Philly SCCA Mini of the Mainline Event #1

Photo by Anthony DiGiovanni

Welcome back readers.  On Sunday, April 19th, Philly SCCA had their first event of the season for points-- Mini of the Mainline Event #1.

The week following this event was full of racing action.  I had a test and tune on the previous Sunday, I had a track day on Wednesday of that week, and those events all led up to the first autocross of the season.

With over 150 entries, the season opener is always full of people and there is a limited amount of runs.  This means that there were only four runs for each person and therefore less opportunities to tweak the car's settings.

My run occurred in heat three.  During heat two, I took the opportunity to prep my car for the first run.  In addition, my friends Edd and Shawn ran in heat two!

Edd's Car

At the test and tune, I noticed that I was getting a lot of sidewall scrub at what seemed like the optimal tire pressure for a compromise of grip and oversteer for my heavy, front-wheel drive car.  So, I decided to change my tire pressures from low to high.  Here is what the tire pressures were at before I ran:

• Front Driver: 34 PSI
• Front Pass.: 32 PSI
• Rear Driver: 32 PSI
• Rear Pass: 30 PSI

It looks like they had changed since my track day since my tire pressures were two PSI lower on my passenger side than my driver side.  Maybe I don't remember changing them after some hot laps?  NJMP's thunderbolt does have a lot of left turns after all.  The pressures for the first run were:

• Front Driver: 40 PSI
• Front Pass.: 40 PSI
• Rear Driver: 36 PSI
• Rear Pass.: 36 PSI

For the second run, I noticed a lot of understeer.  Despite this I went down to 36 PSI in the rear while the tires were hot.  Note that hot PSI are always higher than cold PSI.  Think ideal gas law if you've ever been in a high school chemistry class.  Run 2:

• Front: 40 PSI
• Rear: 36 PSI

Second run was my best run.  I understeered like crazy into a corner after the turnaround at Warminster, but the time I made up in the slalom on the first half of the course made a huge difference.  I don't know why I didn't just wait to see if my brakes would heat up to allow me to stop sooner or if the increased tire temps would increase my quickness, but I guess I was just antsy.

Photo by Anthony DiGiovanni

I think that's one of the challenges with autocross for a guy like me.  I'm so tempted to make changes to the car when it may not be necessary.  I may have just been able to leave the car at the same tire pressures since I did so well in the first half of the course and just adjust my driving style for the second half of the course.

Photo by Anthony DiGiovanni

I guess it all comes with experience.  Anyway, I adjusted my tire pressures for the third run despite all of this.  Run three was as follows:

• Front: 38 PSI
• Rear: Same as before

Photo by Anthony DiGiovanni

Run three was actually slower than I predicted.  I got some pretty nasty oversteer in the first slalom and that slid me into the Chicago box on the firs thalf of the course.  As a result I decided to lower the rear tire pressure for the fourth run:

• Front: 36 PSI
• Rear: 32 PSI

The fourth run went better in the first half of the course, but again my brakes didn't bite as I had expected in the second half of the course...so I ended up hitting a cone head-on with my car.  It kind of sucked!  At the end of the day my best time was a 42.9 and I got third in DSP thanks to my mishap on the fourth run!

Photo by Anthony DiGiovanni

Despite all of this nonsense though, as you can see in the above picture, my friend Alex finally got to autocross his winter build known as Touge Turbo!  Go look up the hash tag on Instagram to see more his build!  #TougeTurbo

The video of my runs is below!  I even included cockpit video with this one and as usual I included commentary on my driving technique and on the car setup.  Thanks for reading guys!

So You Think Hybrids Aren't Cool...

Back when I was first kicking off Lexi.Laron, I did features on the renewal and maintenance of my '98 Lexus ES300 with over 250,000 miles on it.  But as I started to realize that I really wanted an RSX Type-S, I decided to focus on making my dream happen.

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My baby

But let's put it this way, dreams don't just happen.  Dreams are inspired.  And being that Honda's slogan is "The power of dreams," I find it appropriate that their CR-Z Mugen RR was one of the cars which sparked a flame in my heart and drove me to put my first down payment on that RSX pictured above.

Yet, recently I've questioned Honda's ability to power dreams-- or at least power dreams of speed and screaming VTAK!!!!  Well, for those of you in the same boat as I am, I think that there is really hope that Honda may finally be on the verge of making something cool again...but wait-- it's a hybrid??

Honda Performance Development Supercharged CR-Z at SEMA Auto Salon Source

I mean yeah, I've been talking about how the CR-Z would come out in a cooler package, but this is the second time that Honda's brought a supercharged CR-Z motor out to SEMA Salon (let alone a whole car), and it's not the first supercharged CR-Z we've seen.  Again, reference that Mugen RR link I have up there^.

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And it's always like car companies to come out with concepts of cool cars just to let us down again, but when they bring it out over and over again to major shows around the world, like Nissan did with the GTR concept before they made the R35 GTR, I've seen a higher likelihood that the cars actually get produced.

Anyway, enough chatter.  Let's delve into the details of Honda's most recent showcase for forced induction goodness in a little 1.5 L.

Engine bay of the HPD Supercharged Hybrid Source

On October 31, 2012 Motor Trend posted an article showcasing the little pitbull talking about modifications made by HPD.  Modifications include a tuned suspension, tuned brakes, exhaust, and new wheels with better tires.

Sporty rear valance with center-exit exhaust-- can you say Mini Cooper S?  Source

I spy with my little eye what looks like a four-piston caliper with slotted rotors!  Source

So now...now we talk numbers.  Numbers are always a controversial topic for Honda owners, with some owners boasting about their horsepower per liter numbers while adversaries mock their poor torque numbers.

Yet, as you know with new emissions regulations coming about and with increasing gas prices, it's just not economical to make naturally aspirated engines that rev to 8300 RPM like my K20Z1 does.  No matter how cool it is, it's just not practical.  So that's WHY Honda has chosen the route of forced induction.  By pushing air into your engine it is possible to get more horsepower per liter while also getting great increases in torque as well.

By pairing a hybrid drivetrain with a super capacitor (high power density) and lithium-ion batter (high energy density) with a forced-induction engine with a down-sped crankshaft, the thermodynamic volumetric efficiency of the engine is increased (more horsepower per liter, less fuel consumption), gas is saved, and the torque is all provided by the sudden release of power from the super capacitor which powers the electric motor!  All of this results in a predicted power output of 185 horsepower and 169 ft-lb's of torque.  Those are some pretty well-balanced numbers for a 2500 lb chassis!

Honda's supercharged Integrated Motor Assist Engine at SEMA Source

So, no it's not a rear-wheel drive car with a low center of gravity and a high-revving engine or turbocharger.  It's a hybrid.  But I'd say it's a pretty cool hybrid.  Maybe Honda is working on the next new thing.  Well, we'll have to see, right?

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Until next time, Lexi.Laron is signing out.  Peace.

Brandon's Raw and Real EJ Civic

I don't think that the Civics and older Hondas represented in Honda Tuning Magazine and in other import magazines properly represent what Hondas look like on the street.

Yes, often times you see a Honda on the street and it's not perfect!  It's usually riced out with a huge wing and a giant fart can.  They're a far cry from the culture of engine swaps and suspension drops of the Hondas in the magazines.  Yet there are Hondas out there boasting engine swaps with suspension drops out there, daily driving it up.

But I still don't think that the magazines represent those cars properly...

There's a raw feel to the normally streeted Honda that those magazines miss out on.  And while these everyday cars may have minor flaws, they also have a sort of character that I truly admire.

Enter Brandon's Civic, a car that I saw roll up at my local car meet about a month ago and had the opportunity to shoot at the Daily Werks Crew November Cruise and Shoot. I really enjoy this car because it is so raw and represents a true daily-driven workhorse that still gets up and goes.

Cheers, Brandon!

Stanced in front of some treeezzz.

Autumn is here.  <3 br="br">

A picture OF his car IN his car!?  I think so!

There's something about the old interiors in these Civics that I love-- simple and clean, there's not much to them and I kind of miss that about old Hondas.

Drivin' like a mugg.

Stanced once more.

Let's finish this one up with the boys!

Until next time, WE OUT (or ME out...)

The New Acura NSX

The new Acura NSX was revealed today at the Detroit Auto Show.  Although details are scarce, the car seems a lot like its father.  It's sleek and sexy, it's got interconnected taillights, and its got a mid-engine setup.

However, this is no normal NSX.  Rather than sporting a meaty V10 like the expensive LFA or a 3.4 liter V8 engine like the previous concept, it will sport a hybrid powerplant.

The engine will be a VTEC V6 with direct injection, and a hybrid drive to send power through its all new Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive System for better handling on corners where torque is needed at slipping wheels.

Although we are all stoked to empty our wallets for this new supercar, it is three years away.  And what is to say that this new concept is any different from Honda's....awesome EV-ster Concept (aside from being a supercar).  Will Acura trash this plan as they did with the previous concept or will they persevere to make this dream a reality?

Only time will tell.  But, I'm just saying...I like this one.