PC Valkyrie

Well, I recently particpated in another lapping day at Shannonville Motorsports Park. This track has multiple layouts available and this is one of the shorter configurations. The video below is of me trying my best to keep up with my friend's Cayman S. My friend has quite a bit more experience than me and he obviously has a better track car along with R-compounds tires too. My car is all stock, but I did replace the stock Pirelli P Zero Rosso's with Michelin Pilot Sport 2's. ESP was left on during this clip and the transmission left in automatic Sport (S) mode. I personally find it is very fun and educational trying to keep up with a faster driver/car in front.

The rules were that you can only pass if the car ahead of you gives you a signal. As you will see in the video, that can slow you down sometimes if the person ahead in the slower car doesn't give the signal right away.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSRDSF5kcv8

splinter

To have even stayed within striking distance of your friend in his Cayman S is doing quite well indeed. Looked as if he was a bit quicker on corner exit, but that’s to be expected. Mine pushes a ton with throttle, even after some tweaks to help alleviate the scenario.

He is piloting a sports car, while your C55 is a comfortable (albeit robust) four door sedan. Nicely done.

AMG DUDE

Very nice video!! I second the nicely done statement!

PC Valkyrie

Thanks for the kind words. I think I surprised some people (including myself) with the capabilities of the C55 on a short twisty track.

Here is a pic showing the entire short front straight at the track I went to. The blurry car on the track is me.

1FSTAMG

Did u lean the camera on it's side or something? Why can't people just take a normal picture so we don't have to tilt our heads to see it straight?

PC Valkyrie

LOL.....I didn't take the picture myself. I guess the camera person wanted something a little "different".

I've rotated it to make my new signature.

splinter

Blurry is a good thing. Enjoyed a day at Willow Springs myself yesterday. Can’t hardly wait to get back after it.

ScottW911

I love that video. I was impressed that you sedan held its own, very well, against a mid-engined near-supercar. I was most surprised that he made the most distance on you on the straight. I would have guessed he could out brake you but you would out muscle him.

Please keep your track day vids coming. I have been watching them repeatedly, wishing.

juicee63

Thats what I noticed too, you caught him in the turns and he seemed to gain ground in the straights. Nice line , push harder next time

CynCarvin32

Did you happen to get a lap time??

Curious how you did out there. When were you there? I know OTR was there this weekend for 2 days. Wish I could have been there!

MRAMG1

Hey there:

GREAT VIDEO!!!

I use to race at Shannonville, when the Bridgestone school was there. It was a very nice track, albeit TIGHT, for cars to pass. The hairpin coming onto the front straightaway, was a 1st gear turn in My mustang.

I raced there for about 3 years and had a ball!!!

See yeah

PS: The pro circuit was my favorite, ie FAST.
Is there still a HIGH rut in the entrance to turn 1 coming down the back straightaway?
I was told that the Atlantic cars put it there.

splinter

We were there last Saturday with Shelle www.amgdriversclub.com and, of course, Kalio and his OTR group. Good people.

Best times I could muster were in the 1:45.xx range. There is more that the car can do; it’s that turn 9 apprehension from behind the wheel that is the limiting factor. LOL. Even with that it was still a kick in the tail. We beat on it pretty hard for over two hours worth of track time and it never whimpered or put a wheel wrong. When I read your posts about those 1:35’s, I have nothing but the utmost regard for your tuning prowess and driving skill. Incidentally, I road with Maury Gentile in his prepared E30 M3 capable of low 1:3x’s. That was a thrill!

A while ago, I sent a PM to smgC32 to ask if he could join us with his 335i. Seems he was already down for Buttonwillow last Friday. Did you join him? I would relish following his exploits with the E92. It may be my next victim. Regardless, hope to catch up soon.

Sorry ‘bout the treadjack PC Valkyrie, the adrenaline still hasn’t worn off…

Eurocharged Rick

i have some track time waiting for me at Houston Motorsports Ranch...just need to make some time to get the car out there to see what it can do...thanks for the vid, you definitely held your own out there

FrankW

the caymanS's surprisingly fast on the straight. nice vid

PC Valkyrie

The power to weight ratio of the C55 and Cayman S are virtually identical, and the acceleration of the these 2 cars from car magazines are very similar.

I think the main reason my friend's Cayman S pulled slightly on me on the straight is because he is exiting the tight hairpin prior to the long back straight better than I am. The most important corner to get right on the track is the one leading to the longest straight, in terms of lowering lap times, and that is the corner which I constantly have trouble getting right (in terms of racing line and proper throttle application).

For high torque cars like the C55, it can be tricky exiting slow corners. Too much throttle too early and it can induce unwanted oversteer (if ESP is off), or unwanted traction control cutting power (if ESP is on). I rode in my friend's Cayman S on the track, and he has absolutely no problem nailing the throttle in these tight slow corners, making his exit speeds likely higher than mine. Of course, his car is a manual 6 speed too, which means full control of the gear selection. In the video clip of mine above, I left my transmission in automatic sport (S) mode, and the ESP on.

ScottW911

Hey PCV,

After watching your vid again and having a buddy, that has put in many hundreds of hours in at PCA track events, watch it also, I've got to ask: Did your buddy dog it for you or was he actually pushing it hard?

Both of us noticed the Cayman only hit 2 apexes and seems to run very wide in almost all the turns. My friend's take was that you looked like the better of the 2 drivers out there. Your lines looked better through almost all turns.

PC Valkyrie

For the first lap out of the pits, he (and I) were going slow. After the first lap, I don't think he was deliberately trying to be slow. I never got any indication from him before or afterwards that he was letting up to make me look good. Whether he was pushing at 10/10th's, I don't know.

I think the only time he let up was at the end of the video when he let me pass him on the long back straight.

When he saw the video, even he noticed that he was a bit wide and left lots of room on the right of his car, so he knows where he can improve on this particular track. In the end, it's all good fun.....he is a good friend and he was the one who introduced me to tracking.

One take home point from my experiences is that the facelifted W203 platform with Direct Control upgrades to the steering and suspension can really hold its own in the handling department when tuned by AMG in the C55. Furthermore, I personally think the C55 feels better the harder you push it.

AWDman

splinter glad you had fun....it's addicting ain't it?

PCvalkyrie- perhaps a front sway bar would help - it did for me...keeps the car from nosing over therefore the rear inside wheel stays in better contact with the ground more grip you can get on the throttle earlier. you will have a bit more understeer but will be faster.

glad to see you guys exercising the cars....c55 can be a fast car on a tight track and very fast on a large track....all up to you.

OPM

Nice video, but I like this one better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6rmH4vERsM&NR=1