scathing

Thanks Links. I'd forgotten about that (too long since I looked up or talked about ATTESSA). Aside from detecting slip, the car knows from its other sensors where in a corner you are. Assuming you have traction all the way through the corner: On the straight its RWD. Under brakes and on turn-in its still RWD, which preserves its response and steering feel as the front wheels are not being corrupted by torque. Once you pass the apex and get back on the power, the ATTESSA will funnel some torque to the front to pull you out of the corner, even if you have full traction. That will let you feed more power on as well as well as improve the power split to keep the car neutral as the rear tyres aren't being overwhelmed by demands on it. Its all about maximising the amount of grip all four tyres can offer you by only putting torque to them when you can and when its needed. I could write a longer post on it if you want, but you'd be just as well served Googling for it.

How far west are we talking? With the list, we're not talking out Livo way. My car gets serviced at Pro Concept in West Ryde. Joshua knows his stuff, has a good attention to detail, and doesn't charge and arm and a leg.

The Victorian laws for calculating power to weight are based on the values in the owner's manual. So it doesn't matter how many subwoofers you stick in the boot. 2 seconds on Google to find the URL for VicRoads. 5 seconds on VicRoads to find this. Seriously, developing the ability to learn without getting spoonfed isn't that difficult or time consuming.

I wish. Nup, not yet. Still trying to figure a way of affording them.

I'm not saying that it can't. But if you're going to force both motors to make that 400kW on a regular basis, the one with the smaller capacity will be the one that blows up first because it'll have to be tuned harder. Not to mention the power delivery not being as progressive. When it comes to FI motors, you can make as much power out of whatever displacement you want....as long as you have the money. The 80's F1 cars made over 1000hp out of a 1.5L engine, but what's the likelihood of it lasting anywhere near as long as a stroked out RB26DETT or 2JZ-GTE making those kinds of numbers?

I should be coming along.

"Real men drink 12 tinnies during a sprint session."

None of the GT-Rs are constant 4WD. They're only 4WD on demand. The difference between a GT-R and your average "part time 4WD" shitbox is that, when its not in 4WD, the GT-R drives the right set of wheels for a sports car. On an R32, pulling a fuse will disable the ATTESSA from working. So you could quite easily install a switch to do the same thing.

Which is bollocks, since a faster driver is a lot more important than a "fast" car. But then again, ASM has always been about the eye candy rather than about the driving. They'd rather have a flashy looking car with a novice behind the wheel than some guy in a beat up old car who knows how to use it. I remember their Street Car of the Year edition...while most of their field did great as dyno queens and at the drags (and on the looks, natch), about half the field didn't even make it past the practice session at Wakefield and get to run the proper timed laps.

If you're going to leave the stock displacement (there's no way an RB20 is going to make 400kW with the stock internals, but your secod paragraph is comparing a 2.0L to a 2.6L) in both engines, the RB20 is going to have a hell of a time making 400kW. Its going to have a work a lot harder to make that power than an engine 600cc larger, so in terms of "reliability" I'd find it highly unlikely that they'd be equal.

20lbs is under 10kg. Which is a good thing, of course. They look mad, and I reckon they look good on that RX-8 you've posted.

Eww......sticky

Because they're insane? Some cars don't have dedicated heater elements for HVAC. They just filter air from the engine bay when you ask for heat. So some people turn the heater up full blast to help cool the engine bay down. You'd be best off finding out how your car's HVAC obtains hot air before considering it yourself.

A lot of pit areas will be flat because they know its an issue, but bring your own bricks just in case. I use the space saver tyre. On a related (heat) note, it shouldn't be an issue on most tracks but don't park your car on the grass. While unlikely, there's still an off chance you could start a fire. A modern closed face helmet will not block your vision appreciably, and definitely not in areas you care about. Left and right, the opaque parts start outside of your peripheral vision so you don't lose anything there. Top and bottom might be blocked off a little, but that just means you can't see your roof lining and the logo on your steering wheel. I will normally drive with the windows down so I can hear the wind and engine noise better. While it does mess with your aerodynamics and means you might go a little slower, I don't think most of us are quick enough to notice in lap times. The only time I've ever wound the windows up is for the main straight of Eastern Creek. I'm not sure if it was just because I was trying and braking later or because of the improved Cd, but I did pull an extra 5km/hr top speed. But if the difference between window up and window down is from 197km/hr to 203km/hr on the longest straight on a NSW track (that's also downhill), I'll keep my window down and my ventilation up. I also keep the visor up on my helmet, so I get some flow onto my face. The rule on the race tracks I've driven on (the Creek, Wakefield and Oran) is the window is either entirely up or entirely down. Wakefield insists that if you're carrying a passenger on one of their private days, their window has to be up (the driver's can be down). You'll generally only be sprint racing, or maybe doing a 15 minute practice session. Cabin temps should not an issue, especially since you're not wearing the 4 layers of fireproof suit that pro racers do. You could always go out with the windows up and try and do some hot laps, and the wind them back down when you do some cool-down laps.

That's right. If its on the list, its banned regardless of its powertrain. If its not on the list but it has a petrol motor with a V8 or forced induction, its banned.

You can also get cheapish new helmets from bike stores these days. They're missing most of the vinyl rice that the expensive ones come with, but I'm pretty sure some guys have picked up new helmets for $200-$300. Which is not unreasonable.

As people have said, keep an eye on your gauges. If stuff runs outside of its normal parameters, back off. Give it a lap or two to cool down. If my car goes a bit weird, I'll use half throttle and short shift on the straights, and gently brake a second or two early so I can take the corners slower. Which leads me on to my next point. For the love of God check your mirrors! And if someone catches you, find somewhere safe to let them pass. You're not racing for position, so if people go to pass you don't take it as some insult to your manhood and try something heroic. There's nothing more frustrating on the road than getting stuck behind some slow poke who decides to baulk you - the track is no different. Being passed does not make you look like a dickhead; running off the road or blowing something up and needing to be towed off will. Everyone will get pulled off the circuit and they'll line the pit wall to watch the tow truck come out and get you, knowing they're losing valuable track time because of you.

A surfer's helmet will not cut it. For private track days, where they don't really scrutineer, if a surfy helmet looks like a car/bike one you might get away with it. But if anyone checks, you won't be allowed out. Of course, in case of an accident you may as well not be wearing it. At a startup level there's not much in it between open and closed face. Open face will keep some body temps down since its not trapping your breath, but to be honest you won't notice it. I personally don't like open face helmets, but if rally drivers can get away with it then it can't be all bad.

Your brakes will still be hot when you come off, even with a cool-down lap. If you pull the handbrake (especially on Nissans that tend to use the caliper rather than a separate drum), all the heat from the rotor gets transferred through your pads. Problems I've heard range from the pad fusing to the rotor to the heat boiling your fluid and damaging it.

Where's the confusion? It has no turbo. It has no V8. It's not on the list. How much more obvious did you want it? And I'm not sure how much of your beloved "sound" you're going to get, since the laws also prohibit new P platers from driving any car with modifications that alter "engine performance". So unless you like the sound of an untouched RB25DE with a factory intake and exhaust, you may be a tad disappointed.

My favourite part is how the guy has no clue that the R33 is the chassis designation (hence why its a part of the VIN number). Yes.....because all R33s have 4WD, and only R33 Skylines came with it.

If you want a four door, get a Celsior. If you want a two door, get the Snoarer. They're not exactly similar cars. A friend of mine had a Celsior for a while. The V8 sounded nice with its catback, and was smooth. It was a full luxo inside, with a rear seat you could use. A pretty nice car - shame you weren't looking for one a month or so ago.

And you think a different Skyline coupe, with a turbo engine conversion no less, is somehow going to be significantly cheaper? How much do you think insurance on an Impreza GX would be after you did an EJ20T conversion on it? Or your running costs? Be a man. If you want a 4WD turbo Skyline and you can afford it, get a GT-R. Don't arse about.

Not surprised. Bilstein make some of the nicest suspension components around. If I didn't want the in-cabin adjustability of Tein coilovers, I'd probably save my pennies and get a Bilstein kit. Pedders is like the kebab shop of the suspension world. You only go there if you're desperate and not quite right in the head, and you're sure to feel nauseous and regretful afterwards.

Also, different tyres will sit differently on the rim due to their shape and construction. So just because Manufacturer A says that a 255 tyre will sit on an 8" rim doesn't mean Manufacturer B will. Most non-useless tyre manufacturers will have a wheel fitment guide for their tyres. There's generally a 1.5" range for each of their tyres, but that's not always the case. From my observations of the manufacturers' web sites, 255 width tyres have a minimum rim width of 8.5".