Track Day
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Super Member
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 853
Likes: 126
From: Cape Town
2014 Mercedes C63 AMG 507 Edition
Track Day
Went to my local racetrack on Thursday for the first time in my C63. I haven't been around the track in about 3 years, and forgot just how much fun it is.
Car pulls like a freight train down the straights and stops well enough considering I have stock pads and discs.
My rears tyres gave up a few months ago, so I fitted semi slicks on the back. But I've still got the old road tyres on the front. This upset the balance a bit, as I had much more traction at the back, which caused it to push the front out when you started accelerating out the corner. But with the power on hand it's easy to change from understeer to oversteer.
I had an absolute blast. Unfortunately my Gopro decided to die, so do t have any footage.
I could get about 3 or 4 good laps out of it before I noticed the brakes beginning to fade.
Quick cool down and then could get back on it.
My oil temperature got up to around 128 Celsius, and the outside temperature was about 26 Celsius.
One thing that does become evident on the track is the delay in the shift from when you pull on the paddle shifter to when the box actually changes. Because you are concentrating on hitting the apex correctly and then exiting cleanly out the corner, you forget you need to pull early on the shifter.
Is it possible to reduce this shift delay at all?
Also to the guys that track their cars a lot, what tyre temperatures do you find works best.
Car pulls like a freight train down the straights and stops well enough considering I have stock pads and discs.
My rears tyres gave up a few months ago, so I fitted semi slicks on the back. But I've still got the old road tyres on the front. This upset the balance a bit, as I had much more traction at the back, which caused it to push the front out when you started accelerating out the corner. But with the power on hand it's easy to change from understeer to oversteer.
I had an absolute blast. Unfortunately my Gopro decided to die, so do t have any footage.
I could get about 3 or 4 good laps out of it before I noticed the brakes beginning to fade.
Quick cool down and then could get back on it.
My oil temperature got up to around 128 Celsius, and the outside temperature was about 26 Celsius.
One thing that does become evident on the track is the delay in the shift from when you pull on the paddle shifter to when the box actually changes. Because you are concentrating on hitting the apex correctly and then exiting cleanly out the corner, you forget you need to pull early on the shifter.
Is it possible to reduce this shift delay at all?
Also to the guys that track their cars a lot, what tyre temperatures do you find works best.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,589
Likes: 68
From: Texas
C63 507 AMG DA Car #19
Track Day
Thx for the write-up.
I've tracked my 507 a couple of times @ COTA...... I started with stock pressure, and had to drop quite a bit as they heated up quite a bit. I don't remember where I ended up.... some frequent DE guys can chime in.
I too found the power more than adequate, and the brakes fantastic no fade for me....... but the stock conti's seemed to get a bit greasy after they came up to temps. I was running brand new conti's.
I'm going to try and run a square set-up next time out with a spare set of rears I'l put up front with a spacer and see how this works out.
Good to see some of these cars being used for what they were built for..... vs just posing for picks, and picking up women @ the club
I've tracked my 507 a couple of times @ COTA...... I started with stock pressure, and had to drop quite a bit as they heated up quite a bit. I don't remember where I ended up.... some frequent DE guys can chime in.
I too found the power more than adequate, and the brakes fantastic no fade for me....... but the stock conti's seemed to get a bit greasy after they came up to temps. I was running brand new conti's.
I'm going to try and run a square set-up next time out with a spare set of rears I'l put up front with a spacer and see how this works out.
Good to see some of these cars being used for what they were built for..... vs just posing for picks, and picking up women @ the club
Member
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 79
Likes: 10
From: Shanghai
C63 AMG w204
Trackday with the C63 is so much fun, on the track you can really use all that power that is just sleeping on open roads.
I use to go to trackday at Shanghai F1 track every month, beside of using also mine as a daily.
You need a big track to really use the potential and power of the C63. We have a trackday team with some car enthusiasts and usually M3 are the most common cars, The C63 can hold up well if equipped with an LSD.
Regarding the manual gear changes, it's a matter of time for you to get used to it: at first I was hitting the rev limiter often, but now it almost never happens. I also have eurocharged V6 tune that fasten a bit the gear change and allow to rev up to 7500rpm.
The oil temperature is a bit high, I usually don't go over 120 degrees C and I drive hard. I will only face limp mode when outside temps is over 30 and/or if i didn't make a oil change since a while. Keep in mind that mine is pre-facelift.
Actually my improvement area is on the brakes, I changes already for few different settings and always melt the pads and crack the disks. I will try my new combo FERODO RACING DSUNO + brembo perfomance 2 pieces rotors (OEM)
Have fun! that's the trackday purpose
I use to go to trackday at Shanghai F1 track every month, beside of using also mine as a daily.
You need a big track to really use the potential and power of the C63. We have a trackday team with some car enthusiasts and usually M3 are the most common cars, The C63 can hold up well if equipped with an LSD.
Regarding the manual gear changes, it's a matter of time for you to get used to it: at first I was hitting the rev limiter often, but now it almost never happens. I also have eurocharged V6 tune that fasten a bit the gear change and allow to rev up to 7500rpm.
The oil temperature is a bit high, I usually don't go over 120 degrees C and I drive hard. I will only face limp mode when outside temps is over 30 and/or if i didn't make a oil change since a while. Keep in mind that mine is pre-facelift.
Actually my improvement area is on the brakes, I changes already for few different settings and always melt the pads and crack the disks. I will try my new combo FERODO RACING DSUNO + brembo perfomance 2 pieces rotors (OEM)
Have fun! that's the trackday purpose
