Would you rallycross a new Lexus RC 350? Someone at Detroit Region SCCA does.

So would you rallycross a new $45k Lexus?  Was looking at rallycross vids and came across this. It is a new model RC 350.

Detroit region always has the awesome cars rallycrossing.

In reply to EvanB (Forum Supporter) :

yea it looks like a really diverse group. dodge omni, w123, lexus rc, boxter, etc

Last season Rob Pepper (who stage rallies an old 944) brought out his new daily driver Macan Turbo and proceeded to win SA with it here in DC. I think that was close to $80k. 

A number of years ago we had an older (60s) gentleman show up for one of our rallycrosses in a Lexus SC430. He didn't go fast, but he got it really muddy and was taking lots of photos of it afterwards. Looked just like this one, complete with the "platter" wheels...

EvanB (Forum Supporter) said:

Detroit region always has the awesome cars rallycrossing.

They used to, but I haven't been able to hit many of their events lately.

( )

CNY had someone in an S2000CR

Oh apparently it has manufacturer plates on it. so i guess an engineer flogging the company car

In reply to MrChaos :

A LOT of the competitors in DR are automotive engineers or otherwise tied in with the auto industry.  Have seen some interesting sights in the paddock (New Opels with MFR plates, Hondas with EEC-IV engine control, Miatas with cast-off prototyping hardware...) overheard some interesting conversations (not sure if it'd be polite to repeat them).  Car guys gravitate to car careers, who knew? 
 

i guess that's one way to test a suspension.

All we get is Randy Pobst showing up to etr

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

EvanB (Forum Supporter) said:

Detroit region always has the awesome cars rallycrossing.

They used to, but I haven't been able to hit many of their events lately.

 

( )

Same, but I sold my car to a detroit region local so it still shows up sometimes when he manages to keep it running long enough.

My favorite was the time some guys showed up from hawaii region, touring the country to see how various events are run, in a rented infiniti sedan and proceeded to repeatedly launch it into the woods, once hard enough that it required a tow out and broke the front bumper cover and washer fluid reservoir.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to MrChaos :

A LOT of the competitors in DR are automotive engineers or otherwise tied in with the auto industry.  Have seen some interesting sights in the paddock (New Opels with MFR plates, Hondas with EEC-IV engine control, Miatas with cast-off prototyping hardware...) overheard some interesting conversations (not sure if it'd be polite to repeat them).  Car guys gravitate to car careers, who knew? 

Funny story...at one event I was working course and talking about various car stuff with a guy and the conversation eventually resulted in me complaining about how awful the suspension tuning on the fiesta st is...turns out the guy I was talking to was a ford engineer that had been involved in that project.

MrChaos said:

i guess that's one way to test a suspension.

All we get is Randy Pobst showing up to etr

Oh, not on COURSE mind you. 

Detroit events tend to be very suspension friendly, because they are able to lean heavily on horse tracks and dirt ovals.  Not farm fields that rut up, leaving you with courses that crisscross old battle scarred sections after a few years.

dps214 said:

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to MrChaos :

A LOT of the competitors in DR are automotive engineers or otherwise tied in with the auto industry.  Have seen some interesting sights in the paddock (New Opels with MFR plates, Hondas with EEC-IV engine control, Miatas with cast-off prototyping hardware...) overheard some interesting conversations (not sure if it'd be polite to repeat them).  Car guys gravitate to car careers, who knew? 

Funny story...at one event I was working course and talking about various car stuff with a guy and the conversation eventually resulted in me complaining about how awful the suspension tuning on the fiesta st is...turns out the guy I was talking to was a ford engineer that had been involved in that project.

Heh... I remember one overheard conversation involving the difficulties of suspension tuning on the 5th gen Camaro because styling wanted 20" wheels, so they had to compromise the damping and subframe isolation to get adequate NVH, which then compromised performance, and the meetings that ensued from the situation.

It's actually pretty insightful, and makes me chuckle a bit at the attitude some people get about "The Automaker" as if everybody working there was a single-minded bloc, all on the same page and with the same vision. 

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

MrChaos said:

i guess that's one way to test a suspension.

All we get is Randy Pobst showing up to etr

Oh, not on COURSE mind you. 

Detroit events tend to be very suspension friendly, because they are able to lean heavily on horse tracks and dirt ovals.  Not farm fields that rut up, leaving you with courses that crisscross old battle scarred sections after a few years.

ah ok, here there are times when miatas are almost airborne.

Out of the cars in that video I'm much more intrigued by the Yugo and the Transit Connect.

Also jealous of a rallycross site that isn't dry dusty sand. All the venues in Colorado are so dry and nasty, you end up with a layer of dust in every orifice and all over your body after working the course.

In reply to newrider3 :

The first thing I did with my black RX-7 was remove the carpeting, because Detroit exclusively used horse tracks at the time, and horse tracks make flour-like dust that gets into everything.

Now.  Horses get exercised on horse tracks, and they can be somewhat indiscriminate on where they relieve themselves, so the dust that settles in the carpet would have a rather earthy aroma, if you follow me.  So, out went the carpet.

I see nothing wrong with this.

Though now that I've said that, I'm realizing that's the reason why I can't have nice things.