Quote:
Originally Posted by scotth944
This would seem to fit some of the corning situations I have seen where a nice flat turn keeps the car firmly planted through all 3 phases but in the one's with elevation/camber changes after turn-in, the front does not have an issue but the back end gives up relatively easy even though I was not giving it very much "gas". I find this makes the car feel unpredictable since I'm not sensing any feedback with the steering as traction becomes marginal in this type of condition.
I myself find a predictable car will turn quicker lap times than a "fast car" but that is probably due to my balls of steal starting to get tarnished.  |
This would seem somewhat in line with others results. The 1M was very quick on the smooth Hockenheim ring, for example, but relatively slower at the Nurburgring, which is bumpier and puts a premium on high speed stability. Sport Auto commented that it was actually "too stiff" for the 'Ring (on the stock tires), but fun for the most advanced drivers.
Looking at the damping curves it seems probable that a number of adjustable shocks designed for the M3 could work well if preset correctly. In fact the 1M's damping looks very similar to the M3 DCT EDC (electronic damper control) set to medium (front) and hard (rear). This makes we wonder if for example the Bilstein HD and Sport high pressure monotubes designed for the M3 could be set to work well with the 1M.
Scott, it might be interesting to try increasing front shock damping to try and gain a little confidence/ stability, and there may be an inexpensive way to test this using some front M3 struts. I know MDORPHN recently swapped his front JRZs and had positive results, perhaps he can comment on what he's done with damping and what the effect was?
As a point of comparison the Ohlins R&T system goes significantly stiffer still, increasing front rate ~50% and the rear ~25%. It seems likely you'd want either very sticky tires or smoother surfaces to make those work well with the springs that come with the package, though it'd be interesting to see how they set the damping.