What is a "touring car?"

[Z3_GoCar]

I'm just looking to do the best I can, there are actually two S2000 to watch for. While Rylan scored the #1 spot in the Majors, he doesn't hold the lap record for STU at MRLS. That belongs to another S2000 driver that qualified via the divisional route. Then we have Jim Rogerson in his Solstice. I hope this is the closest STU Runoffs finish ever, the class needs that to put the super/turbo-charged over dog behind.

[Matt93SE]

Rogerson's Solstice is fast in a line, as long as it can stay together. They have the wick turned up so high on those things that they continually go through engines and turbos. If they would dial back the power a little, the cars will be MUCH more reliable. That said, I know they did turn one down about 50hp last weekend to finish the race so he could qualify for runoffs, but he still nearly burned it down by the end of a 30min regional.. That said, Tony Rivera brought out his WC-TC FRS and schooled both of us with a car that was 500lb heavy.

If someone would build an FRS/BRZ to the limit and could get the weight down, it would definitely be a contender for both STL and STU. (4 seats- it's a touring car!) Or keep the weight in and throw an STI engine in the thing and you'd have some real power to go with the handling..

[quadzjr]

I too looked at STL long and hard. I decided that I should not build a car for STL not necessarily because of Miata, but the miata did influence a lot of it. I bought a engine, high end simulation software and did as much homework as I could. I knew the bogey car and times (RWD mazda product or K20 powered Honda).

After many many hours of simulation I found that even with nearly infinite money I could not build my small RWD (non Mazda) car to compete against the top level bogey cars. I found that the big role is my choice of low displacement. From a power to weight ratio it was right on or even exceeded, however the larger displacement cars had torque. Something the rule set does not directly address.

I mentioned that I believe this class is turning into a displacement class and basically you take a chassis and throw the biggest motor you can. The results seemed to support this fact with the exception of the 1.8L miatas. They were the exception to my belief and was thrown back against me.

They addressed some of the 2.0L cars and added more RWD weight, due to the success of the mazda products. This only hampered the other RWD cars more, putting me farther behind. The percent difference between RWD and RWD DWB is less than the adder I got on the engine I requested due to it’s unknown.

I still believe the weight/displacement factor is off.. There is a full built 1.6L down here in the South east run by ISC. I would consider that a well built car by a team that knows miatas.

Simulations showed that I would be running times only marginally quicker than ITS times with my 1.6L car, no torque, engine adder due to JDM, and the fear of RWD cars that are mainly focused at Mazda have affected my car. I ran a few races this year, but unless things change, which I assume they will a non Mazda STL car is not in my future. I did look at FDRX7 prices was shocked what just a rolling chassis cost!