Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from August, 2019
HOME   |   ABOUT   |   NEWS   |   TECH ARTICLES   |   AT THE TRACK   |   REVIEWS   |   VIDEOS   |   CONTACT ME

Rams Eye on YouTube: Track Reviews, Features, and Coaching!

By
After writing for 7+ years , it is finally time to start making videos. Don't worry, I won't stop writing, but will be bringing video content now, including track reviews, tech features, builds, and tips and insights on how to go faster and safer. This is a little preview of what you can expect to see. Make sure to head over to YouTube and subscribe so you don't miss any future videos! Follow Rams Eye The Track Guy on Facebook and Instagram! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael R (@ramseyethetrackguy) on May 21, 2019 at 5:17pm PDT
Post a Comment
Read more

2020 BMW M3 Pure to be manual, RWD

By
A couple of months ago, I posted about how the 2020 BMW M3 (code named G80) will bring more than 500 hp and AWD . At that point, I figured all hope was lost for a manual M3 or M4, despite an earlier report that BMW M is still committed to manuals . Thankfully, it looks like hope is fully restored or - better yet - replaced with full expectations of a manual, thanks to an interview by Car Magazine. If you were waiting for a 500+ hp AWD beast, fear not. It is still coming. But BMW M boss Markus Flasch just confirmed to Car Magazine that an entry level version for the purists will bring lower horsepower, a manual stick shift, and RWD. They are code named M3 Pure or M4 Pure internally and will pack "only" 454 hp. According to Car Magazine, this is because BMW does not have a manual gear box that can handle the full output, but I'm sure it also has something to do with hierarchy. It will still come with an electronic limited slip differential like the current M cars...
1 comment
Read more

Limited Slip Differential Types Compared

By
BMW M2 equipped with an eLSD - BMW © A few weeks ago, I posted about traditional clutch-type limited slip diffs (LSD's) and how they work. You can read about those in the previous post: How Limited Slip Diffs Make You Faster on Track . But as you might know or have learned from reading the article, they aren't without their faults, which means engineers are always working to get around those limitations. You may not be surprised to learn that something like the Ferrari 488 GTB doesn't use a traditional limited slip diff, but it's not limited to super cars, far from it. Cars like the Golf GTI, the Civic Type R, various Mustangs, Corvettes, and BMW M cars, and even the Lexus RC F and GS F, all avoid a traditional limited slip diff in favour of one of these technologies. To keep things simple, I'll focus on two wheel drive vehicles. The vast (vast) majority of principles apply to all and 4 wheel drive vehicles, but there are some subtle differences that I'll...
1 comment
Read more





Does An Aftermarket Grille Really Increase Airflow?
I put a Saleen S281 grille to the test to answer that question.

Stock Suspension S197 Mustang With Square 305/30/19's
What you need to fit a proper size square tire setup.

How Limited Slip Diffs Make You Faster on Track
What you need to know about how they put power down and pros and cons.

Can Telemetry Explain Schumacher's Talent?
A comparison between Schumacher's and then team mate Herbert's data.





Cayman GT4 Track Review
The first Cayman with proper (911-challenging) power.

Is an EcoBoost Mustang any good on Track?
Two days at the track in a Mustang short 4 cylinders.

2016 BMW M4 DCT Track Review
It's quick (properly quick). But is it fun?

Can a stock Golf Diesel handle a Track Day?
Not your every day track beater.



🔥 Most Visited This Week

Limited Slip Differentials - The Basics

By
I'm finishing up a comparison post (link to introduction: Intro: Focus RS vs Golf R vs WRX STI vs Evo X ) and, throughout the post, I realized that I have to go off topic a lot to talk about how each type of differential changes the way the car drives. As a result, I thought I'd write a separate post to go into more detail before I post the comparison to keep it more focused on the cars and avoid veering off topic too much. By saying "Limited Slip Differentials" in the title, I am including torque vectoring diffs because, although current conventional terminology treats them differently, a torque vectoring differential is, in essence, a very sophisticated limited slip diff (LSD) that can be manipulated to actively help the car handle better. And while none of the cars in the comparison use open (without help from the brakes) or non-gear mechanical LSD’s, I’ll briefly discuss them so that the post is more inclusive. I’ll only focus on using power to help the...
3 comments
Read more

2016 Mustang EcoBoost Track Review

By
Photography by: Graham MacNeil Ford really wants to sell you a Mustang with a turbo four cylinder. They started by derating the V6 engine in the 2015 S550 compared to the 2011-2014 S197 V6 to make the EcoBoost 2.3 litre more differentiated. Then, they offered a performance pack on the EcoBoost but not on the V6. Now, they killed the V6 all together for 2018 and will only sell you a V8 or this EcoBoost. I love a good V8, everyone who knows me knows that. This is a Mustang, which means it needs a V8. If those aren't enough reasons, I always prefer natural aspiration over forced induction. That's three strikes against the EcoBoost-powered Mustang. But I'd be lying if I said the idea never intrigued me. It's the lightest (if you account for features). It has the best weight distribution. It has the same great chassis as the GT. It's very affordable and it has a lot of potential to make more power. Aftermarket? Endless support. There's plenty of good about it....
5 comments
Read more

GTR vs Evo X vs STI: which has the best AWD system?

By
A few weeks ago, I made a post explaining  mainstream AWD system types and how they compare , pros and cons, etc. including some simple diagrams to show where the power goes and how much. As promised, this post will focus on specific cars and what AWD systems they use, especially ones that that have more or less been defined by their AWD systems, and the best place to start may be with a bombshell; the Nissan GT-R. Nissan GT-R (R35) The GT-R has built a reputation around having monster traction and very approachable performance, thanks to its AWD system - Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain (ATTESA) - and what it can do for you. But the GT-R doesn't actually use the most mechanically sophisticated type of AWD systems discussed in the previous article, namely a "true" AWD with a centre differential. Instead, it uses a clutch pack to transfer power. RWD-based clutch-type AWD schematic - Rams Eye The Track Guy © The R32, R33, and R34 Sky...
8 comments
Read more

Focus RS vs Rallycross

By
Focus RS at the Nov 2017 BAC Rallycross - Kevin Doubleday  © If you've read my last post - The Ram's Eye is going Rallycross  - you already know that I'm starting rallycross this season for the first time. I started high performance driving 7 years ago in 2011 but have never strayed away from tarmac/asphalt. Living in Canada - which rightfully earns the name 'The Great White North' - means that I had to suffer serious speed withdrawals during the track off-season; that typically lasts from the middle of October to the middle of May. But there is a treatment for people with my condition and it has been available locally for nearly 20 years. I went to my first event this past Sunday and spoke to a few of the seasoned rallycross veterans. I was told that local speed freaks started organizing rallycross events for that very reason around 1999; to get their speed fix during the winter. It took off a few years later around the 2001-2002 winter season and nobody loo...
Post a Comment
Read more