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Early April I finally got back to Putnam road course just outside of Indianapolis. Woke up to snow flurries and salt trucks on the way to the track lol. Racing conditions were damp and 39 degrees - suboptimal. While most guys on slicks didn't go out in the early sessions, quite a few were too aggressive and went off course. Things dried out later in the day but were still cold. Managed to shave 3 seconds off my PB from a few years ago for a 1:23 and lots of time left out of the track. My RT660 tires weren't going to arrive in time, so had to go with NT01s since they were all that was in stock. I still prefer the RE-71R which have consistent performance all day.
In May, I once again was able to be in the Lexus VIP Hospitality section of the IMSA Lexus Grand Prix at Mid Ohio. The Lexus team managed a 3rd place finish. I let my son drive the F for the hot laps too. I'll be back in June for a track day.
Finally I took advantage of a group buy on the Grom Vline2. I'm not big on tech, but mostly did it for Spotify and Waze capabilities. It is also nice having the OBD Fusion app as well. Still playing with it but it was a very easy install and has a few nice features.
Well, i got some proof from some real world data. I just ran Mid Ohio on Monday for the first time with the new hood. So I compared 2 separate track days at Mid Ohio. Both had an ambient temp of 92°F. The OEM hood averaged 228° engine (coolant) temp and the JMA Racing CF vented hood averaged 210°. I'd say that's a pretty good difference. I was also averaging 1 bar (10-20 degrees F?) less on the oil temp gauge. Wow! Hopefully I'll have some track pics and vids to share.
Last edited by lexicon72; Jun 18, 2022 at 10:27 AM.
Awesomesauce! It's great to know it really delivers on the promise.
Are you able to datalog through the V-Line or are you using your phone to datalog or something else entirely?
I really like the idea of the V-Line, but if it became problematic, I'd be really annoyed. I almost want to try one of the Tesla style replacement units, but I'm concerned it will be missing some key functionality for the IS F. I really like the HVAC working correctly, especially when it is stupid hot like it is in Atlanta today.
Last edited by lobuxracer; Jun 17, 2022 at 01:09 PM.
So I actually use an AIM Solo2 DL to datalog on the track. I couldn't get the charts to work or else I'd have a nice temp comparison chart. I may still play with it.
Because i use the Solo2 and its OBDII connector, I can't use my OBDLink device and app. But I have datalogged using the Fusion app so I don't see why it wouldn't work with the Vline, which is basically an Android device.
Got the graphs to work. Top graph is ambient temp (90-95 degrees F). Middle graphs is coolant temp showing 20 degree lower temp from the vented hood. Lower graph was just difference in the 2 lap times.
Anything to be aware of with the hood in terms of care when you're not tracking it? Just wondering if there's anything extra that needs to be done since I'm guessing there can be a bit of water incursion during heavy rain and the like.
My car has been in heavy rain storms and the car wash without issue. Will be driving it in the snow too. Water in the engine bay shouldn't be a problem. I did put all the engine bay plastic covers back on to help too (but take them off at the track for better airflow).
Took advantage of a cheap open track day at one of the fastest tracks around. Nelson Ledges is a short track with really only one hard braking zone and a number of long sweepers.
It was about 80 degrees which made for some good times except for one session where it really heated up, the track got slick and I went 4 wheels off.....a first for me lol.
Ran with some good cars (M2/M3, 992, Z28, C6/C7 and with a buddy who has an RCF. Was able to shatter my previous PB by 7 seconds with a 1:16.
Surprisingly my engine temps were high (6 bars or 260 degrees). But I think it is because I was constantly in the 6k+ RPM range. Still not a fan of the NT01 tires too.
Still love this car even after 8.5 years!
Got the graphs to work. Top graph is ambient temp (90-95 degrees F). Middle graphs is coolant temp showing 20 degree lower temp from the vented hood. Lower graph was just difference in the 2 lap times.
Cool, I love the data showing the hood reduces temps! Have you noticed an increase in front downforce?
Cool, I love the data showing the hood reduces temps! Have you noticed an increase in front downforce?
Not very noticeable. Airflow seems better though. I used to have front canards as well which helped but opted not to put them back on when I got a new front bumper.
Shout out to Mike Tsai and Luxious Automotive for the TPMS monitors! These existed for the 1st Gen IS300 and gave them a try on my ISF. Mike even bench tested the kit before sending to me. Great service. Then it was an easy 15 min install. Went with the small display which doesn't fit perfectly but is good enough for me.
Reads tire pressure, tire temperature and battery voltage. There is a swap button i havent tried, so I hope I can use it for both sets without having to relearn every time.
Will be nice to read my data on the track too!
(Ignore the other small box - that's for my dashcam)
https://www.luxiousauto.com/products/tpms
Last edited by lexicon72; Dec 31, 2022 at 02:09 PM.
Shout out to Mike Tsai and Luxious Automotive for the TPMS monitors! These existed for the 1st Gen IS300 and gave them a try on my ISF. Mike even bench tested the kit before sending to me. Great service. Then it was an easy 15 min install. Went with the small display which doesn't fit perfectly but is good enough for me.
Reads tire pressure, tire temperature and battery voltage. There is a swap button i havent tried, so I hope I can use it for both sets without having to relearn every time.
