I love this car... and this circuit. This was the first time on track with the suspension modifications and turbo, and it just worked superbly. The handling was absolutely
sublime. Paddock Hill is considerably more daunting than it looks on the TV, it's almost rollercoaster-style steep and I guessed that if I was going to fall off the track, this would be the spot. I was wrong though, eventually I was 4-wheel drifting through it, and it was the following harmless-looking bend where I almost binned it, with a bit too much lurid oversteer and a ham-fisted correction.
This modified M3 was very quick, until it had a big crash at that same corner and closed the track for nearly 30 minutes. Nobody was hurt but the car was wrecked and is unlikely to see a road again.
I had some excellent laps chasing a couple of fellow Nutzers in turbo MX5s. I learnt a lot by following their lines, and was soon driving around Graham Hill bend on the throttle (
dabs of oppo being required), 4-wheel drifting through Surtees, but then it all went to pieces because I couldn't find a good line through the final bends. Once on the pit straight my little wheels and short gearing came into effect though, pulling away from cars considered much quicker. I'd gone off the speedo by the time I'd reached the braking point! Other vehicles were vastly quicker though - an Imprezza with more than 500bhp could pretty much pass anything at any point on the circuit. The effectiveness of the Elise was demonstrated too, the yellow one going round must have had a note from it's mum, excusing it from the laws of physics. The old EBC Greenstuff brake pads held up well, I was surprised by their consistency and effectiveness. I still don't much like them on the road though. The T1R tyres were excellent too, being impressively sticky when hot. Fuel consumption was about er... 11 miles per gallon. Eco-terrorism like this won't be tolerated forever, best I book more track days immediately.
I love this car... and this circuit. This was the first time on track with the suspension modifications and turbo, and it just worked superbly. The handling was absolutely sublime. Paddock Hill is considerably more daunting than it looks on the TV, it's almost rollercoaster-style steep and I guessed that if I was going to fall off the track, this would be the spot. I was wrong though, eventually I was 4-wheel drifting through it, and it was the following harmless-looking bend where I almost binned it, with a bit too much lurid oversteer and a ham-fisted correction. 
I had some excellent laps chasing a couple of fellow Nutzers in turbo MX5s. I learnt a lot by following their lines, and was soon driving around Graham Hill bend on the throttle (dabs of oppo being required), 4-wheel drifting through Surtees, but then it all went to pieces because I couldn't find a good line through the final bends. Once on the pit straight my little wheels and short gearing came into effect though, pulling away from cars considered much quicker. I'd gone off the speedo by the time I'd reached the braking point! Other vehicles were vastly quicker though - an Imprezza with more than 500bhp could pretty much pass anything at any point on the circuit. The effectiveness of the Elise was demonstrated too, the yellow one going round must have had a note from it's mum, excusing it from the laws of physics. The old EBC Greenstuff brake pads held up well, I was surprised by their consistency and effectiveness. I still don't much like them on the road though. The T1R tyres were excellent too, being impressively sticky when hot. Fuel consumption was about er... 11 miles per gallon. Eco-terrorism like this won't be tolerated forever, best I book more track days immediately.
