Out of the box, without heroic engineering and investment, the Boxter has a better suspension design. But there's nothing time, effort and a cr*p load of money can't resolve if someone really wanted to make a killer 914 for the prepared classes.

Even still, it's not like the Boxter has a formula car suspension under it. It's still struts, replete with all the short-comings that a strut suspension brings with it.

-Josh

Brit just got a complete F&R (minus a few bent bits) Lotus Elise suspension. A good winter project.

Now we're talkin!!!

-Josh2

/\ Very much going to be watching the progress on Britts suspension. I know BrettW has custom front and rear suspension and he likes it, and there is one other that that posted a long time ago about his custom suspension setup..

Personally, coming from autox'ing my Audi which pretty much has 4 links f/r, the way it grips the road is MUCH MUCH better than the 914 or even the 944. On WAY less tire.

Agreed however its one of the best strut based suspension designs out there and way ahead of 914 design. While not an F! suspension GT3 race cars seem to do OK with strut based suspenions

Having lots of seat time in both stock and race versions of the cars the Boxster when built as a lightweight race car feels invincible when you go into turns. I can just drive into turns and do crazy stuff and get away with it. 914 suspension is not as forgiving.

Hey JP,

How can he use Lotus suspension in XP legally? I guess I have to read rules closer? He'd have to add differnt pickup points for that suspension or has Brit given up on XP and just going for unlimited build now that he see's what it takes to be competitive in XP?

Hey at least with E Mod fast cars at Nationals are almost non existent after about first 3 or 4 cars. Heck podium level FP cars would have trophied in E Mod this year! Then you have a car that cant be beat easily in local events. He should at least be able to hold off the ES miatas with Lotus suspension under the car.

Let me see ....so he has got rid of the Porsche motor, replacing porsche suspension ....Now he just needs to get rid of that flexi flyer vintage Porsche chassis and he will be set!

After all that Brit just might beat a fast driver in the stock chassis, motor and Porsche suspension of the FP Boxster if he has a good day.

A4 suspension used to amaze me! Its better than Boxster suspension just connected to a pig of a car!

I think it's still the same basic rules structure which requires independent suspension to remain independent and live axle to remain live axle. But there's where it ends. Doesn't matter if it's mac struts or SLA, it's still independent.

(not touching the commentary though...)

-Josh2

Looks like front can be converted and I was mistaken you can change pickup points so thats a cool mod for the front. Cant wait to see how Brit does this mod. SOunds like great project!

However looks like rear has to retain original design? or maybe I'm not understanding intent of this rule which is often the case with SCCA.

4. The manufacturer’s original basic type of rear suspension (e.g.
independent, live axle, swing axle, MacPherson strut, A-arm, etc.)
shall be retained, unless otherwise stated in Appendix A. Rocker
arms and push-pull rods may be used to augment the rear suspension
members.

Hmm, that seems to limit what one can do the rear. Still, there's a lot that can be done to improve the camber and toe curves and still retain a semi-trailing arm rear suspension.

-Josh2

5. SUSPENSION CONTROL
Any front and rear suspension system type (MacPherson/Chapman
strut, double A-arm, live axle, etc.) may be used.

RTFB. Hint: XP section.

The "X" Factor

SCCA has given retired people something to do! Well that should do it he has got rid of the crappy bits of 914. ....suspension and motor!

Makes me wonder why no one else has done this? 914 with real suspension would be killer car! maybe Brit will spawn lotus suspension revolution!

JP,

I was going on the premise that we were still talking about FP, not XP. XP is pretty much an E-Mod lite class. FP still has restrictions.

I'm excited to see what becomes of the sh*tbox with a modern suspension package underneath.

-Josh2

After Mark Snell lost his suspension on his Lotus and I have heard of similar issues I wonder why Brit chose the Lotus to use the suspension from.

I didn't hear about Mark's suspension failure, do you know what happened? I would venture to guess that it was the rear toe link which is a common failure due to it's mounting point in single shear. I have a fix for that.

-Britain

Brit,

Is there a reason you went with a Lotus setup as opposed to that from a miatoid? Both are SLA setups.

Just curious, as I would think the Mazda stuff would be a lot cheaper to replace and would also have more aftermarket support...

-Josh

Mark said it was something that Lotus had sent out a safety bulletin on to all the owners to change something in the front. I don't recall what it was but Mark said he changed it out every year and still had the failure in the front that took his car out of comission for this year. I have heard of similar stories from other Lotus owners about that same failure as well. Since I don't own one I haven't look into this any more than that but you may want to do so before you go too far.

As per Mark Snell, his failure was a right rear wheel stud issue. I have done a lot of research and have seen no systematic issues with the front suspension. The rear suffers from toe link failures as I mentioned above.

-Britain

Okay, it was rear. Like I said, I didn't pay much attention since I don't have one but was surprised to hear of it. Then when I saw you decided to use one I was hoping you knew of the issue.

Speedway Motorsports video, with clips of Britain Smith, Beth McClure Strelnieks, and yours truly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6yNejk7MwI
Mark D.

Reading November Sports car. Some how Grant gets a mention because he shared the car with. Vivek

Grant can I have your autograph?????

I charge for that now. Not sure a 914 guy like you could afford it.

Could have been because writer knew it was my car. I was introduced as orignal builder of the Boxster. Everyone knows that car was fast so nice plug on where the car came from I think.

Hey you see the other passage about the guy who disabled timer to delight of everyone in FP? That was me! LOL!

Yep read that too.
and something about got caught sniffing the seat of the car after FPL runs.

I would.

You should have seen my umbrella girl. Just ask the 914 guy that was parked next to me.

Hey we made it into one of the Nationals highlight videos.

http://youtu.be/n6yNejk7MwI

What am I? Invisible?
Mark D.