What are the most competative oddball cars in autocross?

"Kanaric" (Kanaric1) 09/30/2014 at 20:46 • Filed to: None

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Me and a friend of mine are going to go together on a car for autocross and we're trying to figure out what's the oddest-best car we can run. The H reclass got us into this mood.

I guess i'm writing this as more of a thought experiment but if anyone here has any suggestions for us or input please give it, we would appreciate it.

It seems most oddball cars, like that Peugeot MI16, at 150hp and 2700lbs doesn't seem on paper to be able to compete with a Mini Cooper or Fiesta ST. Is there any oddball or rare AND inexpensive choice that can be good? Not just in this class, don't really care which class it is.

Failing this we're going MRS or Miata for E street.

The plan is I buy the car, we share maintenance and consumable prices.

Before the changes H Street was dominated by Mini. 2500lbs 120hp cars. The car above has a better power to weight ratio 150hp 2700lbs. If it has a good suspension setup and wider wheels stock it could be resonably competitive. But then the changes brought int he Fiesta ST.

First power to weight isn't everything. A car could have excellent power to weight but could have a terrible suspension setup or have disadvantages like having no limited slip. However starting with the "fastest" cars and then looking at which cars handle the best at least to me is a good strategy for picking something.

None of these FWD cars below have a LSD that I know of.

Power to weight ratio: (H street vehicles I could pick)

mi16 0.055

Mini 0.048 (not considering, out of price range looking for bargain basement cars.)

Fiesta ST 0.071 (not considering, out of price range looking for bargain basement cars.)

With such a significant advantage it looks like a Fiesta ST would be the target in that class of which I don't see a base Mini even competing with let alone that 405 MI16.

Then you have cars like the Integra GSR and others like that joining. Some like the later Prelude and Mustang SVO have price or NLA parts issues. 240SX will be a pain to find stock.

GSR: 0.062

318is: 0.054 (rwd and has lsd)

1G FWD turbo DSM: 0.068

93-96 Prelude: 0.064

200SX V6: 0.054 (rwd and has lsd, meh suspension I know first hand) 300ZX non-turbo is similar.

Milano Verde: 0.063 (rwd, lsd, don't know about stock suspension)

I just don't see any of these cars competing with a Fiesta ST. Civic SI, especially Mugen with it's wide tires as well is ridiculous.

Anyone have any ideas for this class? Others?

http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/assets/re…

From that PDF i'm not going to bother looking at the old cars in the class if everyone who was making it the nationals pretty much had a Mini aside 3 people.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 20:50

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None, all cars shall bow down to the almight Miata.

Brian Silvestro > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 20:50

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Do you want to win?

Fiesta ST

Do you want to have fun?

Fiesta ST

Do you want to win AND have fun?

Fiesta ST

RallyWrench > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 20:57

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Oldmobile Achieva. As I recall they were pretty competitive in SCCA events of the time, mostly due to the Quad 4 engine.

Kanaric > Brian Silvestro 09/30/2014 at 20:58

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Pretty much. I want an inexpensive car. The Fiesta ST is ridiculously common where I am so i'm kind of screwed there it looks like.

Trunk Impaired 318 > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 20:59

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The BMW 318ti should be pretty competitive in HS .0511 with a pretty solid stock suspension, RWD and they can be found with an LSD. /currently 2nd in PAX for my region in a 318ti in GS

Brian Silvestro > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 20:59

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It is? Wow. I guess you are screwed.

The Real Dacia Sandero > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 21:01

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Consumables on a Miata are incredibly cheap. Dunlop Z2s are $100 a corner, good brake pads are like $150 a set, rotors are $80 a set. The only expensive thing is that they burn through hubs pretty quick, but Flyin Miata makes upgraded ones that last. Get a 2001+ NB Miata. The best power/weight, and NB prices are super cheap. A clean example will run $5-6k. You're looking maybe 2300-2400 lbs and 143hp.

Kanaric > Brian Silvestro 09/30/2014 at 21:02

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Probably need to look at another class, I liked the idea of HS because I like the cars in it mostly but the Fiesta in there pretty much might make it no fun to me.

Kanaric > The Real Dacia Sandero 09/30/2014 at 21:03

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Yes we probably will go this. Just wanted to find a stock street tire class with variety though. My friend used to run a stock miata so it makes sense for us.

mcseanerson > The Real Dacia Sandero 09/30/2014 at 21:05

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Where are you getting Z2s for $100 a corner? No seriously where, I need new ones next season if I get my car running good in time.

Brian Silvestro > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 21:07

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Yeah HS was fine until they moved the Fiesta in there. I don't know why they did it. GS was a very competitive class, and I don't ever feel like I'm at a disadvantage when I race the Focus STs.

Kanaric > Brian Silvestro 09/30/2014 at 21:12

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It might be because they moved the Mazdaspeed 3 into there or that Ford maybe convinced them to move their cheaper car out of competing with the more expensive one, lol.

mcseanerson > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 21:13

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Where are the new classes listed?

Brian Silvestro > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 21:13

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Lol you're the second person to say that. I might have to agree.

"We can't have people seeing the cheap tiny economy car is just as fast as it's bigger, more expensive, +60hp counterpart!"

The Real Dacia Sandero > mcseanerson 09/30/2014 at 21:13

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205/50/15 is actually $122. I'm pretty sure they just raised the prices, because I remember the Z2 being $100 and the Bridgestone Re-11a was like $116 or something when I was looking at prices a few months ago.

mcseanerson > The Real Dacia Sandero 09/30/2014 at 21:14

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Well screw it. I'm on 14x6 anyways.

The Real Dacia Sandero > mcseanerson 09/30/2014 at 21:17

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http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js…

Kanaric > mcseanerson 09/30/2014 at 21:22

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http://www.solomatters.com/street_categor…

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 23:12

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Look for a Dodge/Chrysler Neon. I don't know if the fast versions of the car were sold in Canada, but in DOHC guise they packed 150hp in a 2,500 lb car. That's 0.06 hp/lb. The normal versions of the car had 132hp, which wasn't too shabby either. They also had 4-wheel independent suspension, and a rear sway bar standard on the sportier models.

mcseanerson > The Real Dacia Sandero 09/30/2014 at 23:21

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http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js…

mcseanerson > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 23:24

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Ford Mustang Boss 302 non-Laguna Seca (2012-2013) from AS to FS

Dude this is the one to get. Own everybody in FS.

Kanaric > mcseanerson 09/30/2014 at 23:25

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lol ya really. Too bad I just bought a GT. When I saw that I was like "well.... ok then"

Stef Schrader > Kanaric 09/30/2014 at 23:53

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Ohhhhh, I hate the changes. I hate them so much.

We're going to need an I Street for the actually slow cars to have a playground. The Mini should've been kicked out, not joined by other faster cars.

Kanaric > Stef Schrader 09/30/2014 at 23:56

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Allowing the Mugen Civic SI in there is absolutely insane. It's basically like a track prepped car in a class where all the FWDs have 205 or less tire and no LSDs.

mcseanerson > Kanaric 10/01/2014 at 06:55

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Yeah, I think someone goofed there.