5kgs so still lighter than stock I think. But in terms of feel a larger will wheel make it feel heavier and your pushing the track out with the extra width.

Keep in mind though that  the V6 Exige runs a different PCD wheel front and back.

 

Front it runs the same as the VX (5x110) as it uses the same front hubs. Rear it runs the hubs from the Evora which are Toyota based and as a result 5x114.3

 

Yeah.. it's a bit bizarre, but the V6 Exige is a bit of a mashup of regular Elise/Exige/VX front end and rear end Evora bits with some car-specific bits for the V6 Exige sprinkled into the mix like rear subframe and some suspension parts that are not shared with either the Elise or the Evora.

 

No biggie, but just means that 'official' V6 rear wheels would not fit VX hubs without work/adapters or you'd need to find/order the same rear wheel but then in a 5x110 PCD

 

Bye, Arno.

[mbes2]

Guessing only the real racer are ones to comment not the normal track day hero.

Then you can have real laptimes to base the changes on.

I've got a quick rack on mine and agree with Joe, it's twitchy over my old vx but I will become used to it I'm sure.

[SteveA]

Tyre monitoring system (I blame SteveA)

 

You know it makes sense. Plus it's peanuts

[The Batman]

Lol, there isn’t a Vx that out corners the lawnmower

[Nev]

Lol, there isn’t a Vx that out corners the lawnmower

 

Once you've put an engine in yours you'll have to come to Wales and prove it! I know some great corners.
 

[2-20]

S2 is 10mm more narrow front rrack width than the vx220 so I belive they are the same.
Maybe V6 then. Anyone know how much wider the v6 front arms are?

 

 

It is notorious that S1 front wishbones are different to S2 front wishbones and are not interchangeable. We have S1 front wishbones on the VX.

The difference that i was given by different sources is + 7 / 8 mm  and about + 15 for the V6,   per side

 

 

One source that you may know: http://www.vx220.org...ont-upper-arms/

[2-20]

In term of aero mods, i recommend you read all of these if not already done:

 

https://www.reverie..../techimages.php

[Spitfire Engineering]

Guessing only the real racer are ones to comment not the normal track day hero.

Then you can have real laptimes to base the changes on.

I've got a quick rack on mine and agree with Joe, it's twitchy over my old vx  .......... but I will become used to it I'm sure.

 

If you don't you can use the new arms to reduce the input by about 4.2% taking it back down to just over +13% from +17.5%

 

I added this facility specifically based of feedback to address the negative side of a quick rack.

May even expand this to a -8% option.

 

Edited by Spitfire Engineering, 20 October 2018 - 08:43 AM.

[MAXR]

Come on peeps, there must be lots of peeps on this forum who track their car and who have spent lots of time and money upgrading them. So does everyone think their expensive upgrades or aero aids are worthless?

[siztenboots]

you can spend and spend to just get a few mph corner apex speed

[Aerodynamic]

I dont know what you want Max? You have got a lot of info in this thread?

 

But I  agree, the new cars like BMW M2-3 and Cayman are rediculusly fast but why?

 

I want mine to be just as fast. 

 

There are many things to be done.

A few weeks ago I was looking at a BMW M3 during a slalom track and even tho

the suspension is quite soft the car doesnt move around very much.

 

I hope with optimization of the suspension geometry I can get closer tho this.

I also belive the the rear weight is a bit too much on our cars.

Make the car 10cm longer while you are changing most of it anyway.

 

Br, Per

 

 

[MAXR]

You're right, I'm not sure what I'm expecting to turn my car into. But, what I do know, is that it has to offer me a more focused, sharper track experience. I want it to look interesting, have a nicely painted exterior and comfortable interior (which Ive never had!) I want more thrills, better handling and a complete all round reliable track package. I don't want it to be faster in a straight line, I don't want traction aids. I don't particularly want it to look like a teenagers idea of a pimped up wicked motr.

I'm happy to invest my time and money in my VX to achieve this. But, if I fail, it will be the last I spend on it and I will move on reluctantly.

I agree, a Cayman, M2 etc are all very capable cars. I know as Ive driven cars like them on track. However, if you are lucky enough to have driven one, then I'm sure it won't have given you the same grin on your face as a well sorted VX. I'm not sure how else to explain just how good the VX is at making you grin after a fast blast on track.

[Aerodynamic]

Make it longer and get some nice uprights on it.

[SteveA]

I think Randy Europa blog is probably worth a look. From what I can remember pro alloy completely redesigned the charge cooler system. I know it’s a turbo but better cooling can only lead to a more reliable car. I’ve heard talk of ditching laminovas and going external cooling all the way.

[The Batman]

I think Randall uses the pro alloy replacement crashbox which is solely done for better cooling