Sunset Red 1.4 TSI(TFSI) GT Sport - daily drive & track car

[the bruce]

The lap on 2nd video is absolutely excellent, Rex !!  

It's just stunning how brave you were driving. I just wonder how many laps you already had on the ring?

[rex]

Thank you very much for your input the bruce  !
Yes, you have to be brave, nuts, or know what you are doing to drive fast around the Nring. As I don't quite know what I am doing (but trying to learn) it would be one of the first two. Yes many corners are taken with only a small (very small in some cases) margin for error. I am (and was) very pleased with that lap. I know it's not a perfect lap, but I think it's close to the best I can do right now. In the future I hope to improve my skills. Actually I have in plan another rally academy so I can take driving to the next level. But I think I have to wait till spring since there are no funds to support my plans at this moment  .
I now have 42 laps of the Green Hell. This lap was lap number 38.

Comments good or bad are welcomed since I am trying to see what I did wrong and what I should do to fix my mistakes 

[the bruce]

No mistakes in the 2. video, Rex. 

Just one risk:  to fail. But i know ''it's hard not to push hard''.

 

[Frenzy]

Thanks frenzy!

I am not sure what save you are talking about... Is it this one:

I had to much confidence in my driving skills (very childish of me)... and in the Eschbach bend (minute 7:55 of the video below, at km 16, just before the observation post) the car oversteered a lot.

If it's not, could you please tell me the minute and second where it happens?
Please note that I swapped that first video with a better version. In the original film, there were some editing mistakes and some parts were run twice. The second video fixes these mistakes.

Yes, some lines are brave, other are just stupid. Please bear in mind that I have semislicks and that the track is very slippery. It's not about balls is about insanity  . But with time I am learning to better control the car so I can be even crazier  . I know it's just a matter of time before I have my first crash because it is, in my opinion, impossible to have many track days and no accident. I just hope that when it happens I'll be fine (along with everybody else from the car).

About the mph/kph... the camera has these. But when I export the films in order to put them on youtube this information cannot be exported. So I am the only one that can see the speed. Some runs are without speed (as is the last video) because I just don't plug the GPS receiver into the camera (you can see that I am trying to do this at the start of the last video). But I can't do that so for this run I just leave the GPS reciver unplugged.
One of my longer term plans is to buy a GoProHero and have it film the dashboard. This way you will see the RPM, the speed and this way the sound would also be much better.
Unfortunately my camera does not have a G readout.

Thanks for your comment!

Yes sorry my mistake the corner is the Eschbach corner where you have your tank slapper 

Brunchenn is the following set of bends  I'll have to watch your 2nd vid when i get time 

[rex]

Great frenzy!
As I said comments are always welcomed!

And while I wait for more comments I will continue with the story....
After the previous video which was my most exciting lap I have ever done on any circuit (I really had a blast) I decided to take some things of my car so that I can be lighter. For my 155 bhp car, weight is critical and with the spare wheel, some tools, back pack, etc the car plus driver weight about 1400kg. So I decided to loose ~30 kg.
Seeing that the track was completely dry I also changed the rear shock stiffness from 6 to 7. Now I was running with 8 front and 7 rear. With this setup I've done the last 4 laps of the trip and there are two things I want to point out:

1. first of all the I have to tell you that this setup wasn't the setup I was looking for... The car was suffering from understeer when entering a bend and oversteed mid way. I didn't like this at a all... not even one bit... I wasn't comfortable going fast around the fast corners so I just decided to play it safe and not push to hard.

2. I came to realize that mental preparation is extremely important when going on the Nordschleife. During my final 4 laps I was really afraid not to crash the car after a great trip. It is really true that if you are scared you are not fast. And once I got scarred it was really difficult to get over this fear. During these laps I've made a lot of mistakes and I had problems concentrating because the conservation instinct was quite intense. I am really glad that the traffic, the fact that a portion of the track was closed (before bend T13) and the speed limits in the parts where the rails were fixed (after a very eventful weekend) slowed me down to the extent that I could not do a good lap... So I didn't even try...
In conclusion these last laps were just like the should have been: safe and a nice way to end a great trip.

I still have to talk about the Spa trip (which is before these last 4 laps) but there is a lot of editing to do since I have to show you parts of all the 4 sessions I attended over there. I hope to finish the videos during the weekend.
Thanks for watching!

[fuscobal]

C'mon, let's see the Spa before the holidays ! 

[the bruce]

....  I decided to take some things of my car so that I can be lighter.
For my 155 bhp car, weight is critical and with the spare wheel, some tools, back pack, etc
the car plus driver weight about 1400kg. So I decided to loose ~30 kg.

Seeing that the track was completely dry I also changed the rear shock stiffness from 6 to 7.
Now I was running with 8 front and 7 rear.

I wonder if 30 kg less + one click stiffer on rear makes such a huge difference?

 

[rex]

C'mon, let's see the Spa before the holidays ! 

Soon.... 

I wonder if 30 kg less + one click stiffer on rear makes such a huge difference?

 

Well, the bruce I can only tell you what I felt. I have no concrete data to suggest that but it was my feeling that that was the case.
It also matters that those 30kg were taken from the rear. I think this also adds up to stiffening the rear.
On Platzengarten and Flugplatz I felt the car as described above. I also felt something is not quite to my taste on other corners (Miss-Hit-Miss and others).

[the bruce]

Rex, I did not doubt your feel in any way. 
I just was wondering about the Golf rear suspension reacting so critical.
You are a talented driver and I trust the impression you tell about.

 

[Top Cat]

sh*t the bed! that was a big moment in the first vid.      I would not suggest adjusting suspension settings and testing at the Ring. For me it is important to know were the limits of the car are, so i can concentrate on my own driving limits. I think my times when we last went were around 9:15 − 9:30 pretty sure i could have knocked some off this, but not without taking risks. We also went on the GP circuit one evening and once i realised it was very safe, i took a big step forward in learning and confidence and started to really go pretty fast.
What i am trying to say is when at the Green hell because of the overall situation it is better to go with a plan and stick to it, staying within the boundaries you set yourself and having a good understanding of how your car will handle using previous experience. 

[rex]

the bruce I know what you meant  .
And yes, it is hard to believe but I felt a major change only by doing those 2 things. I think that at Nring you can really feel the car much better than on all other tracks I visited (only 2 unfortunately Spa and Hungaroring).
For comparison at Hring I go with a similar setup (the car is without the spare wheel, tools, etc) but with 10/10. Here the car is very good with this setup.
I still have a long way to go and I am not 100% sure that my senses are right.  

TC Thanks for you comment. Yes it was a big moment. Anywere else it's normal but at Nring it quite scary (and except The Isle Of Man).
Here is how it is done:

The difference is that he is driving at 150mph (I am at 75mph), he knows what he is doing and he makes a clean recovery (not lucky like mine). Most certainly I will never get close to this, but I would like to learn to be a better driver than I am right now. I hope to be able to easily solve oversteer problems on my slow car.
I agree with you, usually it's not ok to change the setup at Nring. But I think that if you do it step by step you won't get hurt. Once you change the setup you have to be careful and not push to hard. It is important to change things because this way you will find the optimum setup.
Yes, the GP tracks are really great for learning your limits and the cars limits.

[rex]

Well ladies and gentlemen I hate to keep fuscobal waiting so were is the first part of the Spa trip.
On the 8th of August I woke up early and drove from Nurburgring to Spa Francorchamps in order to take part in their "public driving experience". It was raining all the way so I didn't have much hope that the weather will get better. It was quite wet and cold not quite ideal for my Kumho V70a semislick tires.
I arrived at the track:



, parked the car and chose my laps:



After that I had my mandatory safety briefing (in French so I understood close to nothing) I went to the car and some Ferraris were parked next to my car so I had to take a photo of the beautiful 3 red cars  .





I don't think I have to tell you that they are F458 Italia and F430 Scuderia...
These are the kind of cars you will find at events like this:



Then I prepared for my first session. At the beginning of the day the circuit was very wet but it slowly began to dry out. When I had my first ever Spa session the track was partially dry. I tried to go slow and learn the lines but I could not help not driving at the edge. This is the film of the first session:

And to walk you through it a little bit:
I overtook the Elise because he was much slower on the bends but he soon made up for the lost time on the straights.
I had a big overteer at turn 6 (Les Combes). I was stupid to be that brutal with the steering wheel and there was a little bit of water on the track. As a result the oversteer you see at minute 2.38  in the video above. This time I knew how to react and I remember thinking "Don't panic, there enough room here even if you lose control of the car. All I have to do is turn the wheel and push the gas pedal". So I did just that and I had not issues. This recovery would get a 5.5 (maybe 6) out of 10, from my point of view. Than I apologized to the Elise driver for the situation and continued to learn the track. I also apologized after the lap (if I held him behind on the straights but I had no idea of his intentions or how fast he was going) and I remember the Elise driver said that that was a nice save (it might have looked better from behind).

So, after I returned from the lap the Ferrari guys (4 friends) parked again next to me and asked for my manometer (I hope I got this right, this is the instrument that measures the tire pressure). I gave them the manometer and we stared talking about where they are from (France), were I'm from, about the track, etc. The 430 Scuderia driver offered to take me as a passenger on session 11. I respectfully declined his offer (I know, I am nuts). Than we made me another offer and invited me on the 9th session. This was great for me because I was about to finish my runs at session no 8. So I said yes and I was suppose to have a ride in a 430 Scuderia on Spa  .

I didn't have time to be happy about this because the second run (#4) began. This time the track was even drier and I continued my learning of the circuit.

In this film you will see that I am faster than a C63 AMG on the bends but once the straights appear he just takes off.
After this, I am caught by a Renault Clio RS (you may see him with the interior camera). I was not sure if he caught me because I was held up by traffic or he was faster than me. So I decided to find out... Again he was much faster on the straight leading to Les Combes but on the bends I disappeared. Although there is no competition on the track I was really proud of my car :). 

As a conclusion regrading the Spa Francorchamps circuit I have to tell you that it is an awesome circuit. It is miles better than Hungaroring but, unfortunately, it doesn't come close to the Nordschelife in terms of sheer thrills.
I really loved the Eau Rouge and Double Gauce (Pouhon). These are, probably, the nicest bends I have seen. The Eau Roughe is quite scary because just after the turn right the cars rear is very light and I feel that driving over the limit will cause the car to oversteer. With my power I don't brake for this corner, I just lift of (only during the first laps I brake). The Double Gauce is a very fast and trick bend and I like it a lot.
There are some other very nice corners like La Source, Blanchimot, no 9 but not quite as beautiful as the ones above.
This track is, in my opinion, another must for car lovers (along side with Nurburgring).
Cheers!

[fuscobal]

Briliant my friend. The AMG looked so dull by comparison. The driver was also scared as hell by his car and turned the steering wheel abruptly instead of smoothly !

[rex]

Thanks 

[rex]

Well, here is the last episode of the Spa trip...

After my second session (run 4) we had the lunch break so I went to eat at the track's restaurant. During the meal it stared to rain heavily and I knew that the track would never dry out. But no worries... it's more fun in the rain with worn semislick  . It really is an adrenaline rush (I think I might be an adrenaline junky). So I began my third session (run 6). As I said earlier I got an invitation to be the passenger in a F430 Scuderia so I thought I should return part of the favor (if I can say that) by offering a session in my humble car. The driver of the F430 declined but his friend accepted. So I got myself a copilot  . From the beginning I told him this is a slow car but I think he enjoyed the session:

And to explain what is happening in this video (sorry for the poor English in the video):
At the beginning I was going behind the Porsche knowing that I am not allowed to overtake in the first lap. I saw cars overtaking behind me so I thought what I knew was wrong and, not wanting to cause a traffic jam, I overtook the Porsche and began my flying laps. After about one lap  , I reached a group of slower cars. The last car of this group is a Lotus Exige (I think it's a Exige S, but you guys might tell me if I'm wrong or right):



I remember telling the passenger "This is a nice car". So... I was clearly faster in the twisty part of the circuit but he was faster on the straight (no wonder since it's a 942 kg 240bhp car).  I am even telling the passenger that the Lotus will overtake me since he has "about 300bhp" (mistake from my part). So the Exige overtook me and than entered Blanchimont (bend 17). This is one of the fastest GP bends. Unfortunately he missed the apex (closed to soon), understeered, reached the kerb, oversteered and hit the wall at ~ 80 mph (130 km/h). Fortunately, as you can see in the video everybody is just fine.

Well, after the shock (no more poker face now) received by my passenger the 430 Scuderia driver told us he will not go on any session so it appeared that the passenger lap in the Ferrary was not meat to materialize.
No matter, I still had a full day and one session of my own remaining.

I wanted this last session to be a nice ending session but, of course, I couldn't do that. So, after some laps with heavy traffic I decided to let everyone pass and try a fast lap.

This lap is on partially wet track and, unfortunately I missed the start because I was to relaxed on the straight before the La Source bend (between The Bus Stop and La Source). Behind me is a 225 Megane RS that is a little bit faster than me. Again he is much faster on the straights but considerably slower in the twisty part. At the end of the video he is overtaking me only because he jumps over Raidilon bend and I change to 5th gear because that was my cool down lap.
This lap is one of my best and I really like the way I drove on this lap considering the conditions.

Oh well, and I get back in the parking lot and the 430 Scuderia driver is really to go. He calls for me and asks me if I am still interested in being a passenger for the run. I didn't decline his invitation and so I got a ride in a Ferrari F430 Scuderia 
There are many things to say about his session but I will try to be as short as possible:
- lovely interior with a lot of carbon fiber and leather.
- on the way to the pits I realize that my car is nowhere near as rigid as the F430 is. The driver also explained that the car was in race mode with the ESP not completely turned off.
- the sound is truly mind blowing. I could only talk to the driver during braking  .
- the carbon ceramic brakes (that cost as much as my Golf when new) are also amazing
- the grip when exiting a corner was impressive
- it understeered a bit when entering a bend
- the brutality of changing gears is something that can not be put into words. I would always bang my head against the head rest during an upshift. I later learned to put my head against the headrest when I saw read lights on the steering wheel  .
- the acceleration was also truly impressive
I hope I didn't forget anything... Anyway, to keep it short, an awesome, awesome car. I also realized that what I am doing is "dust in the wind". Instead of modifying my car and never ever getting to that level I am better of saving 500 EURO a month and in 40 years I'll be able to buy a car like this  . This ride really was amazing and I am really greatfull I had the chance to be a passenger in such a car.
Here are the two Ferrari's. Again, I had the ride in the F430 Scuderia.





Here is a picture of yours truly during the lap. You might not be able to see me, but trust me, the person screaming in the passenger seat is me. 



I still have to write something about Nurburgring but because of my hurry, I forgot. None the less, I will write this in my next post.
Hope you like it, thanks for watching!

P.S. I forgot to say... The orange Caterham from the begining of the first video is the actual car from the series "A race car is born". I watched the series and it was nice to see the car "in flesh".