VAD17

Great day saying Farewell to Rockingham on Saturday!
 
XSP_0849 by Richard Beale, on Flickr
 
XSP_0713 by Richard Beale, on Flickr
 
XSP_0315 by Richard Beale, on Flickr
 

A new GT86 Club Series has been launched and this time it's called the 'Blue Edition', with it's own colour of electric blue. You may remember the other Club Series edition in Solar Orange. That model was solely cosmetic, but whilst you could say the same of the Blue Edition it has an optional extra called the 'Performance Pack'. The interesting thing about the performance pack is what you get for the extra £1460. Richard from RRG Macclesfield invited me down on a sunny day to drive it. 
How about this for value? In the pack there are 4 piston Brembo calipers up front and two piston Brembo calipers a the rear. The Sachs dampers are revalved to increase their stiffness and gain more focus on handling. There is also some strengthening to the lower arms on the rear suspension and you get a set of different wheels. These are presumably to be able to clear the new bigger brake calipers and bigger discs. When you add up the cost of these extra and very nice parts, it seems like an absolute bargain for the money. The performance pack is only available on the Blue Edition, so could this be the best GT86 you can buy right now? 
Let's start with the colour, which if you want the performance pack you will have to like. Thankfully it's a lovely colour reminiscent of Porsche Maritime Blue which really is no bad thing at all. I rather like it. 

There is something just so appealing about a nice set of Brembo calipers on a car. Whilst the standard GT86 brakes are certainly adequate I have found their limits at times on Alpine descents and also on the race track. A big brake kit with greater stopping capacity is hugely confidence inspiring when you are pushing on and let's face it, you'd have it wouldn't you? Here's the fronts and rears respectively:


This car supplied by RRG Macclesfield also has the addition of an HKS drop in air filter and a resonated Cobra exhaust. I totally agree with Richard here in that the first thing you should change on this car is the exhaust, the stock one is just way too quiet. When I review a GT86 for RRG Macclesfield I always follow my usual test route, the 'Lauren Triangle'. This takes the A523 out of Macclefield to Boseley, then the A54 up to the top with the downhill route being on the infamous A537 Cat and Fiddle road. Fifteen years ago I used to live in Macc' and this was my test route and practice route when I was racing back then. It's a spectacular drive with a real good variety of corners, compressions and perhaps more importantly a route I know intimately. 
So what do the changes mean? Well, setting off on the relative cruise in traffic out of Macc' and towards Boseley, the car maintains it's decent ride quality as the standard kouki car. It's a comfortable and more refined place to be than the earlier zenki car which I have. Richard told me that when he got out of a stock 2018 car and into this one that he felt that the car cornered more flattly and was better controlled. When I look for these comparisons it's really tricky as my benchmark is of course my car which I've driven for past 122,000 miles and my car has coilovers, poly bushings and pretty much everything done on the suspension, so a stock car always feels like more of a cooking version in comparison. But, compare I shall. There are no changes to the interior in the Blue Edition, so no orange stitching that you got in the Original Club Series car. 
After a sedate drive we turn left onto the A54 to Boseley and this is my chance to open the car up, so off we go. As I approach the first tricky set of S- bends I can see that the road is glistening somewhat. Perhaps not ideal when I remind myself I'm on the Primacy HP tyre, I've got the car set to track mode as well to allow me a little more slip, well some is better than none at all! The car inspires confidence and we navigate the first few tricky bends easily, not pushing too hard. This is my first time on the brakes and there is a lovely amount of feel to them. I note that they require a higher pedal pressure than my car running AP 4 piston calipers up front. That's not a bad thing as it allows you to modulate the brake pressure well. Then as we start to climb we inevitably happen upon a seemingly well driven Fiat Panda, though I'm barely trying to be honest. From here we end up behind a tractor for some time and end up in a line of traffic. Sometimes it goes your way, other times it doesn't. Never mind we pull over further up in a lay by to take some pictures and let the traffic go 

The traffic has gone and I know we are about to give this car a real test. The next section of road is very up and down with some hard compressions with sweeping bends and a good opportunity to push the car a bit harder. As we hit the first series of bends, the car loads up well maintaining it's composure and as the road dips and rises the damping is certainly keeping up with things, I feel confident to push the car harder and it's standard ride height, means I can push the car hard through compressions that would cause my car to be kissing the tarmac. We become briefly airborne over one of the rises, just leaving the tarmac, but the car deals with it no problem. I'm impressed and enjoying myself here. The difference in damping between this car and a standard one, feels for me fairly subtle, but perhaps coming from a car with bespoke dampers and active suspension it was always going to be far less of a difference when comparing to mine. 
What is important here is that there is some perceived to help to turn in and the damping has no problem dealing with mid corner bumps holding it's line and staying composed. As we rise towards the top of the A54 I notice they've laid new tarmac, time to update my records and I think that I haven't given the brakes much of a test yet, but there is the downhill on the Cat'n'Fiddle to come. 
We cross the plateau and pass the Cat and Fiddle pub which is still not open. Terrible pub in an iconic location. And so we begin our descent and through the first corner, 'Moisties', named so because it is always damp due to water running across it and then onto the 'Balcony' giving a great view over the Peak District. All the corners on the Cat'n'Fiddle have names. The best thing about this road is how far you can sight ahead and soon we easily pass the traffic in front of us. This car has only done 700 odd miles, so the engine feels a little tight and I'm being a bit easy on it. As we approach the first tight left hander at speed, I'm able to really get on the brakes. The car stops well, no doubt about that, pedal feel is more than my car but it is not difficult to modulate it well. I did find it a little hard to move the rear around under braking on the turn-in but I know that it's easier on my car with more front bias, but the car grips well and I can still neutralise any understeer, leading to the stability control just intervening on the exit with a smidge of opposite lock. 
This car just eggs you on and really a GT86 is simply made for roads like these. Even better the road is nice and dry for the most part, so I can work the suspension and the balance feels good. I'm aware with stock geommetry settings that more negative camber helps get rid of any understeer, but I think this car is doing a bit better with it's uprated dampers over the standard car. I can feel myself getting into the zone, relishing every heel and toe downchange, loading the car up ready for the next corner, nailing the exit and getting a little bit of oversteer in places. 
We pull over for a quick breather and more pictures and some five minutes later all the traffic we passed at the top, comes by!

A quick glance and oil temperature is around 120C, which shows that you can get it to a fair old temperature if you are working it hard, but it never really seems to go above this at least on the road. The rest of the drive down is spoilt somewhat by traffic, but never mind, we've had a good few clear sections to test the car. This is really a test of the performance pack and it's no surprise that it is absolutely worth having. You'd have to be crazy to order a Blue Edition without ticking the Performance Pack it is just an absolute no brainer. The cost of individually buying the Brembo calipers all round would easily be more than the cost of the performance pack and you get wheels and uprated dampers as well. This car really is the ideal base model if you want to go modifying. My only observation with the brakes and this may relate to comparing them to mine is that I wondered if the pads didn't quite bite as well as mine. I've been mulling this over, but I think it is that mine require less pedal pressure to get them to bite and this could simply be more that I need to acclimatise to this set up. 
This car also has the improved JBL setup and Richard gave me a demonstration. It is way, way better than the original JBL setup, though seeming to use the same components there has been some retuning. The bass is more prominent and the clarity of sound is much clearer. Again, I have a £3000 pro-install in my car, but the new JBL system starts to look worth the money as the standard sound system is just so poor. I think they should offer the JBL set up as standard really! 


The spare wheel has gone and you have a sub instead, much like the old setup. I'm not sure whether a spare would fit underneath it, that's something to look into. 

The gear stick surround now has a leather gaiter which is much nicer than the cheap looking synthetic in earlier cars. 


My car next to the Blue Edition:

In summary, the Performance Pack is a total no brainer. It would be absolutely brilliant if Toyota offered this as an option on all new GT86's but at the moment you'll have to order a Blue Edition to get it. I would!
 

Update 13/11/18 - Bedford Trackday
On the 5th of November I joined several other members of the club at Bedford Autodrome. My plan for the day was to shakedown/test the new exhaust, oil cooler & Verus aero components. And myself as I hadn't done a track day in over a year, due to one reason or another.
First challenge of the day, the dreaded noise test. I knew the new exhaust was quieter than the last setup but I wasn't sure by how much, the static test hit 89db's. However I passed the static test last time, but failed the drive by, by about 2db's. Considering I had also removed the factory 2nd cat and replaced it with a 200 race cat with resonator, I was still alittle unsure about the drive by.
The good news is this time I didn't have any issues with the exhaust passing Bedfords rather strict drive by limit , obvious they don't tell you how much noise it actually makes unless you fail.
The Hel oil cooler managed to keep on top of the oil temps, the highest I hit was 115°c this was after several warm laps. (I wasn't pushing during the day) 
Here's some footage from the day, audio is recorded by an external microphone by the exhaust: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6_6CSVrhXc 
Here's a couple of photo's courtesy of Robert Baxtor & @VAD17: https://www.rbpsphotography.com/

You read it here folks, 10 out of 10 in my book. Not to mention all the top NA cars in TSS and JSS are running this package.

Hooray !

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

We now have a Vice-Chairman. Jordan has put himself forward and we are very pleased to have him. Welcome, Jordan. Jordan has a great passion for all things automotive as you all know and has been helping me run the Facebook page for a good while now. 
It looks like we are going to have a get together at the Xmas party, to get things in place and look forward to moving things forward for next year.

Was just looking through tuning developments YouTube channel at exhaust sounds and found @VAD17 turbo setup video. Never heard one that whines like a supercharger. Very stealthy yet powerful sounding car you've built there. 

Corrected the photo above (after swapping the belts correct way around ). The black plasticky square should be on the INSIDE strap.  

You should post a YouTube link .

I had the same issue with HLT recently as well. What I found helps is to link the GoPro via its app to the phone (you can also check and adjust settings easy this way), and only then link it via HLT before starting the session.

Also found that HLT looses connection with GarminGLO (10HZ GPS) frequently.

I recently started using Race Chrono Pro, IMO its more user friendly than HLT and also easier to analyse and compare laps as you can see track map with speeds and acceleration/ braking zones (colour coded as well).



Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

It was great to see you guys, good turnout as well.
Hope everyone had a good time and got home safe.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

You will love TD turbo .
Still remember driving from Warrington to London via M6 Toll road, lot of fun.
Super Res also keeps it quiet, good for any track.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Yep, meeting at Fontwell race course between 7:30 and 8:00am?
See you there

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Well,
I had a blast this last weekend with a run around Twisted Sisters.  I was with a mix of other cars, most of which had coilovers, but without even pushing it was able to maintain a comfortable lead.  Even on stock suspension and sport tires, the BRZ is a very capable car in the twisties that puts nearly everything else out there to shame.  Texas is experiencing a butterfly and moth migration currently, so I did my part to protect plants from the coming caterpillar problems.
Texas Butterfly Massacre:

 
All Clean!:

 

Congrats Boss!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Well, some news at last. I am very pleased to announce Jeff @Deacon has taken the position on as Club Chairman. Welcome aboard Jeff. I'm in the midst of juggling work and trying to get all these things sorted, so I will be pleased to have some good help and I am sure that Jeff will do an amazing job, we are fortunate indeed to have him aboard.
There are more committee members coming, I am in the midst of sorting it all out with Rob and Keith. 
There is still some vacant positions available in regard to Vice-Chair person and also two more in regard to Events, we really need a Northern events organiser! 

Nice and tight. I used breaker bar to unscrew them so thought tight is right

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Bbk: unless you take the car on track probably not much point. They look good though IMO. KSports front are good value for under 1k (rear are just too expensive for little added benefit). Reyland Motorsport (AP calipers with their own rotors) are great option if a bit more expensive at 1.5k.

Pads: I think Yellowstuff are great outside track (not noisy). The only reason I consider using different next time is because I went FI route.

But if you want power, FI is the way. TD turbo option is well priced and executed, very different feel and tremendously enjoyable even on a normal weekend drive.

But honestly, take it on track at least once, push it to the grip limit, see how it handles, much easier than to decide whether and what you may want to mod.

Oh, I think tinted windows are much better . Was planning may be to carbon wrap spoiler, mirrors and few other bits, but decided better to spend money on extra track day and tuition.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Can vouch for the car limits days. I have learnt alot doing a couple.
Can also book a club "activity" day through them. Not as much learning but alot of fun to just go and explore limits ;-) can be upto £50 to 100 each depending on numbers there to split the cost.
Nice cafe on the airfield too so would be a nice club day out.

@VAD17
1) Yes, CarLimits are worth doing at least once. Their are unique in that you will push the car over the limit at 70-80 mph, loose control, spin, and not crash into anything. You then learn how to feel when the back lets go and how to control the spin and recover.  It is the only place I know where you can realistically push the limit at these kind of speeds (there is a big difference between drifting at 20mph in a skidpan and involuntary loosing the back mid-corner at 75mph - especially in the brown pants arena ).  It is £ 225/person on a 4 person day and they have the whole year calendar on their website, easy to book. The people running it are very friendly.
2) Also, if interested, I personally know a very good career race-driver and race-team instructor who is happy to do deals for groups on trackdays. Unlike the "20 min for 25 quid" experience, he actually puts his heart and soul into it, pushes you to your limit, and you will probably have a big smile on your face by the end of the day.

I would like to put myself forward as Event Coordinator.
If we plan in advance and split events/ ideas between several coordinators, I think we can aim for the following (consider this to be my pitch for the position):
- 5-6 "official" club events through the year: Early in 2019 we will conduct a poll of preferred events (Japfest x2, Tunerfest (1 or x2?), Beaulieu, etc.). Very happy to organize or help organizing (if I am in the UK I would intend to attend them if they are within 2hrs of London). We would need to decide based on interest (we really should have more than couple cars on stand for it to be "official"), but the number can be increased (I like Castle Combe, even if its a bit of a drive for me for example);
- Couple "joint" events (?): I think it would be good to link-up with other clubs on large events, particularly if we only have few attendees. (I am very grateful for @gavin_t inviting me to join Weekend Racers stand at Castle Combe - good bunch and would certainly be interested doing it together). I am happy to coordinate these as well if we have interest and invitation is extended. I also think in such case we should be prepared to "open up" couple of our official events or ask organizers if they could allocate close-by lots for us (again I am happy to lead on this)
- 3-4 "official" club track days: Lets see how Bedford event goes, but if we have interest (and there seem to be quite a few of us who tend to do regular track days). Again, we should plan a bit more in advance (although most people seem to book quite late) and have days in different locations. For 2019 we can aim for: Brands Hatch, Donnington, Snetterton + (may be) Silverstone, but we can decide by poll. I can organize these and will try to get some discount. If there is interest we can also try to get dedicated instructor for a day for our group.
- Couple training events: I will contact @CATDT and think we should have enough interest to organize GT86 club programme at Milbrook with CAT Driver Training (we did in 2017 and I would highly recommend it regardless of your experience - in fact after doing couple track days this year I feel I need to go back now). Club members can also recommend other suitable options (I know @Adi did Carlimits few times and thinks its a good option as well and we can get 4 GT86 together for this, or even organize few days like it).
- Calendar updates/ non-club specific events: Many of us attend Pistonheads and Goodwood events (and often aim to park together). I can update calendar, remind people and check if we may want to organize a pub lunch or drive after the event.
- Social events: @Leevsfortyone been great getting us together for Cars & Coffee and regular dinners (I only with it would be closer for me to attend more). I would like to do smth like this down South, and I would like to aim for 1 or 2 club drives over the spring/ summer months with couple stop-overs on the way (we can get GoPro, photos, etc).
- Children friendly event: I would like to come up with an idea for family-oriented/ child friendly event (again @Leevsfortyone had a good idea, but we probably need to think a bit more)
We also would need more coordination between FB and forum members (most seem to be on both, but not all, some of us have different nics/ names as well).
Finally, I suggest we want more than 3 Event Co-ordinators. I would suggest 4 or 5, with additional volunteers helping out.

Event Title: PistonHeads Sunday Service - Silverstone, Oct 28 2018
Event Author: VAD17
Event Date: 28.10.2018

Pistonheads Sunday Service - Silverstone
Sunday, October 28th, 2018
 
For those attending PH SS events - Sunday October 25th @ Silverstone Circuit
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1722500
  Date: October 28th, 2018
Cost: £2 per car payable at the PistonHeads garage, all proceeds going to Mission Motorsport
Time: 0830-1300h
Space: 500 cars
Address:
Silverstone Circuit,
Towcester,
NN12 8TN

On track noise limit: 102db drive by.
Register at:
https://www.pistonheads.com/calendar/event.asp?i=88912
Track time (afternoon) booking will be available later
If we have enough interest and attendees may be a pub Sunday lunch afterwards?
 
 
PistonHeads Sunday Service - Silverstone, Oct 28 2018

Track Days: Think Donnington can be on the list - is it sufficiently north?. Happy to organise it as well (and wanted to do it as well, now next year). We can always try to organise few "larger" events and then people can just suggest track days they are going and others can join.

And btw - members can and should make suggestions what they would like to do more and regional organisers can then address it.

For example I would be keen to take my little one to a proper race event (but not F1) to watch, if there are few more people interested we can do it as a club event with a meal afterwards or smth like this

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Good to see some forward planning of what is already a good club full of great people.
 
I unfortunately don't have much time to offer personally due to lots of work and bike racing commitments but am happy to help out where needed on a adhoc basis at events.
@VAD17 and @Leevsfortyone have been great at organising events so can certainly vouch for them if they wanted to have any input/roles. Also as @VAD17 mentioned we hooked up with some old friends of mine that run a small track day forum called weekendracer. They have a lot of track based shows that they attend on a regular basis and are more then happy to have our cars on stand and have good facilities to offer and share. Works well when there are shows with a small club attendance as it shares the organisation. Can provide admin contacts if anything wanted to be made more "official" at all in the future. But adhoc appearances wont be an issue and partnering up with various clubs and contacts is always a good thing

I'm up for meeting up at the pub after Bedford.
I would love to head to Donnington on the 10th, but the bank balance is screaming no.

If anyone is interested Circuit Days offers discounted track days to Track Time (FB group):
- Silverstone GP, Monday 5th Nov - £200
- Donnington Park, Saturday 10th Nov - £150
- Oulton Park, Saturday 1st Dec  -£120
Discount code: CDTT18
(We have a Club Track Day at Bedford on Monday 5th Nov, otherwise I'd be going to Silverstone.)
If anyone is too loud for Bedford consider Silverstone on the same day.
May be afterwards we can select a good pub somewhere half way between the 2 and share experience while its fresh. Few more members not particularly interested in track days may want to join us as well. Say 5:30 pm ish for dinner 6:30 ish to start and wrapping up to go home around 8-8:30.
Let me know if you're interested or even better make a suggestion of a suitable place. Happy to organize