1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Viggen + road course = LOTS of fun!! (long)
Posted by pmr on Fri, 27 Jul 2001 17:22:02
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Yesterday I had the chance to run my Viggen at the Waterford Hills road course north of Detroit and I can say without any reservation that it was ABSOLUTELY the most fun I've ever had in a car!!!
The event was a driving school put on by the Corvette Club of Michigan but it was more of an open track day than a driving school. There were about 50 cars and all but 7 were Corvettes. Tons of Z06's and C5's, a few C4's, a couple other late models (mid '70s to early '80s). Plus several supercharged Mallett 435 C5's, a Mongoose 400, a ZR1, a fully race prepared C5 with full roll cage and computer engine monitoring via laptop (driven by a GM suspension/chassis engineer), and the Lap of America Corvette (which was also supercharged and was the fastest car there).
The course was very demanding and required a great deal of finesse and technical ability. I must say that I ran the whole day (3 twenty+ minute sessions) without getting passed a single time and I shocked lots of people. Over the course of the day I passed about a dozen people including a couple of C5s and a ram-air Trans Am--not bad for a car with 1/2 the cylinders and 40% of the displacement.
My Yokohama AVS Sport 225/45/17's were absolutely ASTOUNDING. The car was glued to the track all day. I got lucky and nailed the tire pressures (40f/35r) which gave the car a very controlled tossability and very good neutrality that was easily modulated with the right foot. Not once did the car do something that I wasn't expecting. The tires did a phenomenal job of getting the power to the ground, but the biggest difference was in the braking. Not ONCE the entire day did the ABS kick in, even at the end of the back stretch where I hit speeds of 93mph before STANDING on the brakes for a very tight right hander. The brakes held up very well also, without a hint of fade at all.
It was very obvious that the Viggen's power is incredible. The straights let me just plain walk away from other more powerful cars. But in the tight and twisty stuff I would lost some ground. For those interested in tweaking I'd recommend concentrating on suspension and leave the engine alone.
Find a local track that has an open driving day and SIGN UP NOW. My entire day cost $85 for the 1 hour+ of track time and even included lunch. Amazingly I went through about 3/4 of a tank of gas (94 octane Sunoco), and my wheels are COATED with brake dust.
I still have a permanent grin on my face. The best comment of the day came from a woman that had been sitting in the bleachers on the front straight, watching her husband. At the end of the day she said to me, "You were WAY faster down the straightaway than anyone else in your group. We (the crowd in the bleachers) didn't think you'd make the turn at the end but you did every time. Your car is FAST!"
Not bad coming from a woman whose husband was in a Z06!!
pmr
'99 9-3 Viggen (awesome, AWESOME car!!!!!)
'99 9-5 SE V6
posted by 65.204.8...
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