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A very important post is developing. But in the meantime, check out the specs of the fantastic Lotus Elise:

Weight: 1950lbs! My M3 weighs in at 3200lbs, as does the new MK V GTi. A top of the line Excursion weighs in at over 7700lbs, or roughly 4 Elises!

Horsepower: 190hp. My M3 has 240hp. The new GTi has 200hp. The Excursion has 325hp.

Power to Weight Ratio: Here’s where it gets good. The M3 has 13.3 pounds to carry around per horsepower, the GTi has 16, the Excursion has 23. The Lotus has 10.

Performance: How about a 0-60 of under 5 seconds, and a quarter in 13.4 on the way to a top speed of 150mph.

Construction: Aluminum tub chassis, that basically translates to the frame of the car weighing 150lbs total! Actually, nearly everything on this car is made from Aluminum, including the pedals, dashboard, shiftknob.

Details: How about exotic Stack gauges, Yokohoma A048 track spec tires, OZ wheels.

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, this is a very special car. Check out this Elise article in Road and Track for a good review, paying special attention to the chart on page 4 showing the Elise’s best party piece: It’s supercar strength to price ratio!

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Only one word needs to be used to describe this event: Wet. Perhaps even a better word to summarize the day would be Slippery…

Paul and I were back to PIR only 6 days after our last appearance and things were going pretty smooth Friday night as we checked into our Motel 6 that was less than a mile from the track. We didn’t get checked in until nearly 9, but we still had time to drop by BJ’s Brewhouse in Jantzen Beach for some of their Blonde Ale. Paul’s meatloaf was outstanding, but my ’southwest’ spring rolls were shit (if only I had associated southwest with the crappy airline, I could’ve avoided that let down!) But it was just what we needed to settle down and attempt some sleep before what felt like the 3rd Christmas morning this year.

The next day we arrived very early, and once checked in (settling our fears of not making the event due to the lack of event registration confirmation), we rolled into the puddled PIR with the Rabbit and the M3. It had rained the night before, but the forecasted all-day-rain had yet to appear and we were in fact met with partly sunny skies! Everyone had a buzz of optimism that the sun might stick around on our day of hookie at the track.

But that didn’t last any longer than the first run session, which Paul was lucky enough to get in on. My session, Novice for my first rear-wheel-drive outing at PIR, was immediately under rain. No big deal, right?

Well needless to say, I was waaay over confident as my previous PIR sessions in the Rabbit proved to be trouble free and quite quick. But those illusions of racing grandeur were quickly squashed as my third lap out resulted in a 180 between turns 8 and 9. I had just passed a few slower cars on the front straight and was ready for a quicker pace. But as I exited 8 using a line that the Rabbit thrives on, the back end got light and started to move to the left, point the car to the right. I was prepared for this though, knowing that at some point during our track day the M would likely move around. This is what I wanted out of my track day, to find the limits of this car. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon!

I heard numerous instructor’s voices in my head, all shouting loudly in my memory, to continue to apply throttle even with the back end loose to keep the weight over the rear axle in the hopes of controlling the slide. I ended up never fully lifting, but did try to modulate the gas to regain full control. At first it felt like I had it and was going to pull through. But then in an instant I lost it and the rear end swapped positions with the front and my windscreen turned into a huge rearview mirror as I faced all the cars behind me. We were now traveling backwards, but the tire squealing turnaround had scrubbed off most of the speed and we quickly settled on the slick and muddy grass infield.

My initial reaction was that of relief as I expected something to happen switching from our fast and easy front wheel drive Rabbit to the more delicately balanced, rear-wheel drive setup of the M3. Not to mention the car remained un-bent! My mindset was that, “Now that that’s over with” we could get back to getting faster. We watched the caravan of cars go by and we talked about what had happened and what to do next. We were luckily in a safe spot and once I re-fired the stalled motor, I delicately dug up the infield to turn around and got back on track.

Unfortunately, it continued to rain all day. When the racetrack gets wet, it turns to near ice-like conditions. There’s years of built-up oil, coolant, and other fluids just waiting to come to the surface when it rains. So most of the day was spent learning the new line for the M3 and delicately upping the pace without spinning. I don’t think I exceeded 65 the rest of the day, and in most sections was doing more like 45.

Meanwhile, Paul was out in the Rabbit putting on a clinic. He kept coming in remarking how great the car felt and how easy it was to pass. My confidence was in the toilet and he was having a blast!

All was not lost however, as my instructor ended up being Dubsquad member Gabe B. I recognized Gabe from previous PIR events and his excellent supercharged R32. But what I learned is that Gabe spends almost all his free time at PIR and is very accomplished driver and instructor. His instruction was very good and taught me alot about my car and the track, and really opened my eyes to my truly novice PIR talents. I have a lot to learn, but he was very cool the entire time (including some hot laps riding shotgun in his car at a pace I simply couldn’t believe could be achieved in the wet on slicks!)

All in all, a useful day that probably taught me some important lessons that’ll keep me out of the wall in my baby. But no question, I’ll be looking forward to the next warm and dry event to try again!

A very big kudos to the Portland BMW ACA Club. I’ve attended nearly 10 PIR instructional events now, and this was by far the best run and most organized of any organization I’ve witness thus far. Everything was clearly explained, all sessions were on-time (which is unheard of), and the attitude of almost everyone involved was very impressive and encouraging. Nice job guys!

All photo’s from Jerald @ pnw-foto.com, who I’ll be buying prints from soon!

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Paul, Ed and I headed out to PIR Saturday the 18th for a day of fun on the track with the Cascade Sports Car Club. They run a very good event and this was no exception. The only mixup of the day was from the event director, who sends emails, but doesn’t read responses and thus put Paul and I into the same run group — sharing the same car! But that was quickly sorted and I got to run with last year’s Cascade Rookie of the Year, a guy name Jake. He runs in Club Rabbit, which Paul and I were originally interested in years ago for our own Rabbit. A great guy that I learned alot from. Good luck this year, Jake!

Paul and I drove the Jetta and Rabbit up from Corvallis Friday afternoon to get a jump on Portland’s Friday rush hour. It was my first time driving the Rabbit long distance, and I have to say, it’s not as bad as I thought. Sure, there’s zero creature comforts in the car, the wipers barely work, and the harnesses make it tough to check out your blind spots… BUT, it’s so light an nimble, it’s hard to be upset while you drive it. Still rev’s like a top and changes lanes with just a hint of input.

The next day at the track was another troublefree, wide-smile kind of day for the Rabbit. Again taking pretty major abuse from us both, it happily continued on all day. And while it was cold as hell outside, we got a few sunbreaks and the track was just warm enough that our Falken’s stuck great the entire day. And with the Chicane closed for this event, we were really hauling ass down the front straight.

But likely not faster than Ed, who’s Revo’d GTi was reporting 135-140mph down the front straight. While I hear the speedo is a bit off, that’s close enough to know that little car was traveling at a frightening pace. I wish I had been in his run group to witness the power.

My personal favorite passes of the day were on the one of the Club Rabbit’s and a massaged 16v Scirocco. But this wasn’t very reminiscent of last year’s Audi Track Day where we could pass just about anyone at will. Not so at the Cascade event where clearly there were far more talented individuals on track. I can only assume they were there for the same reason we were — for a properly ran and safe event. Great day and setup for the following Friday’s BMW track day where the M3 would make her first PIR appearance.

Many many thanks to Ed for putting us up for the weekend with close accommodations, plenty of beer and some great food! And to Paul again, for building a bulletproof fun machine!

Here’s some linked pics from a professional photographer at The Digital Perspective:

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Also known as Track Days, High Performance Drivers Training programs are becoming more and more popular in the U.S. Already very popular in Europe, the basic idea is to have professional instructors make you a better driver, in your own car, at a real race track. These are not races against other participants even though you will be on track at the same time as other students. In fact, passing is strictly regulated in most events for this very reason. Rather, this is an opportunity to expand your skills with quality instruction in a controlled and safe environment. Events are open to anyone with a little cash, a solid car, some safety equipment, and a good attitude.

Lets start with the location, the race track itself! Chances are if this topic is of interest to you, you already know where the nearby tracks are. But you may be surprised to learn of others that major race series events don’t necessarily participate at. Examples in the Pacific Northwest include Pacific Raceways outside Seattle, and Thunderhill in Northern California. Both of these tracks are outstanding, but don’t host any major racing series. In fact, their main focus is amateur racing and driver’s education. You can find out about locations in your area by contacting your friendly nearby SCCA chapter or local amateur racing organization, like the ICSCC. I typically attend events at Portland International Raceway as it’s the closest track to me.

Which segways nicely into who you should contact to get involved. Some race tracks will have onsite organizations for HPDE classes. Other amateur race organizations will also feature driver education classes. The local race sanctioning body in your area will detail their clubs and schedules. At PIR, the local clubs that I know of that are locally sanctioned are Cascade Sports Car Club and Team Continental. The SCCA also holds schools here, but they are geared more for folks heading directly into amateur racing. I have personally attended 3 or 4 of the Cascade events and they’re fantastic. Friendly instructors, lots of on track time, and a comprehensive classroom session that gives all the basics of handling dynamics, flag definitions, and some good bench racing. Local car clubs also hold track days, but most require previous instruction.

So now you know where to go and who to contact. Now the important question, what are you going to drive?! You should drive your own car of course! The most obvious reason is that you’re comfortable in your own car and presumably want to get better at driving it. Don’t worry about the fact that you don’t own a Ferrari or a Porsche, presumable you have something that you would like to learn how to drive better and that’s what the HPDE is all about. While I probably wouldn’t recommend taking out your Expedition, any car will work! I’ve seen guys come out in Chevy Cavaliers and Scion Xb’s before!

So what’s the catch? Your car has to be safe. Safety is paramount at keeping these events running and avoiding huge insurance nightmares. That means your car has to be in good tune, with no leaks, good brakes, decent tires, and all the other things a properly maintained car should have. Some organizations may want a fire extinguisher mounted as well. Your school’s organization will have a tech inspection with specific items to note. It’s not intended to be a surprise, so get a copy of the list in advance.

And lastly, I mentioned the importance of safety. You’ll need a newer helmet for starters. Many organizations have loaner/rental helmets, or you can use a newer Snell approved helmet with a rating of 95 or higher. While SA rated helmets are preferred, the M rated motorcycle helmet will be accepted as well. Most clubs require long sleeves and pants as well.

But other than that, you’re set except for one last thing: A Good Attitude. You’re not going to be the next Mario Andretti your first time out. In fact you won’t be Mario-like even after 50 such events. But the instructor that sits next to you is closer to that mark than you are, and you should heed their advice very closely. Do what they say, both of your lives depend on it. But in knowing you’ll make a few mistakes, enjoy the learning process and be prepared for that kind of experience.

And then at the end of the event, count how many times you say, “I can’t wait to do this again!”

I’m attending the Cascade Sports Car Club’s HPDE this Saturday with my buddy Paul in the Rabbit, and my other friend Ed, who’s bringing his Revo GTi. The following Friday, I’m back to PIR to take the M3 out for the first time with the Portland BMW Club. [cartman]Schweeeet![/cartman]

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p.s. if you’re still not convinced, check out this in-car video at PIR. Check out Dennis Palatov’s Website for more PIR and Sports Car goodness!

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A thread on Bimmerforums recently sparked my attention when the poster asked if the M3 will ever become a classic and appreciate in value. My two cents:

The e36 M3 will suffer the same fate as the Porsche 944 NA. Yep, flip open your Autotraders and take a look. That’s what’s going to happen to the value of our cars. Sure, total creampuffs will command a premium, but as Excellence usually reports, only 10-15% more.

Check out the similarities between the two cars:

• widely regarded as one of the best handling cars at any price for the period
• nicely appointed 2+2
• unforgettable looks that still inspire today
• similar enthusiast following

And they have even more value robbing ties:

• no shortage of examples, plenty were imported for many years
• today’s cars look faster on paper
• many of these cars were daily drivers and have the mileage to prove it
• many of the secondary systems and materials start to deteriorate making decent examples look worse than they are
• mechanically complicated enough to require a solid maintenance schedule
• when major mechanicals fail, you could easily be staring at a bill that represents half to two thirds of your cars total value

And that last one is a killer!

But don’t get me wrong, I sold my 337 and bought a nearly ten year old car because I wanted a more pure experience. And someday, I’ll probably sell this car to buy a car 10 years older than it for the same reason. Could be a 944.

If you bought an e36 m3 hoping it would appreciate while you owned it, you’ll have to hold on to it for a very long time! But it’s a classic already, just like the 944.

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Uh, just like taking the Rabbit out for the Larison Rock Hillclimb… At 10x the speed! That guy is either crazy or he lives on that road and daily’s the R8. I’m going with crazy!

And just in case you don’t recognize the car, it’s one of the Audi team’s ex-LeMans race cars:

CORRECTION

The video is mislabeled and the onboard is actually of a Norma M20:

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