Player0

My Porsche won't be ready in time for NHMS next weekend with NCR. So I need to bring the Evo. This is a vastly different car and I've never driven it at the track before.

Any tips for how my driving style should change between an 86 944 turbo rwd with 300ish HP and a 2014 awd car that weighs 1000 more pounds and has 400hp? I gain stability control, ABS, airbags, etc. Wider tires, better brakes. But I'm sitting higher in the air, worse center of gravity, and the suspension on the evo is definitely squishier.

I know the basics of 'go slower, get a feel for it', but I'm wondering how AWD changes the line? Or rather, the heavier, more powerful car. In fact, I'm often driving a different line from other modern porsches on the track. Maybe not NHMS so much but certainly lime rock and others with the wider sweepier turns.

Hopefully I can find an instructor to help me out learning the new car for a couple runs.

The evo is also a lot dartier. It's harder to be smooth in. The steering is super sensitive. But the same twitches in the evo don't lead to being backwards like they would in the 944. The evo always feels sketchy but tends to misbehave less than the porsche.

What do I need to change?

333pg333

Who else is in the Evo to make it 1000lbs heavier???

JustinL

My regular race car is a 944 S2 and the chump car I drive is an AWD talon. It's probably a similar comparison for you, though at lower power levels. I don't think there is too much you need to change except be prepared to manage understeer. I also race against a pretty heavily prepped Evo and that looks like it's very easy to drive with paddle shifters and modern gizmos. Basically go slower, get a feel for it. Learn its tendencies at the limit before pushing too hard.

sbelles

It's probably going to push quite a bit so go slower into the corners but once you get it pointed in the right direction you should be able to get the power down sooner so it will be faster out.

Coochas

If it rains, you know what to do!
My amateur opinion is that you will not notice much difference in braking and corner entry with AWD vs RWD. What you will notice is that you can get back on the throttle MUCH more aggressively in the AWD car. In my 911 turbo, throttle induced oversteer is very easy to correct since the front wheels are also 'digging in' with countersteer. Rally car time for you!

GTgears

This. My Subaru is the same way. You just have to be careful of going in too fast and making it plow.

Evolved Rs

Traction control is very intrusive on the Evo X. And be prepared for quick brake fade if you don't have proper fluid and pads. Otherwise its a very fun and easy car to drive fast, despite the excess weight.

Player0

The 2014 Evo X GSR supposedly weighs 3527 pounds. The 1986 944 Turbo supposedly weighs 2758 pounds. That's 769 pounds but I've stripped a decent amount of weight out of the 944 as well. I don't think calling it 1000 pounds is extreme hyperbole.

The difference behind the wheel feels like 2000 pounds though. The Evo X is dog heavy and squishy and has a ton of body roll compared to my much firmer 944. That's what got me to thinking about the changes in lines.

The GSR is still a stick. Unfortunately, I can't reach the gas to heel-toe the thing. Thanks for the warnings about understeer. I do have a date with the mechanic to get a better rear sway installed in the thing. But it really needs a much better suspension all around.

Can I just say how stupid of a car the Evo is? You buy this thing for the track. Buying it for a commuter car is stupid cause it gets terrible gas mileage. It's not remotely luxurious or comfortable so no touring. The only legit reason to buy one for weekend fun. But they give it a terrible suspension and kill the HP. So you need to spend $20K on it just to get the weekend track beast it should have come from the factory as. I want to sell this car and get a Cayman GT4 so bad

Okay so slow entry and fast exits. It's true, I can never plant all the power in the 944 without spin and slide. I even put in the guard LSD and now I just spin two wheels instead of one. I can pretty much floor the Evo on the same tires and get very little spin, even with ponies.

Brake fade has me worried. I should have ordered better pads for the thing. I did next day some motul brake fluid and I'll flush it this weekend. No SS brake lines either, at least, I don't think.

Maybe someone local carries Hawks or Pagid something something.

Thanks for the tips guys, this is helpful really.

Evolved Rs

I had hawk hp+ and motul rbf 600 and still boiled the fluid. You can also try removing the dust shields on the front rotors to eliminate some heat.

loxner

I don't have any experience with the Evo X, but I had my old Evo IX on track a couple times and had an absolute blast with it. The only real mods it had were AST coilovers, bigger swaybars, and a turbo-back exhaust (prepped for STU autocross class). A little pushy in slower corners, but in the fast stuff it was amazing. Trail brake to induce a little rotation, then just mat it and haul butt out of the corner. May not be the "best" driving style, but it sure was fun. Passenger reactions were priceless

Also...prepare to no longer have red brake calipers. The track day guys on EvoM forum call them "Brownbos" for a reason...

Miss my Evo. Quite possibly the most fun DD I have ever owned.

Player0

I did just order a set of HP+ pads. Wow, and you still boiled it? Well I'll be taking it easy out there I think, plus it's cold and April-esque out there so hopefully it'll stay together.

Hmm, thanks for the tip on trail braking. NHMS has a couple turns where I like doing that on the 944. Maybe some lift-off oversteer too? Doing something like that in the 944 would get you backwards in to a wall but seems like it might help a car that oversteers and behaves itself.

Looks like I might have to invest in some brake ducting for this thing eventually.

Evolved Rs

Cold weather should help. It was mid 80s last month so that's what could've contributed to the boiled fluid. A few other people on evom or evoxforums have said hp+ have a tendency to melt during track use.

Player0

Yeah, I'd do maybe HT-10 or DC-60 or something but I've got to drive to and from the track and I don't think I'd have time to bed them up there. I've had good results on the hp+ on the 944 so I thought I'd try em out. It might be the only time I track it this year anyway.

pontifex4

You're obviously already on this track if you're asking, but just make sure you make it a constructive experience: don't allow a street car's conservative alignment or suspension to be an excuse for regularly missing an apex. It can be an interesting challenge to focus on being accurate with a soft car, or fast with a compromised one. And pretty well anything can be fun on track, as my fellow Chevy Suburban track veterans will attest!

333pg333

The standard 951 is around 3000lbs where the EvoX is about 3400lbs. Your '86 must be significantly lighter than stock.

I've not driven an Evo but have been on the track with them enough to marvel at how ungainly yet fast they can be. That whole 'Push-pull' thing is very convincing and makes me wonder why more manufacturers didn't explore AWD more.

This is me back in 2010 having some fun at a track day with a modified and lightened Evo8. My car was running at about 325whp & 2700lbs back then. You can see where he can pull away from me out of tight corners. I was able to close under brakes and had to stay off the throttle until he moved away. Fun session.