Taking the ST to the track this weekend.

***Schroeder02*** · 09-13-2012, 10:41 AM

Saturday and Sunday will be my last track weekend of the Year with the SCCA. So I figure I may was well take the ST once or twice and see how it does. I still be taking the Track car since I don’t need to wear parts out on a brand new car.

I’ll shoot some video also.

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***Schroeder02*** · 09-17-2012, 06:46 AM

Well I’m back from the track. The weekend was the final SCCA PDX event the year. I had registered Dani for her fist event as a novice and I was doing my usual instructor duties. Unfortunately I had a pretty good cold this weekend so I wasn’t feeling as sharp as normal. But I did manage to take the new ST on track for two seasons to see what it really could do.
Over the car is pretty dam good for a bone stock street car the suspension is quite firm surprisingly for the FWD car it quite lively, I was often able to get the back end to step out in the corners but in a very controllable manner with a bit of train braking. However if pushed in to the corner a bit hard it would understear.

The power is fantastic and very smooth delivery but it dues seam to run out of guts in the upper rpm 6000 to 7000, but that can be expected with the small turbo and all the power being in the middle.

What it needs, one the OEM brake pads where a bit of a let down, I was seeing 120 to 125 down the front straight going in to a tight right hander, after several laps the heat really started to affect to pads. I would have expected a bit more aggressive pad that could handle a little more abuse. Dani noted the same thing as a novice driver and her speeds where not nearly as quick as mine.

Second it needs a diff the Ediff electronic stuff is just not up to it. coming out of turn 2 the car was trying to spin the front tire, I could feel the car using the brake to control the wheel spin, needless to say power was not smooth and caused the car to push to the outside of the corner more then I would have liked. I’m sure a diff would have pulled the car out of the corner much quicker and not caused the understear.

Over all as a bone stock street car it performed well, I think upgrading the brake pads and instilling a diff and the car will be exceptional.

Sorry for the lack of sound in the video I must have not turned off the wind noise reducer, the sound was so bad I have to edit it out

RonMaiden · 09-17-2012, 09:01 AM

A few of the car rags are echoing your sentiments about a proper LSD.

***BLRich1*** · 09-17-2012, 09:49 AM

is it my turn?

mac.mogul · 09-17-2012, 09:58 AM

I think it is a testament to Ford's R&D if you're saying that pads and LSD are the only things you would change right off.

I can't see the vid at work, but you can be sure I'll watch it when I get home.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I'm super excited to see someone with an ST actually using it.

sldghmr · 09-17-2012, 10:41 AM

Well I don't know how far it will get me in life, but I can say that I was there when the 1st 2013 ST hit the track @ Summit Pt. I was working turn 4 (great views of cars coming out of 3, and all the way thru 4, aka the fastest turn on the track). Since cars are coming out of 3 already and 4 being almost a linear turn, I cannot attest to the ST stability, however I can say this.... THAT CAR NEEDS AN EXHAUST!!!!! OMG! it's the freekin quietest thing on track!!!! But it was getting it done quickly.

mac.mogul · 09-17-2012, 11:00 AM

The ST sounds SO much better on the inside than the outside. I'm sure this was the designers' intent because they've got that sound piping going from the intake into the cabin to create synthetic noise. (Ford did it on the new Mustang as well and it is a joyous thing) It just makes it so much more engaging to drive when you hear the engine instead of the exhaust.

***suss6052*** · 09-17-2012, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac.mogul

The ST sounds SO much better on the inside than the outside. I'm sure this was the designers' intent because they've got that sound piping going from the intake into the cabin to create synthetic noise. (Ford did it on the new Mustang as well and it is a joyous thing) It just makes it so much more engaging to drive when you hear the engine instead of the exhaust.

Technically its not synthetic noise, BMW and the like do that by playing a sound through the speakers. Using a tube directed at specific induction or exhaust components and tunneling in the actual sound is a bit different than that. Its the real sound just amplified under specific conditions by the listening tube.

alaskanzx5 · 09-17-2012, 02:50 PM

i say ditch the "listening tube" and bring on the borla and magnaflow exhaust. magnaflow already has one released and borla should be releasing one shortly

mac.mogul · 09-17-2012, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suss6052

Technically its not synthetic noise, BMW and the like do that by playing a sound through the speakers. Using a tube directed at specific induction or exhaust components and tunneling in the actual sound is a bit different than that. Its the real sound just amplified under specific conditions by the listening tube.

Sorry, I'm getting words mixed up.

It is called the Engine Sound Symposer that boosts engine sound frequencies into the cabin. Something like 200hz-450hz