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Chatted with a GT4 DeMan owner on YouTube some. For those with a little Road America experience in the GT4, you’ll quickly see the differences. For those not familiar with Road America, here is one of a stock GT4 (me):
But before we get into his video. Let me just say, his braking into turn 5 is something to behold. High speed, downhill braking, constant 1G and a slight push and hold at 1.1Gs just before turn-in, very nice.
His video craps out going into turn 14. But his time is a solid 2:30. And that’s pretty quick. Judicious use of 6th gear! Here is the DeMan modified GT4 at Road America.
Chatted with a GT4 DeMan owner on YouTube some. For those with a little Road America experience in the GT4, you’ll quickly see the differences. For those not familiar with Road America, here is one of a stock GT4 (me):
But before we get into his video. Let me just say, his braking into turn 5 is something to behold. High speed, downhill braking, constant 1G and a slight push and hold at 1.1Gs just before turn-in, very nice.
His video craps out going into turn 14. But his time is a solid 2:30. And that’s pretty quick. Judicious use of 6th gear! Here is the DeMan modified GT4 at Road America.
I watched that, pretty impressive time. Do you know what tires? I was actually expecting a higher speed on the straight. 147 I think was his max before breaking into one.
if you had to choose one mod, assuming the $$ is equal, would it be the engine or the gearing?
Originally Posted by JAhmed
The engine. No question.
Ok, how about this angle, I doubt I will do the engine (at least for a while), but I think the 2-5 gears would really give my Spyder some pep, what's you take on just gears for those of us with OEM 4.0l engines?
Ok, how about this angle, I doubt I will do the engine (at least for a while), but I think the 2-5 gears would really give my Spyder some pep, what's you take on just gears for those of us with OEM 4.0l engines?
The gears make a massive difference to the driving experience, even on the stock engine. I had shortened 3-5 gears before Rick changed my car to a 4.5 + short 2-5. Even without the 2nd gear swap, the car was much improved in terms of acceleration and enjoyment over stock. That being said, Rick’s 2-5 gearset is definitely the way to go.
I guess I could sum it up by saying the gears optimize the Spyder/GT4 driving experience.
The engine moves the car into a completely different class of performance.
The gears make a massive difference to the driving experience, even on the stock engine. I had shortened 3-5 gears before Rick changed my car to a 4.5 + short 2-5. Even without the 2nd gear swap, the car was much improved in terms of acceleration and enjoyment over stock. That being said, Rick’s 2-5 gearset is definitely the way to go.
I guess I could sum it up by saying the gears optimize the Spyder/GT4 driving experience.
The engine moves the car into a completely different class of performance.
Thanks for flushing out the details, the 2-5 gearset is definitely on my mind...
Thanks for flushing out the details, the 2-5 gearset is definitely on my mind...
Mine too… the Tedward vid above confirmed it for me. It’s the way I drive and like he said, I don’t want to go to jail for using 2nd gear.
Not sure if it’ll happen this year or not, but it’s in my future for sure.
Ricks exhaust valve mod mentioned below is also the perfect solution for me too
Thanks for the kind words on my driving. I love Road America and it's amazing to drive it with the DeMan power plant and gearing.
But, I'm going to estimate there are another 4 seconds available with nothing more than better driving - braking and turn in being the clear opportunity - still learning how to apply the power effectively and safely. The torque is amazing but can get you in trouble. 4 seconds sounds like a lot, but I'm confident it's there.
I watched that, pretty impressive time. Do you know what tires? I was actually expecting a higher speed on the straight. 147 I think was his max before breaking into one.
SC2's - new for the weekend. I hit as high as 154-156 on other laps, but had better exits out of 14. Work in process.
SC2's - new for the weekend. I hit as high as 154-156 on other laps, but had better exits out of 14. Work in process.
That makes sense. I would have expected mid to upper 150s given the hp and weight.It's such a big track and easy to miss a line or braking point. Easy to give up 4 seconds! Lol. So 4 seconds sounds like a lot. But thats only like 2-3%.
500 miles done. One of my biggest takeaways thus far is the change in sound. The character of the sound is completely different. Beyond 6500 RPM, the car makes a sound that is difficult to describe. The word "violent" comes to mind. I did a bunch of driving with a friend of mine who has a Shelby GT500 (an incredible sounding car in its own right), and the 4.5L Spyder really does seem to have a dose of "V8" infused into the flat 6 soundtrack now. I really need to figure out a way to get a video of the downshifts that does this car justice. It is absolutely incredible. They are definitely startling to other drivers, though. The car finally has that feeling of "racecar" that I've been looking for ever since the 458. Going between the gears just feels like you are riding this wave of uninterrupted torque, as the ratios are so much closer and the engine produces so much more power. I can't help but chortle and laugh out loud while driving around (much to the amusement of other road users, who definitely think I've lost my mind). The way the car pulls in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear really does need to be felt to be believed. I took a friend for a ride today who is accustomed to turbocharged cars (BMW M2, 991 Turbo S, etc), and he had difficulty wrapping his head around the torque delivery for an NA 6 cylinder engine.
Side note, @Rick DeMan has been an absolute awesome guy to communicate with even after my project was completed. I find myself texting him photos of my car or asking him random questions in regards to care and maintenance at random hours of day, and he has always been gracious and enthusiastic about his product. Much like my experience with Joey at Emotion Engineering and Moe at Glistening Perfection, I can't say enough good things about him and his operation.
Bonus random photo from cruising with friends today
Last edited by JAhmed; 05-08-2022 at 09:45 PM.
Reason: Spelling errors because I am too excited
05-05-2022 | 12:57 AM
