I'm surprised nobody mentioned this... how do you people think stock for stock and modded would perform vs a similarly modded Evo VIII/IX? There's more weight but then there's the active yaw control, more clearance for bigger tires, bigger brakes…how do you think it will fair?

 

No way to know until people start trying.

 

I think the weight is going to be a problem. That and the reviews that have said that the X's active handling gets confused in slaloms.

Autox is about car control and the X should have that in buckets. But I have never seen a 3500lb car do well at an autox....

since your going to be on the street 99.9% of the time, I wouldnt lose sleep on it...

I think also that you would be crazy going into SM with a car with little aftermarket support. I would start at STU, soft street rubber will equalize things a bit.

 

Um...C4 corvette?

STU is limited to a 245 width, no matter how heavy the car is. Sure you can win a local event, but I don't really see it ever being competitive there. You're right on about SM though.

I think stock would be a much, much better option because of the good stock balance the the 8.5" wheels (275s). Unfortunately, I don't think the Evo X has been classed in stock yet.


d

 

I agree. I bet stock to stock a X could be faster than a IX, due to the AYC and 18s. 285s?

Is a C4 really 3,500lb? I thought they were hundreds of pounds lighter.

 

3400 lbs is the number I'm coming up with on google, but I can't find a definitive source. If that's true, I don't think it would be hard for a car with a few options and an auto (AS C4 guys like the auto from what I remember) being over 3500.

d

 

Hmmm, not too sure about that.


A-Stock C4 Vette's weights from SCCA Nationals 2004:

Corvette
========

Car Driver Weight Year
------------------------------------------------------------
118 Isley / Isley 3210 '89
71 French 3220 '89
6 Presley 3240 '89
147 McHugh / McDaniel 3270 '89
141 Braun / Curran 3278 '93
152 Shelton / Hodge 3304 '96
11 Pora 3340 '96
194 Bellamy / Neff 3381 '96 Gran Sport
57 Bullis 3450 '95 ZR-1




A typical BSP C4 weighs in in the 3250# range on average, from what I've read. The Vette above (#118) must have had some serious stock class dieting!

 

Yeah, the only C4 Vettes approaching 3500# are the later ('94-'95) ZR-1s. The ZR-1s are not the sharpest auto-x tool in the shed--although when modded, they go like hell in a straight line

The new X is a full 330# plus heavier than a IV according to a MT test (both GSRs)--which I have no reason to doubt.

Gonna be an uphill battle to say the least--especially in SM, IMO...

There's no way I'd give up my VIII for one

 

It takes a whole crapload of tire to make up for 330lbs of weight. If there's clearance, the Hoosier 295/30R18 will fit on an 8" rim. The 285/30R18 doesn't like narrow rims though (yes, I know its smaller, but the construction is different). The IX is an underdog in AS though, the X will get killed. Unless AYC is like Liquid Schwartz, I don't see it doing well. It has to compete with C4's (better torque and weight balance), S2000's (smaller, lighter, better spring rates, not to mention the CR version), and Z0K's (much better spring rates, lighter, and lower to the ground). Plus all those cars have double A-arm suspensions and can fit aftermarket SA or DA Koni's, Motons, etc, in stock class. The IX only gets a set of Ohlins SA replacement struts. The X gets nada.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not saying you can't take a X and go win some local events. But local events are won by drivers, not by cars. I've gotten raw timed by several G-stock MINI's.

 

Oh that's right. I was thinking about the ZR1 C4. Thanks.

d

 

I think the X will get killed in AS too, but the OP wanted to compare it to the IX. On the other hand IF the AYC is very effective, rotation+AWD could go a long way under the right conditions. Like at the ProSolo Finale at HPT, where it was perfect for the STi that won AS and STU in '06. Of course the pin turns played into the Suby's low end power and rear biased power train. The STi was rotating and powering out of the many tight turns with 4 wheels spinning, where the Evo would understeer and bog.

The real question is how will the X will fair vs the STi in AS.

Interesting about mounting the 285 vs the 295, I know some shops have trouble mounting the 285s to 9" wheels. The AS STi was running 275-17s I believe. Using the thumb caliper, the X seems to have less clearance than the IX and the '08 STi, so I bet 295s would be out. 245s may be the only choice for AS.

Oh yeah, you can do an AX course in 1st gear in a ZR-1. Isley, McWho, Rita W. and the other AS C4s around here have the ultra rare package that only came on '89s, or they built them to those specs.

 

I think from the reviews that I have read the X will enter and exit a corner better than the IX but the IX will pull away from it in the straights. So maybe in an autox the X will come out on top but there is no real way to know until people start going out there with their X and see how they run.

 

I know we are moving off thread a bit here because the question was modded IX versus modded X at the autox. I keep seeing mods are going to explode that new sst. BUT I think the SST would be an advantage on a course. Especially when there were pivots. being able to keep the that turbo spooled by left foot braking and downshifting on pivots with no import car first gear crunch, and no chasis transistions when shifting look like some real bonus's. I just think that AS is not the class for an evo X. I think BS would be more appropriate.

Also on increasing tire size. It may sound crazy but I have seen first hand where wider is sometimes not as much of a bonus as you would think. I think it has alot to do with overall suspension setup and course design.

Plus I wonder if the sayc is going to be smart enough to allow for an autox tune..

 

I highly doubt it. Not for anything most autocrossers can afford. When was the last time you heard of someone tuning the ACD for autocross?

Oh, and if you want to hear some extremely venomous *****ing, stick the X in BS. It's an overdog, and the class is currently dominated by Mazda, who has GREAT support for all kinds of racing. They will actually do warranty work on cars with full cages, race seats, and 5-points in them. Contrast this to Mitsubishi, who voids warranties for drop-in air filters. Frankly, I think Mazda should have a couple of classes given to them since they support the sport so well.

From a modded standpoint, it depends. The slight power bump isn't enough to overcome the weight difference. If the fender clearance isn't drastically different, you won't be able to get much more tire under the car in any class. Under SCCA rules, you'll probably have to get all the way to XP before you can erase the weight difference (although there you may be able to get the X lighter than the IX). You might be able to get it close in SM. Depends on how much of that extra weight is in the interior bits. It's also a new motor, and there are questions as to whether the aluminum block can hold the kind of power the 4G63 can. We won't know until the drag racers start popping motors.

The SST won't handle much more than stock power. The new GT-R has the same problem.

 

Oh yeah, forgot to mention this. Putting on super sticky tires can f*** with traction control systems, ABS systems, and anything else that is calculating tire grip. I'd love to see an AYC test with Hoosiers on the car.