Dippy

The new WRX appears to be much more 'available' than the dealers were saying. Is supply now going to exceed demand? Time for us to ask for a discount on a brand new Impreza???

JasonHook

I won't be buying one without a discount.
Times have changed....
Jason

Airmiles

Dippy,

Bu66er - uncertainty over MY01 arrival times was a major reason for going MY00. Still, it's run in and WTBd so not all bad!

Anyway, how are you doing - does this mean you're still up for the performance car route? Good to hear - your nerves will come back just take it easy & don't beat yourself up.

Miles

PS Now running 32 PSI F, 30 R - the back's noticeably more stable - in fact I couldn't reproduce the crash at MIRA (and I tried)

Dippy

Miles,

Yes, I have to have a performance car or else I'll go crazy...

But I will be taking the BTW course - How was it?

[This message has been edited by Dippy (edited 07 December 2000).]

Airmiles

2 scoobys, 2 Elises, 1 Porker 968, a Barchetta, Alec's wierd 4WD Daihatsu Noddy car (sorry Alec)....and a Mondeo.

There had been a few prangs among the group - one guy said he felt left out for not having any photos of write-offs to show!

MIRA is amazing - the gradient of the banking on the speed oval is unbelievable. We "didn't see" several cars that "weren't X-types" - quite good looking, actually.

We started with a demo lap of the circles and wet handling track with Don - in my scoob (eek!) - 20 seconds in and he's recovering it from 100 degrees sideways (!) followed by a pant-filling (but oh-so-smooth) hare around the circuit - 60 plus round the 200 degree curve.

And then.. and then there was Sideways. Or Mr de Banke, to you and I. And sideways he was - everywhere, for 5 laps. It's very strange feeling a car let go deliberately - e.g. dabbing the brakes at the exit to the 200 curve to get the tail out & start the straight sooner..impressive doesn't do him justice.

Most of the day was spent on the circles and arcs, experimenting wiht feeling understeer and oversteer. I soon got the hang of a gentle powerslide on the arcs (not as soon as I got blase about spinning, though), and it's all much less threatening once you realise it WILL all come back in line. Top tip, mind, is to have it straight BEFORE you hit the ordinary tarmac again....

I got to the point where I could powerslide about 1/4 of the circle, but invariably spun whenever I went above 45 degrees. Probably overcooking the speed - Don & Colin could get it sideways at 15mph, I couldn't.

The circuit was also informative - mostly at just how smooth I wasn't being with the steering , how different car and bike lines are, and just what a scoob will do, if you don't make any sudden movements.

But one of the main things was amazement at just how good scoobs are - the number of times I booted it and it failed to unstick, and just shot round faster than seemed possible (considering the surface was equivalent to snow).

Driving home felt so different - feels like you've become aware of 10 times the steering feedback, and are using 1/2 the steering inputs - which is how it should be. An thankfully a lot more confident than when I started.

So a great day, but for me at least felt like I was just scratching the surface of what there is to learn(unlike the Elise owner doing lap after lap with the tail out - but thankfully unlike the other Elise owner & his spin-dryer impressions). Maybe you'd benefit more with a bit of "conventional" performance instruction /trackday experience under your belt. but then again I never saw myself as able to powerslide, so I must have improved a lot!

Funnily enough, I couldn't replicate my acident despite many attempts - but at least I know a bit of throttle would have prevented it or, failng that, a declutch and brake would have stopped the spin. Isn't hindsight great?

All in all a great and unique day, and I'll defenitely return in future. Thoroughly recommended!

DIGGY

Airmiles,

It's a blast ain't it, managed a full roundabouts worth with the back end out once all day got all exited and f**ked it up ha ha ha!!!! enjoyed the track as well, that last bend was amazing, how you can make the car tuck in or out on the throttle alone,

Had a go in a T*R whilst there, animal of a car stepped out of line if you just breathed on the throttle, no steering lock to speak off.

Did you manage an over 90 degree recovery, did it once with Don yelling in my ear THROTTLE THROTTLE THROTTLE!!!!!FLOOR IT !!!!bounced off the rev limit pops and bangs, huge grin, round of applause afterwards as well as two new tyres!!!haa haa haa!!! a magic day.Driving has not been the same since.

Airmiles

I'd be surprised if I managed more than 20 degree recovery.......