Lauren

You can find out what a tyre manufacturer recommends in terms of wheel width compared to tyre width.
 
http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/tyre-size-for-rim-width_topic60146.html
Or use this as a guide. 
 
I tried 225/45/17 on an 8" rim. Too much sidewall flex. So I'm going back to 215s on the same rim as the car was far more responsive which I liked. 
 
I will lose a bit of ride quality, that is true, but I think it's worth the pay off. 
 
Obviously with all these things you can simply go too far. This can lead to tyres coming off the rims which is not good. Drifters like a rigid sidewall because it makes it easier to drift, well easier to get the car sideways and easier to hold it there. This is to an extent why I like a bit of stretch. Anyone who saw me at the hairpin at Lydden Hill will understand that it just made it so easy to place the car at any angle you want. As soon as you bring sidewall flex in, it gets harder. 
 
The other way to reduce tyre flex is to reduce the tyre profile. For example running a 225/40/18 is I think better than running a 225/45/17. The problem is the wheel gets heavier but the upside is the handling remains sharp well you lose a bit due to wheel weight, but everything is a compromise. But as a general rule run a rim width which is at the upper end of the scale in compared to tyre width. 
 
Here's a pic of mine from last year with a 215 on an 8" rim:
 
Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr

No he's not! I've already harassed him about this!

Yes, to be fair a sprint environment is a safe place to get a taster. Don't worry about smashing the experienced driver's times in your class, just get a feel for it and go at a speed you are comfortable at. You don't have to take any risks after all.
 
Take a relaxed attitude to it, learn from what others are doing, there's always plenty of tips floating around. If at the end of the day we finish early you can do passenger rides with other competitors which will doubtless teach you a lot. 

It is frustrating, James I agree. The first one going at 40K miles is not really so big an issue. The second one has only been on since last June though! That's not good enough. We'll see if I'm third time lucky or I'll be looking at other options if the next one breaks.
 
I think with the amount of mileage I do, I'm a good tester for aftermarket parts! 

glol like shooting fish in a carbon fibre barrel

So here is the MY2015 GT86 Aero which is RRG Macclesfield's demonstrator.    This car features the 'Aero' kit comprising of front splitter, side skirts, rear valence and of course that huge rear wing! The Aero also comes with 18x7" OZ Utraleggera wheels shod with Yokohama Advan V105 225/40/18 tyres. Ultraleggera is Italian for ultralight. I must say it sets the car off well. In addition, Richard has added a Blitz Advance Induction kit along with the Blitz Suction Kit. An AVO Turbo World 2.5" exhaust with a straight through pipe replacing the secondary catalyzer completes the effects in the sound department. For a bit of extra looks Richard has added a diffuser too.    Here is the Blitz Advance Induction Kit:   Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   AVO Turbo World Exhaust tips:   Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Diffuser: Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   For the road test we took in some of our local favourites roads, namely the infamous A537 Cat and Fiddle road which runs from Macclesfield to Buxton and also some of the A54 which runs down towards Bosley. Both are excellent roads with good elevation and a number of yumps and bumps and well cambered bends. This is most definitely a driver's dream were it not for the average speed cameras. I remember the days well before these and it's still a spot full of suicidal bikers, so you need to keep your wits about you.    We headed up the Cat and Fiddle and though it was dry it was just covered in salt which made it very slippery indeed. Not ideal conditions you might think, but on the other hand it allowed to play with the malleable chassis at much lower speeds and so kept it all reasonably sensible. My fiancee following in my car was not happy on winter tyres and didn't look like he was having half as much fun as I was! I also noted a lower 40 profile compared to when I ran these tyres on my car in 225/45/17 took out the sidewall flex that I didn't like so much with mine.    For the MY 2015 car, there is one very important change and that is the use of Sachs dampers. Now, I'd love to compare my thoughts to the old standard suspension, but my car no longer has it, so really all I can do is compare the new car's suspension characteristics to my car which has Tein Streetflex coilovers with EDFC Active Pro. What immediately struck me is that the ride of the Aero GT86 is a bit more comfortable than mine, especially so over sunken manhole covers and the like. I think the lower spring rate compared to my car also helps here. The good news is that this car is just great out of the box. You could easily jump in this car, drive an hour and a half to Donington, hoon about all day on track then cruise back on the way home. Of course all GT86's can do this, but driving this car reminded just how well sorted the standard GT86 is in that respect.    I drove the car in 'VSC Sport' mode as after all I wasn't going to be a hooligan on the Queen's highway and well, it's not my car of course. However Sport mode does allow a little slip and really it was child's play to just push the rear wide on the exit of corners. I did notice some understeer whilst carrying speed into a number of corners, but I could ebb that away by slightly lifting the throttle and once the car was turning in, I could then get on the throttle and be a little naughty on the exit. This holds true for the experience I had in my car when it had standard suspension, but I've dialled out the understeer with more aggressive geommetry settings, so my car is that bit sharper. But this is to be expected after all.    What I really liked was how good the damping was. It coped well with crests, didn't bottom out and never seemed to crash over bigger bumps. This is a well controlled chassis and it's ripe for exploitation, which I admit, I did and with a lot of enjoyment too. This car has a great balance and I have to be honest, I'd be comfortable just turning all the stability aids off and having a right little play in the low grip conditions, but I did manage to behave myself and keep them on, just!    There is good feel from the steering, the driving position couldn't be better really and all the main controls have a nice weight to them. I particularly liked the Blitz induction kit as it just sounds amazing from 5500-7400rpm. So much so in fact that I just wanted to keep revving it out to the redline! It just seems to roar at the top end of the rev range. Brilliant! Also the AVO Turbo World exhaust really does sound the part. It's not quite as deep as my Milltek, but nor is it raspy at all. So it never annoys, but plays a nice tune I think. Richard has come up with a good combination with the exhaust and induction kit. I really think these two items are essential as it just goes with the looks and also there's that feeling of being a bit more involved in the whole driving process when you can hear a bit more about what is going on! So exhausts and induction kits are very important!    For the sake of comparison I'll talk a little about how my car feels in comparison. Really it's sharper on turn in and when loaded up the dampers stiffen with g-force so you feel the car hunker down as cornering speeds build up. My car has less understeer and tends to oversteer more easily, which is how I like it, but perhaps not my fiancee so much! I do feel though the standard car is doubtless improved by the Sachs dampers giving it a more controlled ride and less of the bobbing around at lower speeds that my car used to do on the older OEM non Sachs suspension. But a less pointy setup in OEM guise is probably what most would prefer and it's easy to feel what the car is doing and adjust throttle and steering inputs to suit your chosen line.    Up on the 'Cat': Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   OZ Ultra light wheels: Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Richard, Mark and Indy, the other part of the road test crew! Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   That huge spoiler: Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   On the A54: Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Interior shot of the new carbon look dash panel which does look better than the previous more plastic looking fascia (It's still plastic of course): Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   The Tyre Pressure Monitoring system, which is mandatory but not loved by many as apparently it's a pain if you swop your wheels! Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Optional leather interior with heated seats: Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   No changes for the instrument panel: Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Nice embroidered 86 logo which comes with the leather seat option:  Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   It's got rear seats, though you might not use them that often! Untitled by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   There is a video we shot that I will add shortly which will add a bit more visual detail.

The 86 is going into Fensport next Friday to get the Cosworth Supercharger kit, Tein Street Flex kit, Avo exhaust and front and rear bushes done along with complete Geo setup. My mate who is a ride and handling specialist will be helping me to dial it in once I get it back.

All being well we'll have worked out how to make it go fast enough by the time we get to TSS on 29th March at Snetterton.

Another little update, bought a team voodoo gearknob  . Sits a little lower and doesn't have the irritating stitch line.
 

Good stuff. Sounds like you're building a car just like mine! I have 17x8 TE37's, albeit powder coated they came in at 7.4kg. I've already got the Tein suspension and the TRD start button! Are you going for EDFC?

Standard wheels, and wheel nuts 9.2kgs per corner, 8"x17" Rays TE37 Seibon Edition wheels and Mishimoto racing wheel nuts 7.2kgs per corner.
 

 

 
Tein Coiliovers on their way !

GLOL, YKIMS! 

Go away!

So many bits to buy!

I admit, I like going sideways too much to fit a grippier tyre. Well I did try it and found it made the car boring so going back to OEM tyres in ten days time. It was putting on the winter tyres last November that made me realise how much more fun is less grip.
 
Sliding can be faster it just depends really. Above all I like to enjoy myself. A fast lap may bring a smile, but a sideways lap normally results in a lot more than smiling. I know which I prefer.

These have now arrived, I'll get them shipped out shortly

That would be my thinking. Whilst I could put a supercharger or turbo on to balance the grip and power well with a 225 tyre, it's far cheaper to reduce the grip back to stock levels as then with my suspension I can fully exploit the chassis. I think if the car isn't moving around, you're not into the handling of it and balancing the angle of the car with the throttle is very much what it is to be in the 'zone' at least for me any way.
 
Last year I put on Advans in 225's and the fun dissapeared. Yes it was faster, but that's not everything for me. Whereas with the stock Primacy tyre I could play all day and it was a lot more fun as I do like to drift a bit.

I'm not surprised. I had 225's on (Advans) and I found it hard to get it drifting or get the rear end to move around. So 235's will be more so. 
 
I'm going back to Primacys on my 8" rims so will be interesting to see how our times compare at Snett which I don't know at all. Still not had a remap yet either! It's my theory that I can drive a car faster if I can steer it on the throttle more. We'll see!

Only a week to go

Quick clean and a blast out

I had also bought the TRD boot set to continue the red stripe theme!
 
Also black buttons (aka poverty spec for Lauren!) as all silver is now being removed! 
 
From this

 
to this

 
The TRD surround is pressed, bushed aluminium and sits over the original panel. Fit is very good, but does not (and would struggle to) go around the buttons, so there is very small (maybe 2mm) area around the buttons where you can still see the silver.  As such i haven't taped this in place yet.  Need to trial red or black for this bit before committing!
 
And finally to this...

 
Very pleased!! (and yes the car needs cleaning - I'm resurfacing my drive so everything is filthy at the moment!

I expect the £175 is excluding VAT come to think about it! So £214 then!

again only small steps, but with a couple of pictures.
 
So after a 4 week wait my alloy's have now officially arrived and they are sat right next to my desk...for the time being, need to get some tyres and want some orange if possible lug nuts, any recommendations on where to get them? or what make to go for? The silver ones they sent with my wheels look nasty.
 
Anyway 3 pictures in the meantime.
 

 
 

 

 

Unless you plan to go open cockpit at some point or rules require, I'd go open face .

If you are running road car safety,bags,belts etc then it's probably all a moot point anyway.

OMG Lauren.... You wrote a book. I literally considered Rav4 for myself buy stuck in between land cruiser, discovery and rav4. İ guess I'll wait a bit more but thank you for this brilliant review. I guess Rav4 impressed you a lot which made you write this review. Thanks one more time...

I had this car from RRG Macclesfield as a courtesy car for five days.    It's the top of the range Rav4 with 4WD the 2.2 DCI engine (149bhp/251 lb/ft torque) and this car had leather heated electric seats (electric adjustment for the driver) and sat nav with the new Toyota Touch & Go two system which has the bonus of DAB radio.    Firstly I'm not going to try and compare it to my daily driver, a modified, lowered GT86 with quite serious suspension geommetry, but it was interesting to drive for a week and after five days it grew on me if I'm honest.    So firstly looks. Well it's a mid sized crossover vehicle, so think mid-sized saloon with a higher ride height and bigger wheels and 4WD. In a way, it looks bigger than it is, in a similar way to a Hilux Surf does. Driving the car, it doesn't feel hugely wide on the road, it's more the length that you notice.    IMG_3587 by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   This car is fitted with a reversing camera and parking sensors on the front. These are useful when parking, but the sensors are a little conservative and will carry on beeping when you are stationary which is a minor annoyance if like me, you occasionally find yourself waiting in the car with the engine running and the sensors keep beeping whilst you are sitting there. Thankfully, you can turn them off, but it would be better if once the handbrake is applied they stopped beeping.    IMG_3586 by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   The interior of this car is the range topper Invincible with leather which certainly lifts the interior. The leather swathe across the centre of the dashboard is nice, though all plastics surrounding this including the dashboard are hard to the touch and the gold shiny plastic surround does not really give a quality feel. It's almost like the leather serves to highlight this. As one might expect, that said, it's all rather well put together, despite not having the feel of say it's German counterparts.    This brings me to the layout of the dashboard and ergonomics. The heater controls feature dual climate control which is handy to the touch, though in automatic mode no fan speeds are displayed, which does seem unusual, as the middle part of the display remains blank. It does work very well though and there are no complaints in this respect. I didn't quite manage to work out what the fast/soft button actually did, but there were three settings, soft, medium and fast. I left it in medium but did not notice a difference in the other modes when I tried them.    IMG_3585 by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   The seats were comfortable with electric adjustment for the driver including lumbar support which was nice. They seemed comfortable and there were two settings for the heated seats. The heated seat buttons were below the leather dash swathe which was fine for me, but if you were of the type that likes to be in kissing distance of the windscreen, I wonder if you might never find them. There is also a 'Sport' button here which sharpens throttle response and also gives more weight to the steering.    IMG_3584 by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   The steering feel is fine though, it's not as sharp as a more focused car, but that you can feel the weight of those big wheels and tyres means I'm certainly getting some feedback. Throttle response is typically diesel, it's always going to be a little dull as you find that you inevitably tend to flex your right foot to build boost and get the turbo spinning before that surge of torque pushes you down the road.    Talking of which, the engine gives ample torque and is good around town and also on the motorway where it can increase speed easily once you are used to flexing your right foot a bit more than you would with a petrol engine. The car has a 0-60mph time of 9.6 seconds according to the stats and this is none too shabby. The gearing is typically long, so I found that 6th gear wasn't used until the car is over 55mph. Around town an indicated 30mph is a bit inbetween 3rd and 4th gear, though a true 30mph is 4th gear. This can mean that when you are behind someone who is driving a little under the limit 3rd gear is a better option. I did find though that I changed gear less as a result which wasn't a bad thing.    In respect of handling, it's fairly neutral with a leaning towards understeer. This is perhaps what is to be expected. The ride is a little busy at lower speeds, though it's no issue, but really the car works it's best on the motorway and at higher speed where it feels well damped and stable. I did get the opportunity through necessity to drive the car in light snow, which brought the active four-wheel-drive system into play. I must say I was impressed with this as it just gave a go anywhere confidence in difficult conditions which was reassuring. It would be improved further with winter tyres. The car also features a differential lock, though I never had a need to use it!    In respect of economy I improved the average figure of 36mpg to 39.9mpg which is not bad for quite a heavy car that doesn't have the best drag coefficient.    Here's a picture (sorry for it being blurred) of the blue illumination of the dashboard. I must say I wasn't sure about this, but I did get used to it. I should add that the in-car stereo was more than up to the job and with some light tweaking of the settings gave a good overall sound.    IMG_3590 by Lauren Blighton, on Flickr   Overall the car grew on me. It was comfortable, easy to drive with light controls and felt secure in it's handling. In tough conditions it inspired confidence and was a nice place to be. Oh and I musn't forget it's party trick which is the electrically opening and closing tailgate!