GTI Autocross experience

On July 19th, Puyang took his GTI to his first autocross event. It was one of the best autocross weather conditions I have ever seen. In fact, most of the drivers that day said it was truly a miracle. Apparently, the land around us was pouring rain while we got dry tarmac, clouds, and a bit of sun. It was the perfect temperature as well, while it wasn't too hot for us, the tarmac absorbed enough heat for some really nice tire grip. We have to thank God for all of it!

Being a front wheel drive car, I was quite impressed with the handling of the GTI. There was definitely understeer and got a bit nose heavy, but it handled the corners quite well. We were also running on the stock all-season tires; a less sticky tire compound, and with soft side walls, so we were definitely at a disadvantage. For the first couple of runs, Puyang left the Traction and Stability control on. It was later that I told Puyang to turn them all off for a better sense of the car's handling. However, from factory there is a system in place for his GTI that helps with cornering. The system is called the XDS, and what it does is brakes the inside wheel on a hard turn so that the outside wheel can push the car back in the proper driving line, thus removing some of the understeer. Ideally, this is simulating what a limited slip differential would do, but for a fraction of the price. However, there would be faster brake wear present if one were to take hard corners all the time.

Overall, Puyang learned a lot about handling his car and driving techniques. He has now set a benchmark for the factory car, and his future modifications will now be compared to this benchmark test. If you want to see the entire photo album for this event, please visit our Facebook Page. If not, then enjoy some of our favorite photos from this event below.

We will have two episodes covering this event which will be aired at a later date. Stay tuned!

Final AutoX. Or is it?

The STI has truly been a great car to drive. I was glad I didn't begin autocrossing this car when it was fully built; I love to see and feel improvements over time. I attended the local Corvette autocross this time around, and the STI really held its own. It was pitted against a fierce competition, but it came out as a pretty fast car. Sadly to say, as mentioned in the video, this will be the very last autocross session for the STI at this current stage.
If you have been following our videos, or even the blog, you would know that this STI is pretty much stock with only an off-the-shelf tune to Stage 1 from the Cobb Accessport, upgraded brake pads, and stainless steel brake lines. With minimal modifications, I saw some major improvements; I can't wait to see what this car can do with a few thousand dollars worth of upgrades. Right?
Puyang accompanied me this time around, as seen in the first three runs. He has never been in a car running in an autocross session. He wanted to get a feel of the g-force generated from the acceleration, braking, and turns. He also learned about some driving techniques such as best lines and brake timing.
Puyang will be attending his first autocross session in September, at least that's the plan, where he will be pushing his 2012 VW Golf GTI to the limit. We'll see what the car can do.

Much needed Modifications

I have to say, the 2006 WRX STI is a very great car to boot. Having some experience taking this car to the autocross course really shows you the strengths and the weaknesses of the STI. The car comes with everything you need to go fast from factory: A set of super sticky summer tires, large Brembo brakes, 300 horsepower and 300 ft-lbs of torque, and a relatively light curb weight for an AWD car weighing at 3350 lbs. It's very fast, fun to drive, and it looks extremely handsome without having to look too flashy.

However, just like any car, it has its own fair share of downsides. One of the greatest weaknesses of this STI is that it is prone to understeering. However, once you are familiar with the car, and how to shift the weight of the car properly, understeer doesn't seem too big of a problem. Another weakness is that the peak boost takes slightly too long to reach (a.k.a. Turbo Lag). Again, all of these inherent car weaknesses can be overcome if the driver learns better car control.

The stock car has a lot of body roll, it was very apparent while I was driving, but since I was used to it, it didn't slow me down too much. However, many pictures that were taken of this STI reveals that it could use some suspension modifications. I suppose some sway bars, end links, and maybe a coilover setup wouldn't hurt huh? Don't worry, all these things will come in time.

As my aftermarket parts from Apex Performance are coming in the mail, I'm going to enjoy this car for what it is while I still have it. I love it!

Cone Killers

Today, Puyang went to purchase a helmet for himself. Autocross season has officially started, and although we haven't started going yet, we are looking forward to it. Puyang will be attending his first autocross session this year! We'll be sure to document these events on video for you guys to see.

In the meantime, Apex Performance and Machine Zealots are finalizing some discussions for some aftermarket parts. I'm really looking forward to modifying the STI, and making some more sponsored videos. What parts are we receiving? We'll be revealing that when time draws near.

Stay tuned!

Autocross Season is back!

Autocross is indeed a very quick and fun motor sport. Minimal preparations needed, so beginners can dive right into the fun. Of course you can take it very seriously as well, and enter autocross events with competition driven regulations. It is a sport because it requires focus, eye hand coordination, and most of the time, makes me sweat buckets!
I enjoyed the autocross events that I'd attended in 2012, and most of you may have seen the actual race event videos: Including every run, every time, and every penalty. You can see the progress after each run, it may be long and tedious for a person who isn't interested in autocross, great for myself and others to study and improve on braking and acceleration timing.
Those videos were very stale though, it was very technical, and less "film-like". This is why I took the two best runs in the two events and made them into this video. With some music to stir up the excitement, I found this project a delight.
This year of 2013, both Puyang and I are planning on hitting more events. This means, hopefully, you'll see the GTI in action for the first time! And obviously, yours truly, the STI will be back as well.

Second AutoX, Scion FR-S enters the race

This is another Corvette Club autocross which took place on July 14th. This was my first sunny autocross, and now that I have driven in both the pouring rain and dry tarmac, I have a much better feeling for the STI.
I will admit I was driving pretty aggressively through the corners. If you compare my racing footage to Ben's Scion FR-S (Start video from 11:50), you will notice my tires scream a lot more. I pushed the car pretty hard, resulting in so many cones hit throughout the day. However, if it wasn't for this constant pushing, I don't think I would have taken first place for the stock class.
I learned even more about the STI this time around, mainly how much torture the Bridgestone Potenza RE070s could take. I would like to see how the STI does with at least 245 tires on all fours, because the 225 Potenzas are actually letting my car go sooner than I think it should. By run 5, I've lowered the amount of air pressure in my front tires, and I began to launch at 5500 RPM which resulted in much better run times. I started off the day with 5200 RPM, but because the weather got too hot, the tires hooked up too well, so it bogged down my car a little bit.
The Scion FR-S, and the Subaru BRZ have been all the hype these past couple of months. I was very excited to be able to sit in one, especially when it is being pushed under extreme conditions. The car is light and nimble, and the power to weight ratio isn't bad either. The car does feel like it has a harder time picking up speed due to the lack of torque. Even the 2012 Golf GTI feels faster, just because it hits peak torque at lower RPMs. However, acceleration aside, the Scion FR-S comes with very good suspension from stock. It felt extremely planted for a RWD car, and with the addition of it being lightweight, it dived into the corners without any drama. I would say, the Scion FR-S is probably faster at entering corners than my STI. Though the Scion FR-S had a slightly slower time overall, it had probably been faster than the STI on specific sectors. Perhaps I should start playing with side by side racing footage just to see how the cars compared.

I've got to say, I am beginning to appreciate this STI inside and out. Being able to work on it, race it, then pamper it, is nothing but incredible. I am considering to buy and install some stiffer steering rack bushings. I've heard they really give the driver a much more accurate feel of what the front wheels are doing. I've had to correct my steering many times during this autocross session, and though it felt pretty natural, I am curious if this feedback could be improved.

Machine Zealots will be taking a short intermission starting this week. We have four episodes already lined up for you guys when we come back. We will be taking this time off to install, film, and edit the episodes. If you viewers are interested in our work, and want mini updates, please follow us on Facebook, and join our little community!

We've also opened up a clothing shop, that sells t-shirts and hoodies with the our Machine Zealots designs. The cost may be a bit high but, if you don't mind supporting our brand, for every purchase $2 dollars goes to Machine Zealots. If you don't want to purchase anything, don't worry, just continue sharing and enjoying our work!

My first win

On July 14th, the local Corvette Club held another amazing autocross event. Last time, it had poured rain throughout the entire event, and since I have never autocrossed the STI before that, I never got an opportunity to autocross the STI on dry pavement.

And yes, it makes a huge difference.

The day before the races, I posted photos and updates on Facebook and Instagram as they happened. There were a lot of preparations that needed attention, so that took around 40 minutes to sort out.

Had to make sure the intercooler water spray tank had enough fresh water.

Checked all fluid levels and conditions. Though the brake fluid could have used a change, it was fine for Autocross this time.

Re-torqued all lug nuts, and checked all cold tire pressures.

Prepared some light supplies: Extra engine oil, torque wrench, breaker bar, scissor jack, extra lug nuts and their locks and keys, foldable chair, plastic tarp, and a spare tire.

And last but not least, racing gear: Helmet and Shoes.

Registration for that day was at 8:00 AM, so I arrived bright and early and started to settle down. As the time for registration drew near, more and more cars started to pull in. There were a couple of cars that were known to take on corners, and this made me nervous, but also very excited.

As the day progressed, it had gotten really hot, and the STI's Bridgestone Potenza RE070s were hooking up really well. So well in fact, that I had to raise the launch control RPM from 5200 to 5500! I was quite nervous launching so many times at such high RPMs in the blazing heat, but as it turned out the STI handled it like a pro.

In the morning, the temperature was at a perfect 75 degrees, but by the end of the day, the ambient temperature had risen to 87 degrees! It was so hot in fact that two cars were put out of commission due to leaking radiator hoses, and radiator caps blowing off. Seeing two cars overheat made everyone very nervous. Everyone did all they could to cool down their cars as much as possible between the runs.

At the end of the event, everyone parked their cars, and gathered together as the organizers gave out prizes to the top four drivers. Since it was a Corvette Club organized autocross, they had one prize for the fastest Corvette on street tires, and one on racing tires. Then they categorized any other make of cars under the "Sports car" section, and also gave out prizes for the fastest street tires, and fastest racing tires.

I had earned my very first win, for being the fastest stock car with street tires that day with a run of 68.557 seconds. I had won a hat, and a small set of tools: Flashlight, tire pressure gauge, and a pen. The prize was light hearted and fun, so I smiled as I received it.

To me, the most important part of this was that it was a great learning experience, and it really showed me, and the others, what the Subaru Impreza WRX STI can really do.

The episode will be airing later. I will talk more about the driving aspect when the episode is released. Cheers!

First Autocross with the Corvette Club

This was the very first autocross with the Subaru STI. It was an extremely rainy day, and the Bridgestone Potenza RE070 summer tires were not made for the weather. However, with the AWD system, earlier braking, and light acceleration, the car was manageable.
A couple of things I've learned from this first autocross, brakes are by far the most important thing to modify. I believe, a lighter car would do a lot better around the corners as well. The one thing I did want to modify to this car after experiencing the lateral g-force were the stock STI seats. The USDM seats do not hold me in well enough. Originally, as you can see in the video, I had my launch control set to 4500 RPM. However, even in the rain, after the tires were warmed up, it was not enough power to break traction, so I ended up bogging down the car slightly. I proceeded in using the Cobb Accessport's handy on-the-fly launch control settings, and dialed it up to 4700 RPM. 
I'm looking forward to more racing, and more modifications!

Porsche Club AutoX

The day had finally come and gone. This was my very first autocross event that I've attended. Though I did not actually drive my car on the road course, I did have an opportunity to ride in some of my friend's cars: Subaru STi, BMW M Coupe, and a BMW 135i. Each driver and each car handled very differently, and it was a very good experience for me to see that.

I fully understand that you can't learn to control your car, until you've lost control. Though cars classified as Muscle Cars usually don't take on corners, I firmly believe the Camaro will be alright. The suspension in modern muscle cars have been totally changed, and the independant front and rear suspension will do great wonders.

There were a lot of friendly people there, willing to give you tips and open to conversations. I did not engage in too many conversations, but I did learn a lot. I am looking at upcoming autocross events which I'll be taking part in the next time around. Time to see what this Camaro can do.

OH! I almost forgot. Some of you may be curious of which cars attended the event, lol. Well it was a Porsche event, so it was 50% Porsches. The rest were shared between Subaru Impreza WRX, Imprezas, Miatas, Mini Coopers, Corvettes, and Honda Civics. The car with the fastest time was a 90's Honda Civic Hatchback. O_o The Corvettes actually suffered a bit, they have too much power for their own good. Just goes to show you that power definately isn't everything.

Spades V6, modifying

I'm trying to enhance Spades V6 in multiple areas. When I have some time off from work, and when I'm not working on the Camaro, I like to edit videos, and think of expansion and areas of improvement. As the weeks/months go by, you may notice small changes.

I am trying to make this blog more "efficient" and "entertaining". This video is just the start. I am hoping everything falls into place in the next few months.

But like I have said, I am planning to FINALLY paint my calipers over the long weekend, and there is a Porsche club Autocross event being held on the 28th of May. I am going to attend it, whether or not I get to drive.