my beater E30 in action at a rainy autocross

[Mystikal]

Nice to actually see the course, in all the footage I've seen you really can't relate to what the driver is seeing. Good filming.

My first session is this Sunday. I'm going with the GCs at stock height and winter tires on. Should be a great drift session. :D

[getfast]

What size sway bar set up are you running?

They're ST bars with Ireland rear mounts, as per NASA Spec E30 rules. I can't remember the sizes but damn the car is tail-happy with the rear one on the stiff setting ;)

Jon

[uofom3]

"sometimes you have to go slower to go faster" and... drifting is NOT the fastest way around a corner... the best auto-x driver almost never break traction - be it for the fact that the tires are extremely good or because they don't over drive the car

[sovann]

Cool vid! I can't wait to start autocrossing. Starts in 2 months.

try 2 weeks over here... come on down ;)

Not until the suspension is in. Soon, my friend. Soon.

Better to start stock, and get used to the way it handles, then you upgrade.

Yes, but if stock means 18 year old dampers and springs that give the handling characteristics of a pogo stick, what's the point?

btw, nice vid getfast :up: you just inspired me to crack out my old prodigy albums...

[nando]

nice video but that's a pretty lame looking autox course.. what are those, 50 foot gate widths? :rofl:

FWIW I never autox'd on stock suspension. if you're going to learn your car you may as well learn it the way you want it to be, right? I probably learned just as much too..

[getfast]

nice video but that's a pretty lame looking autox course.. what are those, 50 foot gate widths? :rofl:

LOL yea, the forecast called for rain so the course was set up with that in mind...

We still killed plenty of cones tho :twisted:

Jon

[Sean]

"sometimes you have to go slower to go faster" and... drifting is NOT the fastest way around a corner... the best auto-x driver almost never break traction - be it for the fact that the tires are extremely good or because they don't over drive the car

This is 100% true. I did that Sunday at the autocross I went to. However, my car was sliding around corners. I had to keep my speed up - and with blown shocks in the rear and road tires - that's what I had to do. I beat a 1998 328is - mind you, he wasn't fast at all - but it took me slowing down a little thru the corners than before, and powering out of the turns with my tail coming around with it.

I don't plan on autocrossing again until my brakes and suspension are done, but it was still fun. You're right tho, drifing is not the fastest way thru the course, but a slide here and there is perfectly normal depending on the setup of your car. Especially with an E30.

[Mystikal]

the best auto-x driver almost never break traction

I'm not so sure about that. When I let a very experienced instructor drive my car, he literally slid it around the entire course, and nearly swept the field, including cars than were on 225-width R-compounds (I was on 195-width Azenis). I think that the amount of sliding is completely dependent on the course and car, as well as driving style.

[nando]

This is 100% true. I did that Sunday at the autocross I went to. However, my car was sliding around corners. I had to keep my speed up - and with blown shocks in the rear and road tires - that's what I had to do. I beat a 1998 328is - mind you, he wasn't fast at all - but it took me slowing down a little thru the corners than before, and powering out of the turns with my tail coming around with it.

saying you're faster than an E36 isn't saying much. my last autox time was nearly 10 seconds faster than somebody in an E46 M3 and I beat several WRXs, that doesn't mean anything about me or my car other than those drivers really sucked.

[Mystikal]

This is 100% true. I did that Sunday at the autocross I went to. However, my car was sliding around corners. I had to keep my speed up - and with blown shocks in the rear and road tires - that's what I had to do. I beat a 1998 328is - mind you, he wasn't fast at all - but it took me slowing down a little thru the corners than before, and powering out of the turns with my tail coming around with it.

saying you're faster than an E36 isn't saying much. my last autox time was nearly 10 seconds faster than somebody in an E46 M3 and I beat several WRXs, that doesn't mean anything about me or my car other than those drivers really sucked.

Very true. Here are the results from the last auto-x event I went to, the M's got creamed in this class (fastest one out there). BTW, I'm that crappy trailing 325is. ;)

328is 0:58.84
328is 0:59.00
325is 0:59.26
328i 0:59.33
325is 1:01.22
E30 M3 1:01.39
E30 M3 1:03.22
E36 M3 1:06.19