What keeps me awake at night thinking about the FR-S

As I thought about ordering the FR-S, I looked for differentiating factors between it and the BRZ.  Same car mechanically, same performance, same dimensions.  Traditionally, I would never have even considered the name Scion being on my car, not because I didn't like Toyota, or that I didn't understand what they were doing creating a sub-brand for younger/sportier people, but because of the ricer-tuner crowd that had traditionally flocked to the brand.

I said to myself, "I'll only buy that car a Subaru!" when I first heard about them.  As the cars started to gain some media attention, and as I did a little more digging, I found that wearing the Scion badge not only wasn't bad, but carried with it a sense of focus and fulfillment, in a way that Toyota was returning to the segment, and trying to make their sub-brand break-out of the ricer-tuner mold.  As I looked further, I also found that the way the car is offered in regard to features and price point, fit exactly into what I was looking for.

I have always said, "Why don't car companies let me buy the car that I want?  Why am I forced into the technology package in order to have a sun-roof?"  Those things don't even make sense being together, it is just part of the feature creep that has come into the way cars can be ordered today.  In the 60's, you got a check list, and got exactly what you wanted when you ordered.  For those that didn't care, take the one on the lot and go home happy, but for those that did, you could fine-tune in everything.  Now, I certainly don't expect that to ever return in the same context, we have totally different manufacturing processes in the world these days, and the way business works has changed a lot, but why can;t I buy a sports car that come with the "racing" stuff that I want, and no gidget-gadget crap that I will never use?  Wait, what's that you say?  I can?

Enter the Scion FR-S.  The only option on the car is the upgraded radio.  As a base package, you get a 6-speed manual, limited slip Torsen rear diff, full bracing all over the car, and nice slidey tires, in an affordable 17x7 size.  You get a radio that has bluetooth calling as well, awesome!  All of these things are simple, usable, and performance oriented, no fluff.  You might be saying, Alex, you're 25 and work at a tech company, don't you want all the Gen-Y gadgetry your generation is so famous for?  No, I don't care about it, and I don't want to pay for it.  While things like heated seats, climate control, in-dash navigation, and the sort are cool, they are not needed in a sports car.  If I were buying a 5-series BMW, than I would expect it to drive me home and brew me a cup of coffee when I push a button, but in this car, it is unnecessary and unwelcome.

Scion gave me the chance to have the car I wanted.  Basic items like air-conditioning, of course you gotta have that, this is a daily driver after all, but the unnecessary stuff, leave it off the car.  That is the main reason the Scion grabbed me over the Subaru.  The Subaru can be ordered with HID headlights, leather, climate control, navigation, and other assorted things.  Guess what that does for you?  Adds $3000 to the price tag, makes the car heavier, and gets you a Subaru badge.  No thanks.

Simple, light-weight, usable, fun, all of those things are what the FR-S will be for me.  I am glad to be paying under $25k for an awesome car.  Boxer engine?  Yes, it will be my first time with one, and while it is a different mindset, at the end of the day it's a 180 degree V4, so it all still makes sense.

I cannot wait!

Ordered an FR-S

So after some careful consideration of life events, and other monetary related items(mainly surrounding having money for a house), the time has come for me to consolidate to one car.  Thus I have sold my truck.

That leaves me with one car, the Miata.  Hmmmmm, not exactly the best car to have as your only source of transportation.  Great for top down fall driving and autocross, but not the most capable option when you need to haul something, or drive in the winter.  The fiance and I had a long talk, and I got the okay to order an FR-S, with the stipulation that the Miata goes with the purchase.  The Miata has been a great car, and I love everything about it, but with the need for something slightly bigger and more usable, while maintaining the sports car stuff for autocrossing, the FR-S will fit the bill much better.  Oh and also, they're awesome.

I've been watching the development of the Toybaru twins for the past few years, excitedly monitoring to see what the joint project between a great sports car manufacturer, and an automotive behemoth that has lost its way on the road of performance, could produce.  Everything looked good on paper, and I was excited to check the cars out.  At an autocross a few months ago, I finally had the opportunity to see both cars in person, and ride in them.  Man was I impressed with everything about them.  The handling, the simplicity, all of it was great.  I knew it was the perfect car for me.

The dealer told me 3-6 months when I ordered, but I hear they are coming much sooner.  Can't wait!

Autocross School Follow-Up

So I went into the SCCA autocross school feeling pretty confident.  I underestimated just how much refinement I was really going to walk away with, and the places where I could really learn to be faster.  I though I would highlight a few of the main point here:

Throttle Steering:  I found that throttle steering was something that I was already doing subconsciously, but after taking the class, I know to think and look for it now.  When turning, the ability to change the location of the car without the use of the wheel really helps save time, and in the case of a rear-drive car, reduce the chance of losing control.

Slalom: I thought I was a good slalom driver, smooth and careful.  I learned that I was going way slower than I could have been.  Turning in sooner, and letting the momentum and weight pull the car around the cone allows one to be much faster.

I plan on implementing all of these learned techniques at the next event this Sunday.

Autocross School on July 1st

I got myself signed up for a Level 2 autocross school with SCCA for July 1st.  I am pretty excited to be able to refine my driving a bit, and see how well I am already doing for this being my first season.  I'll post an update with my learnings afterward.

How the Miata has changed my mechanical confidence

Before I owned the Miata, I knew a fair amount about cars, or at least I thought I did.  I understood the basics of how they worked, could change out a few parts, but was not confident in making changes outside of things like simple bolt on modifications.

When I bought the car, I told myself that I was going to use it as a way to learn, as well as a portal for racing.  When contemplating modifications, I often times found myself being timid because I was not sure if I would handle the job.  On several occasions, I had to force myself to bite the bullet and just go for it.  The results have been very much a learning experience for me, and I wanted to highlight some of the mods where I took something away:

-Installing the muffler:  Learned that I should not do exhaust work without PB Blaster and a breaker bar.

-Painting valve cover:  Dove in without good info about VVT removal, figured it out.  Learned about how oil feed VVT works, how to sand and paint metal, and how to replace gaskets with sealant.

-Installing sway bars and end-links:  Learned what these parts do to begin with, how they mount, and how important they are.  Most noticable upgrade so far.

-Installing a volt meter:  Learned how wiring in a car works, or at least how to splice and crimp.  Also required customization of the dash to make the gauge cluster fit.

-Installing the mid-pipe:  Learned that even with PB Blaster and a breaker bar, exhaust work still sucks.  Because of this, learned how to wire up an O2 sensor.  I have replaced them before, but had all been plug and play.  $70 instead of $200 to splice my own wires was well worth it. 

While none of this was terribly difficult(engine internals on my radar) I did learn a lot.  My confidence has improved and I am ready to tackle bigger things! 

Cool Video on Mazda's New Skyactiv Engine

Cool video talking about what Mazda did with their new Skyactiv engines.  I am looking forward to these being in the ND Miata.

Welcome to the Second Gear Racing Blog.

The 2012 Autocross season is in full swing here in Maryland.  My name is Alex, and this is my first year doing autocross.  I have been an automotive enthusiast since I was a kid, and the focus around cars has changed since that time.

I used to be focused on muscle cars and drag racing.  I have owned two Mustangs, and lived in the world of straight line performance for a long time.  After college, my motorsports knowledge blossomed into a much bigger world of racing.  Top Gear is mainly to blame, in conjunction with my personal desires to try more than  drag racing.

I started to do some research about autocross.  I had heard of it of course, but had never participated or watched it in person.  I found a few local clubs in my area who run events, and decided that it was something I wanted to try.  I looked at the Mustang I had, a 2000 GT Convertible, and decided that I needed a better tool to tackle the seas of cones I had seen in various videos.

The natural choice, a Miata.  I bought all three of Keith Tanner's books, started reading forums, and watched many videos on what the little roadsters were capable of.  I then started looking for a car, following Autotrader and Craigslist religiously to find the right one for me.  Armed with the knowledge I had picked up, I knew the one when it showed up.  It was a Race Red 01' LS, with the 6 speed, sport suspension, and low miles.  I ended up picking it up for a great deal, trading in the Mustang at the same time, and was ready to go!  The Miata has received several upgrades since then, which I'll likely cover in later posts.

The purpose of this blog will be to share experiences and learnings from the area autocrosses I participate in.  There may be some general automotive banter, as well as posts about upgrades and changes to the car.  I may incorporate some additional authors as well over time, so look for that.