Wheels

[camop]

I just tried the Motegi track light 2 on my ITA Miata. I have been using Pro Race 2's.

I went to the expense of mounting new tires on both wheels (the 10 lb Motegis and the 13.5 lb PR2's) and testing for the advantage of the lighter wheels. For me this was a very expensive test!

Same track, ran 3 laps on the PR 2's and then 3 laps on the Motegis both with stickers. In my case the lap times were within a 10th of a second and my traqmate showed almost no improvement in acceleration or braking. Because my car is lacking in horsepower compared to some of my competitors I really wanted the 10lb wheels to be a big help. They did not seem to make any improvement. The track was Moroso, so the test might have had a different outcome on a faster track like Sebring or Daytona.

The problem I had with the Motegis was that they had a noticeably different 'feel' to the PR2's. The light wheels seemed to me to be a little vague in both turn-in and in turns. I suspect that the Motegis flex more than the PR2's. If I had more time/money/expertise I might be able to work on car setup and tire pressure to optimise what advantage the lighter wheels might offer.

For now, I will stick with the PR2's and maybe try the Motegis at Daytona and see if they show any top end speed advantage.

[Andy Bettencourt]

I just tried the Motegi track light 2 on my ITA Miata. I have been using Pro Race 2's.

I went to the expense of mounting new tires on both wheels (the 10 lb Motegis and the 13.5 lb PR2's) and testing for the advantage of the lighter wheels. For me this was a very expensive test!

Same track, ran 3 laps on the PR 2's and then 3 laps on the Motegis both with stickers. In my case the lap times were within a 10th of a second and my traqmate showed almost no improvement in acceleration or braking. Because my car is lacking in horsepower compared to some of my competitors I really wanted the 10lb wheels to be a big help. They did not seem to make any improvement. The track was Moroso, so the test might have had a different outcome on a faster track like Sebring or Daytona.

The problem I had with the Motegis was that they had a noticeably different 'feel' to the PR2's. The light wheels seemed to me to be a little vague in both turn-in and in turns. I suspect that the Motegis flex more than the PR2's. If I had more time/money/expertise I might be able to work on car setup and tire pressure to optimise what advantage the lighter wheels might offer.

For now, I will stick with the PR2's and maybe try the Motegis at Daytona and see if they show any top end speed advantage.



[/b]

I wouldn't expect quantifiable acelleration or braking for those 2-4 lbs. What I did expect was longevity and consistancy improvments during both sprint races and over the course of a season. Every little bit helps. I find that my Miata is not only faster than most cars on the track toward the latter part of races but it seems to get faster as the race goes on. I have been attributing this to driver 'error' - meaning I could be faster sooner in the race...but who knows.

On the handling difference, I am willing to bet that the Motegis have a different offset that the Pro Race's. The tuner I have been working with really like to monkey with spacers and staggerd offsets - and it is paying off in spades.