Figured I’d share my experience and thoughts from this past weekend with my EV6 on a small track. It was an absolute blast, and my first time ever tracking any vehicle. If you’ve ever thought about racing or autocross but couldn’t decide whether to try it, please do it—you won’t regret it.
The course had tight corners, some straightaways, and slaloms. You had to do two loops around each side of the track (a split parking lot) and then exit into a slalom before crossing the finish line.
Day 1:
Day 1 didn’t go as well as I hoped. I was part of the second heat, so I watched about a dozen people do six runs each before my turn.
Run 1/6: 74.4 seconds (DNF): Ran the course slowly to get a feel for it. Used GT mode but went slow.
Run 2/6: 70.14 seconds (DNF): Picked up some speed but the first corner in GT mode was tough due to limited traction control.
Run 3/6: 68.0 seconds (DNF): With an instructor’s advice, I disabled traction and stability control and dropped tire pressure to 30psi. The car felt totally different without regen or stability control.
Run 4/6: 63.8 seconds (DNF): Gained confidence, but made mistakes on the second portion of the track.
Run 5/6: 66.4 seconds: First clean lap of the day. Started to get a hang of braking into corners.
Run 6/6: 62.56 seconds (DNF): Went too fast into a corner and got a DNF.
Day 1 was a learning experience, but the instructor’s guidance helped me build confidence.
Day 2:
The course was slightly changed. Conditions were sunny and warm, and I had a 95% charge. I felt more confident after Day 1’s learning curve.
Run 1/6: 62.68 seconds (DNF): Missed a turn but found the reversed course layout easier.
Run 2/6: 73.59 seconds (DNF): I don’t remember what went wrong, but it wasn’t good.
Run 3/6: 61.67 seconds (+2.0 seconds for hitting a cone): Fastest run yet. Hit a cone but didn’t even notice.
Run 4/6: 61.44 seconds (best run): A clean, solid run, trying to shave off as much time as possible.
Run 5/6: 62.19 seconds: Another solid run with no issues.
Run 6/6: 59.8 seconds (DNF): Went all out but came in too fast at the end, missing my best time due to an overrun.
Overall, I’m really happy with the EV6-GT’s performance, despite its weight making tight corners tricky. I won Day 1 by default as the only EV there, and I beat a Volvo C40 EV on Day 2 to take first in my class. The best time of the weekend was 52.12 seconds, set by a 2022 BRZ.
I’ve got to get new tires now—they’re cooked after the event—but this was the most fun I’ve ever had with a car. Any questions? Let me know. I’m working on gathering videos from the event for upload later.
@chozen
I’m not a big fan of Goodyear from my tire sales experience, but they’ve been okay. They don’t last long, mostly because of my driving. The GT makes enough power to break them loose, even when they were new. I’d swap to Pilot Sports in a heartbeat—they’re better overall.
I’m currently deciding between Pilot Sports, Bridgestone RE-71Rs, or maybe R888Rs for the next set.
I weirdly want to see how a BMW i3 would do on autocross. It has decent low-end torque, is very light (for an EV), and nimble. The big problem is its narrow tires.
zendaya said:
I weirdly want to see how a BMW i3 would do on autocross. It has decent low-end torque, is very light (for an EV), and nimble. The big problem is its narrow tires.
Would be cool. I thought you said 135 instead of i3 at first. I wish I had more EV competition either day.
zendaya said:
I weirdly want to see how a BMW i3 would do on autocross. It has decent low-end torque, is very light (for an EV), and nimble. The big problem is its narrow tires.
BMW i3 is great, but the issue is cooling. It throttles power when pushed hard.
@jessicah
Upgrades help a lot. I’ve lowered mine on KW V3 coilovers with thicker sway bars, adjustable camber arms, and more. First upgrade should be better tires—they make a huge difference.
MAKENA said: @jessicah
Upgrades help a lot. I’ve lowered mine on KW V3 coilovers with thicker sway bars, adjustable camber arms, and more. First upgrade should be better tires—they make a huge difference.
I’m trying to make these tires last until spring since I won’t be driving in winter. If I do more racing, I’ll definitely invest in better tires.
