I posted an encounter with a red Lightning a few weeks back. We punched from 45mph and ran to 120mph. He gained maybe a car length. Yesterday we had an autocross event at the University of Kentucky and I noticed a red Lightning signed up to race. The driver looked familiar so I approached him and asked if he was the same guy I had raced on that Sunday morning. He was. He went on to explain that JDM had done all kinds of mods to his truck and that the last time he was at Clay City (local dragstrip) he had run 12.6. He further enlightened me on how quick his truck was from a stop. His 60 foot times were 1.6 and 1.7. All of this substantiated what I had personally experienced which by the way is contrary to GLen's opinions on the truck. I competed in the first heat and could not wait for him to run. It was very disappointing. His best time was 47.5, mine 40.7. BTW I won my class and garnered the best Pax time of the day (131 cars).
s2000 vs modded wrx. I was heading home from Louisville last weekend and as I proceeded up the on ramp to Watterson Xpway with my top down I hear this loud whistling from behind. I glance in the rearview and this black wrx is maybe six feet from my bumper. I downshifted into 3rd while going 60mph and held steady as we merged onto the xpway. We got clear of traffic and I mashed. By the end of 3rd he is still right there. I run all the way through 4th and he is still there. I stayed in fifth ever so briefly before shutting down. He never gained and I never pulled. He switched into the right lane as we were slowing down and I let him pass so I could check out his car. There was a huge muffler sticking out and he let me hear that bov one last time. It was loud. Don't know what mods he had but that car was fast.

 

Probably boost controller and some bolt-ons.
You would've pulled slightly with your top up. Good race though.

 

I don't know why you would think that a truck would perform well at an autocross. Live axle / leaf spring rear suspension, heavy front end weight bias, large amounts of torque to wheels that are carrying little weight? Sounds like this thing would transfer back and forth from HEAVY understeer to VERY HEAVY oversteer depending on how much throttle is applied in a turn.

Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. (Not that anyone on this board needs encouragement to post a contradictory opinion.)

 

boost controllers don't even work on WRXs.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BDMonk
[B]I don't know why you would think that a truck would perform well at an autocross.

 

That's interesting...do you know why that is?

 

I'm guessing it's just like my car. The ecu will detect more boost and think of it as "overboosting" then cut boost, or go limp mode. My friend has some cheap boost controller on his WRX and it doesn't really seem to work. No difference felt.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by integrate
[B]

I'm guessing it's just like my car.

 

I'm guessing it's just like my car. The ecu will detect more boost and think of it as "overboosting" then cut boost, or go limp mode. My friend has some cheap boost controller on his WRX and it doesn't really seem to work. No difference felt.

Trere are pretty cheap 'overide' parts for this. It will fool the CPU into thinking that it has XX boost while it really has something esle. They are pretty common and most 'overboosted' WRXs around here use it .... it's pretty cheap ... like $50.

 

It's just a fail-safe so that the turbo doesn't boost too much to run lean...that's my obvious guess. Also, to keep the turbo within its limits. I'm sure you know this.

well, you can always get a reprogrammed ECU. Easy as that.