holzmantm

Gentlemen,

I have a 2005 Boxster-S and have just completed my second DE Event (Limerock and then NHIS). I love the car and want to do all of the right things for it, so I have a few questions I'm hoping you might be able to answer.

- I've used OEM tires (Michelin Pilot Sports) at both events. Am I better off putting on R-compounds or something else for DE events?

- If I stay on the OEM tires, what's the ideal pressure for DE events? (The specs for normal street driving are 37 in the rear and 30 up front.)

- Am I better off bringing the Boxster to someone who specializes in these cars, or at least, in the new Boxster?

- Do you know of any world class instructors in the Boston area who know the Boxster well?

Thank you!

Todd

PS: You'll be happy to know, a '97 993 Twin Turbo (my previous car) waved me by at Limerock. Evidently, I was coming out of the turns a little too fast for him. I don't think he was happy about that.

Long live the mid-engine! The end of the 911 (except for the GT3) is nigh!

Geza

1) Stick with street rubber. You will learn a lot more about driving near the limit...it will be safer, too, as street rubber tends to be more forgiving than R rubber. R rubber is sometimes a "crutch", as it has a tendency to cover up poor driving habits (with increased grip). Switch to R rubber when you running in a more advanced group, if at all.

2) Talk to other Boxster owners, preferrably an instructor or someone in an advaced run group to get tire pressure settings. If you can't find one, start with the factory settings cold, then take pressure readings after a session. Generally, you are looking for 40 - 42 psi hot for most tires. Also, look to see whether the front tires are rolling over on their side walls. If they are, you need to add pressure. Make pressure changes in 2 psi incriments. Get the front tires sorted first. If you are understeering and the fronts are not rolling over, lower the fronts by 2. Then try it again. Once you have the fronts set, work on the rears. Again, a lot of time can be saved by talking to others at the event.

3) If by bringing, you mean servicing, I'd stick with the dealer while your car is still under warranty.

4) No, but any qualified instructor will be able to help you regardless of whether they have drivien a Boxster, or not. Believe it or not, the type of car you drive does not matter that much, especially at the level you are at. The "Boxster line" through a race track isn't any different than the "Civic line". I've had roughly 60 students over the last six years of instructing, with all kinds of different cars. Never have I had to make adjustments to my instruction due to the type of car they drive. The only exception might be if their brakes were not up to repeated abuse, we'd hold-back on the straights and go easier on the brakes.

Final word of advice, stay humble...you'll be surprised how many "slower" cars will be passing you on your way up the ladder.

NetManiac

My advice would be to keep the car as stock as possible for as long as possible. 1) For the reason Geza mentioned above, you will learn more, and 2) your car is still under warranty. Even adding R rubber could give your dealership cause to void aspects of your warranty. They did mine.

Geza

Based on what I know, the dealer can't void your entire warranty just because you use DOT approved R compound tires. I believe the Magnussen-Moss Warranty Act states (in spirit) that the dealership has to prove that using the non-approved part directly caused the problem. If you broke a suspension link or something, I can see that they may have a case - which they would have to prove. If your climate control failed, I don't think they would be successful pointing the blame at your tires.

177mph

I would also suggest joining rennlist!

Joee

Watch the brakes and tires. When you use up the original brake pads go to something with more bite, like Pagid. Bleed the brakes after each trip to the track. Replace the brake fluid once a year. Put more air in the front tires, gives more neutral handling and faster turn in try 42/40hot. When you use up the tires go to a set of more upscale tires and perhaps wider tires on the front 205 to 225's.

gRed04

I believe the MM Warranty Act does indeed state that in general the entire warranty cannot be void because of a change to any individual covered piece. However it is the CONSUMER that will need to prove that a changed piece did NOT cause the problem, not the Dealer or Manufacturer.

If the Manufacturer says that a change to non-manufacturer approved tires caused undue wear on the suspension which ultimately lead to engine vibrations that caused engine failure, would you have the resources to disprove it?

I can almost guarantee that the manufacturer can come up with some analysis data that would show the configuration was out of spec for their car.