How fast is a 24v E30 on a road course?

[kishg]

definitely tighten the nut behind the wheel first :)

[JJ1]

s2000 has superior chasis with double a-arm suspension front and back. Its a newer car with less to maintain. I raced my friends s2000 with no cat vs my s52e30 with 16lb flywheel and I was barely any faster in a staight line. All that being said, an s2000 is a better track car with equal drivers but an s52e30 is just so much more bad ass than a little honda convertable. Just my opinion.

[FreedS4]

Just for reference, at our most recent Auto-X event (a high-speed course), there was a pretty good mix of cars and drivers. In my stock motor e30, I was running a full second faster than a fellow M3 e30 and 2-5 seconds faster than cars that SHOULD have been faster (i.e. Vettes, Camaros, S2000s). Some of that can be attributed to the fact that I've got Billy Sports and H&R Race springs, but more of it is attributed to the body behind the steering wheel.

[Charlie]

It's a lot easier to drive lazy with an M50 than an M20, a vanos motor has tons of torque at pretty much any RPM, and you can definetly "drive" the car more vs having to maintain momentum at all times.

-Charlie

[mach schnell]

What about with the extra weight of the M50?

Does it make the E30 a pig?

[Skafrog]

yes. +50 lbs makes the car undriveable. Mine actually doesnt turn anymore, it just slides along the wall.

Properly built e30 DM/CM cars are around 70/30 weight distribution.

[Massive Lee]

Properly built e30 DM/CM cars are around 70/30 weight distribution.

Are you sure about that? I corner weighted one at 55/45 (with S14).

Our e46 racecar is 50.5/49.5 BTW

[Skafrog]

Yup. If you get an e30 down to 2000 lbs, they are close to 70/30. Maybe 65/35.
I know the corner weights of our old DM car and a few more that used to run in the SE.

[LivingLegend06]

A 2000lb E30 with 70/30 weight distribution has 1400 lbs on the front axle.
A Stock 2700lb with the stock ~50/50 distribution has 1350lbs on the front axle.

How exactly are you ending up with more weight in the front in full race prep than in stock trim?

I'm with Lee and the guess of 55/45.

[Wh33lhop]

Stock weight distro is about 53/47 plus another 50 or so lbs on the front axle for an M50.

[iflytii]

What about with the extra weight of the M50?

Does it make the E30 a pig?

I won the GT2 championship last year with my local race series running a S52. My car weighed less than 2230 lbs. Hardly a pig!

As far as balance, when my car was CM legal it was nowhere close to 70/30. I'll have to find my data to be exact but off the top of my head I was around 54/46.

I need to re-weigh to see exactly where I am now with my LS swap.

[JGood]

My 2400lb e30 is exactly 55/45. I'd be curious how you can take that much more weight out of the rear to bring it to 70/30, or even 65/35. I don't even have a full cage, fuel cell, wing, or big tires back there. Up front I'm basically stock under the hood, with the exception of A/C components being removed. Most of the other weight removal (lexan, heater core, body panels, sunroof, p/s, wiring, etc...) is either in the center of the car or above the front axle. And most of the weight to be added is in the rear.

[rThor432]

My S52 car weighed in at 2,450 lbs with a 53/47 weight balance. Standard sheet metal body. That was when I still had some AC pieces, ABS, and some other unnecessary hardware. Just wanted to post some solid info.

[2002maniac]

Fast enough to pass a porsche turbo or z06 vette, and slow enough to get passed by a civic or miata.

[nando]

Fast enough to pass a porsche turbo or z06 vette, and slow enough to get passed by a civic or miata.

lol. that sums it up.