Autocrossing a '95 LS400
04-14-03, 06:06 AM
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Autocrossing a '95 LS400
This past weekend was a two-day filled with autoxing. Saturday was a driver's school and I was an instructor, so I ran for free the whole day and Sunday was test and tune session. I posted relatively good times with my '95 Talon AWD, about 2 seconds away from FTD. Being an underdog beaten by 50+ grand 405hp Z06s, I wasn't disappointed. After the driver's school, they had fun runs and my wife and baby boy just got there in the LS400, so I thought I'd see how this land yacht does in an autox course. Complete with a baby seat in the back 
No, no I didn't take my 9 weeks old boy racing with me 
Shifted to L and switched to "power" (like it's going to make any difference ). Did a little burnout on the starting line, made the starter jump a little looking at a Lexus doing a burnout 
and off I went. Gotta love the instant torque a healthy V8. First corner wasn't too bad but second corner I was drifting, fighting the snail-slow steering ratio and holy cow! body lean Grip was not bad on near bald 235/45/17 Bridgestone Potenza S-02 Pole Position. Changing direction was equal to 140 weight oil trying to flow in 0 F temperature. Turn the steering wheel and you wait for a week before this yacht starts showing any sign of turning Immediately I learned that I need to turn the wheel BEFORE the car reaches the beginning of a corner. Lack of limited slip differential just killed me trying to accelerate out of a corner. One wheel smoke anyone ?
On one long sweeper I managed to provoke the car to do an extended drift, but then again reality bites, the open diff caused the rear end to regain traction violently and in a split second *I KNEW* that it was going to hurt. Sure enough, it snapped back and trying to drift on the opposite direction as I frantically tried to turn the slow-ratio steering wheel to correct the car. The announcer shouted, "Look at that big Lexus on the course !" on the PA system. I must have occupied enough space to park two civics nose-to-tail
Next one is the slalom. Oh boy. I was prepared to plow through two dozens of cones and replace the "L" with "John Deere" emblem. To make matters worse, it's a decreasing-distance slalom. I was prepared to get some nasty body lean. I went through the first 3 slaloms just fine, on the last one I lost it bad and spun the car almost 270 degrees. Cones flying Turned the car around and finished the course with my tail between my legs. The time was 59 something seconds including the spin out, 19 seconds slower than in the Talon but I had a wide grin
Will I do it again ? Well, maybe, one more time. After I have replaced the springs and shocks and I'll bolt on the race tires for the Talon, see if I can feel any improvements with the new suspension. But I'm not going to do it on a regular basis, this thing needs huge amount of work and parts just to make it half decent on an autox course. In any rate, it was fun. Anyone else ever autox or road race an LS400 ?
No, no I didn't take my 9 weeks old boy racing with me Shifted to L and switched to "power" (like it's going to make any difference
). Did a little burnout on the starting line, made the starter jump a little looking at a Lexus doing a burnout and off I went. Gotta love the instant torque a healthy V8. First corner wasn't too bad but second corner I was drifting, fighting the snail-slow steering ratio and holy cow! body lean Grip was not bad on near bald 235/45/17 Bridgestone Potenza S-02 Pole Position. Changing direction was equal to 140 weight oil trying to flow in 0 F temperature. Turn the steering wheel and you wait for a week before this yacht starts showing any sign of turning Immediately I learned that I need to turn the wheel BEFORE the car reaches the beginning of a corner. Lack of limited slip differential just killed me trying to accelerate out of a corner. One wheel smoke anyone ?On one long sweeper I managed to provoke the car to do an extended drift, but then again reality bites, the open diff caused the rear end to regain traction violently and in a split second *I KNEW* that it was going to hurt. Sure enough, it snapped back and trying to drift on the opposite direction as I frantically tried to turn the slow-ratio steering wheel to correct the car. The announcer shouted, "Look at that big Lexus on the course !" on the PA system. I must have occupied enough space to park two civics nose-to-tail
Next one is the slalom. Oh boy. I was prepared to plow through two dozens of cones and replace the "L" with "John Deere" emblem. To make matters worse, it's a decreasing-distance slalom. I was prepared to get some nasty body lean. I went through the first 3 slaloms just fine, on the last one I lost it bad and spun the car almost 270 degrees. Cones flying
Turned the car around and finished the course with my tail between my legs. The time was 59 something seconds including the spin out, 19 seconds slower than in the Talon but I had a wide grin Will I do it again ? Well, maybe, one more time. After I have replaced the springs and shocks and I'll bolt on the race tires for the Talon, see if I can feel any improvements with the new suspension. But I'm not going to do it on a regular basis, this thing needs huge amount of work and parts just to make it half decent on an autox course. In any rate, it was fun. Anyone else ever autox or road race an LS400 ?
04-14-03, 02:49 PM
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Tom, this is funny stuff Betcha got a lot of laughs and the sort.
I have (obviously) been drag racing in both my current 99 and my previous 96 LS400s and have pushed both in some street situations... only ONCE did I come close to loosing control. The cars actually turn fairly well for such heavy vehicles but as you stated do not respond well to left-right-left manuevers. This is a use that was NEVER engineered into these cars. Still, comparing OTHER cars in this class they do pretty well. I would give the 02-03 Infiniti Q45s a definite nod over the LSs but they have very small brakes that would probably fade quickly and or warp. How did the brakes on your LS fair?
Betcha got a lot of laughs and the sort. I have (obviously) been drag racing in both my current 99 and my previous 96 LS400s and have pushed both in some street situations... only ONCE did I come close to loosing control. The cars actually turn fairly well for such heavy vehicles but as you stated do not respond well to left-right-left manuevers. This is a use that was NEVER engineered into these cars. Still, comparing OTHER cars in this class they do pretty well. I would give the 02-03 Infiniti Q45s a definite nod over the LSs but they have very small brakes that would probably fade quickly and or warp. How did the brakes on your LS fair?
04-14-03, 04:44 PM
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John,
The brakes were just fine, ABS will interfere indicating that it's the tires that are on their limits. I think because it got 4-piston calipers and big enough rotors to stop the car. Maybe it won't be too bad with a new suspension.
The brakes were just fine, ABS will interfere indicating that it's the tires that are on their limits. I think because it got 4-piston calipers and big enough rotors to stop the car. Maybe it won't be too bad with a new suspension.
04-16-03, 07:16 PM
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There is an autocross in my local area this weekend and since I sold my autocross car last month I have no other car to drive except with my first generation LS400. Thanks for some tip Tom.
I know my car will be slow with the heavy 19 inch (maybe it a wrong choice of rims but I have no other choice) with the stacker set-up (will understeer like a pig). I have lowering spring with stock shock!!!!
Will post what happen later
I know my car will be slow with the heavy 19 inch (maybe it a wrong choice of rims but I have no other choice) with the stacker set-up (will understeer like a pig). I have lowering spring with stock shock!!!!
Will post what happen later
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