I would like to inform you of several upcoming North Star Chapter BMW CCA driving events! Our first driving event of 2008 is our upcoming Street Survival Teen Winter Car Control Clinic at DCTC in Rosemount. Last year we had three teen schools; our first one of 2008 will be held on Saturday, January 19th. It is a wonderful, educational experience for any teen driver. Don't pass up the opportunity for your teen to learn how to drive in winter conditions in a controlled setting with experienced instructors! The price for the school is $60. Signup is open at: http://www.streetsurvival.org . Demand is high for this school, sign up now! The next day (Sunday, January 20th), we are offering an adult Winter Car Control Clinic. We feel that this school will offer a chance for you to work on your winter driving, which will be valuable with most of the winter still ahead of us. The price for this school is $100. Registration is open at our website: http://www.northstarbmw.org . Click on 'My North Star' and follow the onscreen instructions. Additionally, North Star BMW CCA can always use volunteers to help put on our driving events. Volunteering can be fun, informative, rewarding, and the club appreciates your support... we could not do what we do without our volunteers! Please e-mail me if you have interest in helping. Eric Christenson Driving Events Coordinator [email protected] BMW CCA membership $40 annally **No membership is required for all teen clinics ages 16-21** 2008 North Star BMW CCA Driving Events January 2008 Days Event 12 2008 Holiday Dinner 19 2008 Teen Winter Driving School 20 2008 Winter Driving School 26 Quattro Club Teen Ice Driving - glacierlakesqclub.com 27 Quattro Club Ice Driving - glacierlakesqclub.com February 2008 Days Event 04 Board Meeting #1 10 Quattro Club Ice Driving - glacierlakesqclub.com 16 Tech Session at Frozen Rotors March 2008 Days Event 10 Board Meeting #2 15 Tech Session at Orr Autosport April 2008 Days Event 07 Board Meeting #3 19 2008 Spring Advanced Car Control Clinic 24 2008 Spring BIR Tech Inspection 26 2008 Annual Garage Door Opener May 2008 Days Event 17-18 Spring Perforrmance Driving School @ BIR June 2008 Days Event 09 Board Meeting #4 July 2008 Days Event 19 2008 Summer Teen Driving School 20 2008 Summer Advance Car Control Clinic August 2008 Days Event 11 Board Meeting #5 September 2008 Days Event 15 Board Meeting #6 20 2008 Summer Teen Driving School October 2008 Days Event 10-12 Fall Perforrmance Driving School @ BIR November 2008 Days Event 08 2008 Board Retreat Meeting December 2008 Days Event 01 Board Meeting #8 *** Check http://www.northstarbmw.org for new event additions *** ***Glacier Lakes Quattro Club*** http://www.glacierlakesqclub.com/ Sunday, January 27th Car Control on Ice at Lake Cynthia Sunday, February 10th Car Control on Ice at Lake Cynthia Thursday, February 21st (evening) Open Board Banquet (location TBD) Sat / Sun, March 1st & 2nd Winter Driving School at Gull Lake (Brainerd, MN) Sunday, April 6th Teen Driving Clinic at Dakota County Technical College Saturday, May 3rd Teen Driving Clinic at Dakota County Technical College Fri - Sun, May 16th - May 18th Driving School at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR), co-hosted with the Northstar BMW Club Saturday, June 14th Teen Driving Clinic at Dakota County Technical College Sunday, July 27th Teen Driving Clinic at Dakota County Technical College Fri - Sun, September 5th - 7th Driving School at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR); with Instructor Clinic on Fri Sunday, September 28th Teen Driving Clinic at Dakota County Technical College Sunday, October 26th Teen Driving Clinic at Dakota County Technical College
Photo's from previous events http://www.flickr.com/photos/northstarbmw/1804055942/ Mod's Plz make sticky!
Now if only we can get some SNOW for these winter events! Come on give me some snow to play in, thats all I want for Christmas!
Well the food was delicious and it was nice to see old friendly faces again. It was a real treat to hear David Hobbs speak at our Holiday dinner. Over 150 people participated, I was able to get a few photo graphs and a signed autograph on a photo of iconic BMW 320i Turbo ("The Flying Brick") +600hp track car. I know now why turn 9 at BIR is called Hobbs Hallow. We also got a lot of good Formula1 questions answered along with how and will we ever get circuit racing on top of Nascar and back into televised broadcasting. Well I'm looking forward to another great season with the club and working with some professional's as well. http://www.flickr.com/photos/northstarbmw/
David Hobbs, career at a glance In addition to being a widely recognized Formula 1 color commentator for SPEED TV, David is a world famous racing car driver. In 1971, Hobbs won the U.S. Formula 5000 championship; twelve years later, he would claim the 1983 Trans-Am Series championship as well. He has raced in the renowned 24 hours of LeMans twenty times, with a pole position and a best finish of third (which he achieved three times) to his credit. He drove seven Formula 1 races between 1967-74 and had eleven wins as a factory BMW driver in the IMSA Camel GT events between 1977-83 in the GT and GTP classes. Hobbs is best known amongst Bimmerphiles as a long time factory BMW driver in IMSA Series in America. He drove the beautiful BMW 3.5 CSL in IMSA competition before piloting the iconic BMW 320i Turbo ("The Flying Brick") to eight International Motor Sport Association victories! Hobbs also helped develop the BMW M1 and M1C prototype in IMSA competition and was a factory race driver in the 1986 BMW IMSA GTP effort.
Shouldn't be if you're refering to the the Ice events done by http://www.glacierlakesqclub.com/ on Lake Cynthia in Prior Lake, MN. Looks like they have four events scheduled and one at Gull Lake, Brainerd, MN, if the weather cooperates.
Well at the last Winter CCC Jan 20, I had a student with an 3 door bronze 08 Impreza. I was very impressed with how the new build felt with the 2.5 natural aspirated engine. The weight of this car was not as noticable like the earlier models as weight transfer from acceleration and braking where very mild and understeer was not as big of a problem either. Traction control on this car was fairly good, it allowed steering while full braking. The handling was very neutral and predictable. The MT stick felt firm and not loose like the earlier models. It has the option to turn off traction control. Overall I was sold on the new concept. The only thing I didn't like were the good old tires. While going thru some corners where there were drifting snow the car would break loose unexpectedly. So if I were to buy one I'd definately replace them with Winter tires. Throttle and braking paddels offered a firm and even feeling all the way thru the depression. This car's differancials were also much quiter as I didn't notice the noise as compared to my other student's 2000 Impreza while doing the same exercises. I consider this car as highly recommended as its a very good car for a very basic setup and practical price for an AWD system and quality. The young lady is a 17yr old even she was handle this car with ease. Oh, and I almost forgot KSTP channel 5 was at our Street Survival event on Saturaday, and the camera guy even got a ride with a teen student. We'll see what models this year will bring as I'll continue to keep a journal of some really fun and cool cars I get to work with. Enjoy, -Cheech
Looks like we got some positive feedback from our Street Survival program. I hope we will see more students and hopefully hold more events, we could always use more Instructors. http://www.twincities.com/ci_8015164?nclick_check=1 Rosemount / Road-safety class aims to save more young lives Three clinics will go beyond basic driver's education BY MARICELLA MIRANDA Pioneer Press Article Last Updated: 01/18/2008 11:37:23 PM CST Young motorists will learn real-world driving maneuvers and road-safety techniques that go beyond a typical driver's education class today in Rosemount. Instructors will volunteer to teach a group of about 20 drivers, ages 16 to 21, how to become safer motorists during the Tire Rack Street Survival course. The BMW Car Club of America Foundation, which offers the eight-hour class, held 50 clinics nationwide last year and will host two more classes this year in Rosemount. The organization started the courses six years ago as a way to teach young drivers how to avoid accidents by thinking and looking ahead, the foundation reported. The group hopes the courses will decrease fatalities among young motorists. "It's definitely a huge difference from what we're used to in (state driver education) courses," program spokeswoman Lindsay Wagner said. During the class, motorists experience how their vehicles transfer weight on sharp turns, what it takes for brakes to lock and what an airbag sounds like when it inflates, Wagner said. Students also park their vehicles behind an 18-wheel semitrailer and then locate its blind spots by spotting the vehicles. Sheldon Nelson, event coordinator, said driver's education usually skips the lessons because of insurance liability, costs or lack of facilities to demonstrate the techniques. The sold-out class in Rosemount will be at Dakota County Technical College. Maricella Miranda can be reached at [email protected] or 651-228-5421. Registration for future classes Motorists 16 to 21 years old can register for the Tire Rack Street Survival class on July 19 and Sept. 20 in Rosemount by visiting streetsurvival.org. The class is $60 per student. Some insurance companies offer premium discounts for graduates.
Learning while facing danger behind the wheel http://www.startribune.com/local/south/13828251.html Driving clinics allow teens to see what happens when they lose control of their vehicle while staying safe. Driving clinics, such as the one Saturday in Rosemount, give teens a safe place to find out what happens when they lose control of cars. By SARAH LEMAGIE, Star Tribune Last update: January 16, 2008 - 11:54 PM When Ingrid Lee, then 16, overcorrected on a turn, sent her car into a fishtail and skidded sideways into the ditch one winter day three years ago, her father, Wayne, did not panic or get mad. Actually, he laughed, said Ingrid, who lost control of her car during a teen driving course held at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount."This was a lesson that was priceless," said Wayne, a longtime driving instructor through the North Star Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America, which is hosting the third annual Tire Rack Street Survival driving course for teenagers at the college Saturday. The daylong clinic picks up where basic driver's ed classes end, giving students behind-the-wheel practice at controlling their own cars on the college's 2.8-mile driving track. It features a lane-change area with stoplights and a skid pad that can be flooded and iced in winter. Asked why they'll spend hours volunteering outside in January, program instructors, who are trained BMW Club members, point to the statistics: Car crashes are the leading cause of death for Minnesota teens, with 204 killed from 2004 through 2006. For 16- and 17-year-olds, the rate of traffic fatalities is 4.5 times higher than it is for adults, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The North Star Chapter's course is the only winter class Street Survival offers, said Bill Wade, the program's national manager. "Most of the chapters say, 'Sure, we'll do one, but it's going to be one when it's warm,'" he said. Nationally, the nonprofit program has taught close to 3,000 teenagers since it was founded in 2002, he said. Street Survival and other programs like it aim to put student drivers in an environment where they can lose control of their cars, stay safe and learn something from the experience. Basic driver's ed classes, by contrast, "teach you how to pass the test," Wade said. "They don't teach you skid control or accident avoidance or vehicle dynamics." The course is split between classroom and driving time, with each student paired with an instructor. Ingrid Lee, who is now 19, said she first took the class because she didn't feel comfortable with her driving ability, and learned so much that she came back two more times. "The change in how you drive from the beginning of the day to the end of the day is just huge," she said. Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016 Street Survival's car control clinic Saturday is full, but the program has classes planned for July 19 and Sept. 20 at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount. The all-day classes cost $60 and are open to permitted and licensed drivers ages 16 to 21. For more information, go to www.streetsurvival.org.
this looks like a very well put together club, any need to own a BMW? or a car in a certain condition? Richard D.
I just signed up for the feb 10th ice car control clinic. This should be a blast. Thanks for posting the info!
Hi Richard, You do not need to own a BMW to join the club or participate in their activities. All you need to do is get the membership and decided which events you want to do. They club is full of friendly people, great atmosphere and lots of fun activities. And your car must pass inspection, another words safe, nothing broken, leaking fluids or anything that could cause potential danger to you or others. The collaboration between BMW and Audi has been great, the combined events will keep us busy. I'll be at the next event in April, maybe I'll see you guys there at DCTC. Its nice to see some interest. bummpy-you're welcome! -Cheech
2008 Spring Performance School @ BIR TECH INSPECTION Location: Orr Autosport 15180 Martin Dr Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952 922-1797 April 24, 2008 Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM Bring the car that you will be driving at the May 17 and 18 Brainerd International Raceway Performance Driving School to Orr Autosport between 6:00 and 8:00PM for a complementary inspection. An inspection by a pre-approved technician or shop is required to participate in the Performance Driving School event. Status Scheduled Begin Date 24-APR-2008 End Date24-APR-2008 Event Cost $0.00 www.Northstarbmw.org
NorthStarbmw.org has been discussing new opportunities to help students continue to improve their driving on the track in the way of introducting tools such as Data Acquistion and onboard Video Camera's that will provide factual data. This will be a valuable tool for serious performance track drivers. With it you can compare sector times from each turn, braking into a corner, corner exit speed, straight line speed, compare laps, lateral G force and the list goes one. And with the camera you can observe yourself driving, some find that what they think they are doing is different from what their body is actually doing. So even if your not a serious track enthusist you can still get your own video of yourself driving at one of the famous tracks in North America. I have always wanted a self video at Road America and MAM. So during the Tech session they will be providing more information regarding these new idea's and will be demonstrating these productions as well. Besides these new toys, the tech session will bring some of the most exotic cars in the twincities for inspection for the BIR event in May. Orr has several track setup vechicles on location if anyone is interested, I was just there last weekend. Why Data Acquistion: 1. It is the most effective tool to improve your driving performance on the track. 2. Become a more effctive driver quicker. 3. This data can be used for improving driver performance and to tune engine and suspention for better performance. 4. Video can be sychronized with the data to create a very effective educational tool that continues your education off the track. 5. The data don't lie, but the "seat of the pants" does mislead. 6. For the one-time cost of a set tires you are setup for a long time to come. It will even help you save your tires! New replacement for RA1's. Talk about serious canards!
You dont say, I will have to get a ride from ya to see what these are like. I will hopefully have my new ride up there with some Yokohama's and Hoosiers, but first I need a set of 17x10.
First I need to finish the 4 active projects I have going on with the Legacy. 1. Brakes (almost complete) 2. Front Swaybar (almost complete) 3. Bushings (about 25% complete) 4. Rear viscous LSD swap (about 25% complete) Tomorrow is going to be a long, greasy day.
Its completely sold out as of today! Waiting list is no more. Our events have become very popular and are usually sold out within weeks before the event. One of the events we host that has gain national attention is the Streetsurvival.org program which BMWCCA has give permission to SCCA to start sanctioning their own events. The website allows people from all over America to inquiring and request these schools in their area. The highest road faltality age group is Teen, and thats the very reason why its soo important to have these events.
Street Survival The Tire Rack Street Survival® Teen Driving School – Car control instruction designed to provide teen drivers with accident avoidance skills and knowledge. http://www.scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=98 It’s not just about Driving, It’s about Living…. • The leading cause of death among 13-19 year olds in the US is from a motor vehicle crash. • 62% of teenage passenger deaths in 2004 occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. • Teenagers cause 2.5 million accidents per year. • In 2007 that resulted in over 6,000 deaths of teens. If you have a teen driver at home or know someone who does, then those sobering statistics should be of concern. Recent and well publicized national stories have brought to light the tragedy of teen injury and death caused by traffic accidents. The stories often mention how the teen driver “lost control and over-corrected…” causing a tragic accident of some kind. Your local media most likely has reported on a similar story in the not-to-distant past, or you may know of a teen involved in such circumstances. To address this national issue, The Tire Rack Street Survival® teen driving schools were developed by the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) and the BMW CCA Foundation in 2002. The programs have expanded to most major communities and are now conducted as well by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) regions with support from the SCCA Foundation. The registration fee of $60.00, which covers only the cost of materials and equipment, provides students with experienced instructors who safely guide students through a day of behind the wheel instruction and short classroom sessions. Driving skill courses are specifically designed to mimic every day driving hazards, obstacles and challenges. Students will use the vehicles the student driver is most familiar with, which is usually their family or personal car, truck, or SUV. Parents are urged to talk to their teen drivers about the advantages of attending this one day program. Eligible students are 16 to 21 years old and hold a valid unrestricted driver’s license or a valid permit. Students should have some driving experience and parents should make plans to attend the programs along with their teens. Parents are encouraged to register their teen drivers for this program on-line at www.streetsurvival.org. Further information about Street Survival schools in your area can be obtained by contacting Mike ****erson or Howard Duncan at 800.770.2055.
Happy Spring Driving Time! Here is an update of several upcoming North Star BMW CCA driving events, including BIR hotel and dinner. We are back at Brainerd International Raceway for our Spring Performance Driving School; May 16 - 18, 2008. This school will be run jointly with the Glacier Lakes Quattro Club. We are offering several different options. But remember, must be at least 18 years old to attend! Instructors and advanced drivers may inquire about signing up for Friday's 1-Day Perf. Driving. It will be the same format as we did in October. Drivers who wish to work towards promotion to instructor may attend Instructor Development. The cost for Friday is $150, with an early bird price of $125. Please contact our Chief Instructor, Dave Miller, for approval: [email protected] Our traditional 2-day driving school for students; the cost is $350, early bird $320. We will be offering a Saturday only option for $250, or $225 early bird. Also, we hope to see as many instructors sign up for the weekend as possible, without you our schools are not possible! Register by Sunday, April 27th for the early bird discounts. Your registration also includes a spot at our Saturday Night Dinner with the Quattro Club. PLEASE NOTE: For the first time, we will allow SAVs at Brainerd, which includes the BMW X3, X5 & X6, Porsche Cayenne, and the Audi Q7 (with mandatory prior participation at a Car Control Clinic at DCTC). These are the only SAVs we will allow! Convertibles, targas and trucks are still not allowed. BIR HOTEL The official hotel for the weekend will be at The Lodge of Brainerd Lakes. We think that this will be a great spot to stay at due to its close proximity to the track and first class, new accommodations. The per night room rates are: $109.00 for a 1-night stay, $99.00 for a 2-night stay, and $89.00 for a 3-night stay. Additionally, this year they have included water park passes for each room that is reserved. To book your room, please call The Lodge at (1-877-843-5634) and tell them you are with the Audi/BMW group. More information about the hotel is at: http://www.lodgehotelsbrainerd.com. The dinner on Saturday night will be at the Lodge. This meal will have good food, good conversation, and relaxation after a long day at the track. Each instructor or student registration includes dinner; additional guests may attend for $35. Email me with your guests' names by Sunday, May 11th. BIR CHECKLIST There are three things that you should make sure that you have completed prior to the weekend at BIR. 1) A SNELL approved M or SA 2000 or newer helmet. 2) completed tech inspection form by a pre-approved technician or shop for the car you plan to drive. 3) Read the Welcome Packet on our website after you register. On Thursday, April 24th Orr Autosport will hold a complimentary BIR tech inspection from 6 to 8 p.m. In addition to getting your car inspected for Brainerd, this is a great opportunity to come, chat, and ask questions with the driving school organizers and other BIR experienced drivers. Orr Autosport will also be our trackside support at this event. Thank you, Orr! BIR BONUS Motorwerks BMW has generously offered to bring up a new 2008 M3 and 135i to the track for the weekend for everyone to check out and experience! We are still working on the details, stay tuned. ADVANCED CAR CONTROL CLINIC If you have never attended a driving school, and would like to attend May's school at BIR, we strongly encourage you to sign up for our ACCC on Saturday, April 19th, 2008 at Dakota County Tech College. This school is a wonderful, educational experience for any driver, with any goal. WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE SPOTS LEFT IN THIS SCHOOL, so sign up now! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the information below, or any other one of our board members. Regards, Eric Christenson Driving Events Coordinator [email protected]
Every two years the club bring in a Celebrity professional Instructor and this year happens to be that year. So I asked our club President if he was ready to do some stunt driving. And in doing so I have nominated one of my favorite all time Driver/Stunt Driver, someone we can all relate to, Rally X Games 2007, D1 2007 Champion, Redline host, DK stunt driver-Tokyo Drift and the list goes one. Mr Tanner Foust! He has his own driver instructing program, but he is such a hit these days it might be difficult getting him to come and instruct the club. If this pans out it will happen at our October BIR event. So stay tuned! Got my fingers crossed.
You might just qualify as such. :laugh: Dont worry you'll get plenty of track time, and be sure to sure to sign up early.
I'm still waiting on car parts and am going to miss this one... kinda sad. I'll be at the summer DCTC and fall BIR though. We should get a group together to travel down to MAM one of these times.
What car parts are you waiting for Spidy? I have been waiting to get back to MAM for years now, perhaps this will be the year to make a return. We can hook up with either Audi or Findtheline aka Dom.
RCE lowering camber plates... 3 week backorder still. Once those get here I've got sways, endlinks, group n rears and RCE Blacks to put on as well. I've been checking up on FTLs website. They've got plenty of events at MAM this year. Have you ever done a NASA event? They have a few HPDE days at Road America this year. I'd REALLY like to get out there...
My 2008 itenerary will depend on what will happen in the next few weeks. I currently don't have a track car as I sold all my toys. I have not ran with NASA and RA is on my list of tracks to attack. Keep me posted what events youre planning on attending maybe we can hit some of them together. Here's one you might be interested in www.mnfbody-pde.com http://forum.mnautox.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8853 I will be at BIR the week after this event and haven't had the speed itching for awhile now. Just been mostly focusing on improving my driving through working with other drivers.
I wanted to give me personal review about the Green Machine after this weekends training event for those who might be wondering about the potential of this car. The day started with a wet track at DCTC after raining over night. The temperature was around high 40's some wind and overcast. I had been looking forward to this day as soon as I found out mr. Gimm had signed up for the Advanced CCC and had requested me as his Instructor. I had been looking forward to test driving this green machine, the machine that Justin had put soo much time and energy into building. Prior to the event we had discussed his goals and I had suggested perhaps it would be beneficial for him to switch tires to something with less grip, something that will break loose much easier. So he come prepared, had the car's alignment all don thanks to the Alignmentguy and had the perfect tires for training, he even brought his helmet which is not required for our events. He said its when he slips the helmet on is when he's in the zone. So after the first half of the day I could see just how good of a driver Justin already was, just needed a little work in a few spots and that was it. He took instructions very well and was very good at executing them quickly and effectively. It didn't take long before he started getting very smooth and started to see the importance of it and the differences between driving styles and lines taken on the course. You can expect that it won't take long before mr Grimm starts hitting fast track events and this green machine will perform very well somewhere at the top at the new Short track at BIR. The Green Machine performed superb. Fairly neutral and very predictable, not much understeer and can be easily controlled by throttle around the turns. Power to weight was very noticable as the light body was easy to toss around. The throttle response felt almost like an NA, and power band was very useable thoughout the rev's. Overall handling of the and geometry with the quick steering rack was a good combination, although it was something to get use to, quicker isn't always better but in this case it was a great combination. We did end up almost losing it a few times in the back section as the car started oversteering but was easily corrected with the quick steering and lifting off the throttle. Body roll was minimal around the double chacaine. Braking was also very good, firm and even feel throughout the depression of the paddle. I personally like the overall performance of this car, very easy to drive and I felt safe driving it at 6/10th. Perhaps we'll see it again in July or May at BIR with some softer sticker tires when mr Grimm is ready for the next level. With that I'd like to say Thanks to Justin Grimm for for the oppotunity to work with him and driving his Green Machine. I also had the opportunity to test a 08 Subaru STI, which I will be writing a review later when I get into the office along with my favorite ride of the day the White Ghost Geo Prizm. Stay tuned.
I'll check that out. I'll also let you know if I tackle RA this year. Last I heard CRA will be the first to run that in Sept. Northstar didn't plan on running it for the spring event did they?
Unfortunately BMW will not be for the Spring May event. There are several clubs scheduled for the short track this summer. At this point it really doesn't matter to me who gets on first, as long as I get on it. I will have a few opportunities with a few clubs including BMW in October. They are making it mandatory for Instructors to drive the short track on Friday before instructing students for the weekend. I guess I better bring a few sets of tires. LOL
08 Subaru STI w/4k miles Dark M Gray @ DCTC April 19 As promised to a friend on the board who had requested my review on the new addition I was fortunate enough to get my hands on my brother inlaw's 08 STI. The conditions for Saturday was perfect for this car as it was wet and cold with some parts of the track dry and with DCTC's elevation changes made it an ideal place for test driving this beautiful machine. Initially when I had seen this new version on IE, I really didn't like the new design as it really didn't appeal to me like many others. But after seeing it not once, but a few times and than after test driving it on a course I would have to agree with my brother inlaw this is probably the best STI Subaru has come up with. I like the interior much more than the earlier model, seats felt like it had much more support on my skinny torsel. Steering wheel was a little bit bigger for my small hands, and the throttle paddle seem to have even less space than the earlier models as I tried to heel toe. Transmission felt good, shifted seemlessly and the stick was more firm than my 05. A whole lot more room for sure as he brings his dog around in it with the seats folded down. The gauge cluster is very nice, especially now that they have the tach centered an bigger than the other gauges along with the new color design. I didn't want to scrub off too much tires and didn't was to get too crazy with my BIL's new car so most of the testing was done at a safe and confortable pace. I had the car set to only one setting and that was with the -traction off and +SI. The car's suspension is still a bit soft but the body roll was less and more fluent while corning the weight didn't feel like your leaning and than just drops. Brake feels the same, but power and torque were really noticable to me. Right away I could tell the power delievery was very quick, smooth and early. There isn't much that I didnt like about the overall performance. The car corned very well with alot less understeer, exit under power was predictable. More feed back from the steering wheel. Most of the things I didn't like about my 05 I didnt notice it on the new version. I like the visability when looking thru the rear Im a little shorter than most so without that fancy wing I can see much better and dont have to second guess myself. Considering the hatch back design, bigger wheels and I believe added weight overall I really like the new plus's, not only is it a fun and easy car to drive on the track its also very nice on the road. I'll wait till the car has more miles before I would consider putting a bit more load on it if the occassion should arrise again. This has been my experience as I'm not a professional driver or writer, but I hope you have enjoyed reading my review. My driving style is simple and the results may differ with other drivers.
I was also fortunate enough to compare the 08 STI with my old 05 STI w/FP Grn. Night and day, but I can see more potential with the new verstion. I had forgotten how much torque the old car had, snapping my head back while in the passenger seat watching the 2 fast 2 furious driver whipping through the gears at drag racing speeds. Another fun car besides the Touge Supreme winner in my book the White Geo Prizm was my wife's new 08 Toyota Prius. I was surprised how nibble that car with 185/65/15 tires was able to manuver its way around DCTC. Most people think that just because its a hybrid it doesn't have any power, but consider this the electric motor puts out more torque than most Subaru's at 295tq at 1600k. Toyota actually has this system in their Tundra allowing it to get off the line at a very quick 0-60 in under 6sec if not better. The earth friendly car also came out in flying colors on the Skidpad, I was able to keep a consistant tight circle in the wet, felt planted and the steering felt crisp. The braking has a great initial bite and is evenly felt throughout the depression. While braking in a turn at about +45mph the car was able to sort out traction and the car came to a stop on the inside of the turn. Not exactly a Subaru, but there are future relations developing between the two. The car currently has 1700 miles on it so when I was provoked by the BMW's I declined as I was not ready to buy new tires anytime soon, besides this car comes with a BLACKBOX and plus its my better half's car so it was best to walk away. Besides the Geo was standing tall that day! And did I mention the last tank I got 512mile for at 10gl tank refill. LOL
I hear ya. I just don't think BIR is opening up the short course until later in the summer / early fall. It'll be interesting to see the unlimited boys go flying through there. This is going to be an expensive summer for me!
MAM is a must this year, BIR a possibility. Although I have to get proactive selling some of my parts so that I can get the new car some new rubber and a track set of wheels. I still like the findtheline events, although they're are only a couple in a given year. Anyone ever been to a slowpokes event up at BIR? I hear they are pretty good...lots of track time...as much as you can handle in fact I'd like to hit a few events with some of you guys if you're going. How about the Spring event at BIR...anyone? I don't think the M3 is going to get as many add-ons as the STi. Upgrade to the suspension maybe and some sticky tires...then drive the crap out of it
I've been to a Slowpoke event in the past. You get more seat time due to the low number of particpants. I plan to hit BIR with BMW and Snowstates this season. BIR old track is not as exciting to me as the new short track. But I'm looking forward to working with some high HP cars this May, that's if I can reach the paddles. At this point I want to hit MAM and RA, but I'll know more after this weekend.
Well, I'll try to get my car in order for BIR in the spring with BMW. I told Rob and Jorge that I wouldn't go unless they put me in the B group this year I suppose I will have to get used to RWD on the track again.
Sounds like we are in the same situation switching to RWD. That can be easily setting my friend. Just request me as your instructor if you feel I'm worthy. LOL I'll be up at BIR on Friday morning to help mentor Instructor Canidates. I have someone in particular I am looking forward to working with. At which time we'll find out just how bad my driving and lines really suck or slow that is. Where will you be staying for the weekend? If you want to run in the B group you should contact Eric Christenson he will be the event stuwart and usually does all the pairing. I just got off the phone with him and said its actually easier for them when they get drivers who request for specific instructors. And if you're really good we can drive your car in the Instructor session if you want to maximize your sea time, my car will be there but will not be ready for any serious laps.
I'll get a hold of him. I'd love to run B and would appreciate having you as an instructor. Let me see what I can find out. I don't know where I'll stay...but I have to get all signed up before I decide that anyway
