Drivingfast.net refresh

We're in the process of updating drivingfast.net and have been working hard adding new features and illustrations behind the scenes. The new home-page is now live and it now should be much easier to find the relevant information due to the better layout and search function.

We would be very interested to hear what people think so if you do have any comments, please leave them here. Many thanks!

Threshold braking – how to get it right

Threshold braking is the art of slowing down in the quickest possible way by maintaining brake force at the optimum level. It's tricky and requires a lot of practise in a familiar car before you'll be able to do it reliably, but braking late before a corner is one of the easiest methods of getting decent track times.

But first, two quick facts:

• Locked wheels are not the most efficient method of slowing down (lots of tyre screech is bad)
• Tyres exert maximum braking force when slight wheel slip is occurring (some tyre screech is ok)

Is threshold braking still relevant in a world with ABS? In a word, yes. ABS is a reactive system – is detects the onset of a locking wheel and reduces the brake pressure automatically until the wheel has regained grip. When threshold braking, the driver attempts to maintain maximum deceleration without locking wheels, so if ABS has kicked in, then something has gone wrong. However, many modern ABS systems are react so quickly to changing conditions that it is becoming more difficult to improve on them, but the best drivers still can - and many track cars do not have ABS.

So, how does one learn this strange and wonderful technique?

Stage one
First you need to become familiar with the point of wheel lock in your car, which means finding suitably safe area of privately owned tarmac to practice on. Brake hard in a straight line at different speeds (30mph is a good starting point) and get a feel for how the car reacts under rapid braking to the point of wheel lock. Don't stamp on the pedal, but rather apply push it firmly and progressively. Get the answers to the following questions clear in your own mind:

• How hard do you need to push the pedal for wheels to lock (or ABS to kick in)?
• What is the sensation just before the point of wheel lock?
• When wheels do start to lock up, what are the warning factors?
• Which wheels lock up first?
• How does the car behave when a wheel has locked?
• Is there any feedback from the brake pedal?

Once you have the answers to these questions, it's time for…

Stage two
Now you're familiar with the sensation of braking hard enough to lock wheels in your car or activate the ABS. Remember, as soon as wheels lose traction with the tarmac you're no longer braking efficiently - but even the best drivers lock wheels from time to time. So, it's important to learn how to regain maximum friction as quickly as possible when this situation arises.

Accelerate to a slightly higher speed (say 50mph) and repeat the process of inducing wheel lock. Try to get to the point of lock as quickly as you can without upsetting the balance of the car. But rather than simply screeching to a halt, release the brakes slightly to free up the locked wheel(s), then reapply at a slightly reduced pressure to try and maintain decent braking performance.

Get to the point when you can reliably release and reapply the brakes in as little time as possible. Some ABS systems may make this process difficult due to built in delays in the electronics, and it might be at this point when you decide threshold braking isn't for you after all!

Stage three
Now you will have a good feel for the car, appreciate the sensation of heavy braking and understand the point of wheel lock, so it's time to do the perfect run. Accelerate back up to around 50mph and repeat the process of braking heavily, but this time try to come to a halt as quickly as you can without locking any wheels. Remember, a little bit of tyre screech is ok, as long as the wheels haven't locked.

If a wheel does stop rotating, use the 'release and reapply' technique to maintain control of the car.

Repeat as many times as you need to until you can brake reliably without locking wheels – give yourself a pat on the back and check your tyres for wear and tear before going back on the public roads.

Now all you need to know is how to do it in different track conditions!

Click here for more braking techniques at drivingfast.net

Electric cars - the future?

Drivingfast.net has just been updated with an article on electric cars. Will they be the choice of driving enthusiasts in the future?

"There are a lot of reasons to like electric motors – the technology is proven and relatively advanced, they have massive torque and are much more efficient in turning stored energy into motion...."

Read more here

http://www.drivingfast.net/technology/electric-cars.htm

Tea tray drifting

One of the frustrations of owning a front wheel drive car is the inability to sustain a drift round corners. But where there's a will there's a way, and innovative teenagers have been perfecting the art of "tea tray drifting" for decades.

Here's a video of a particularly adept TT drifter at work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvFhV70ARlI

Here's how to do it:

1. Reverse onto some heavy duty tea trays

Note: Metal ones are more durable but noisy, plastic ones tend to wear out quickly.

2. Pull on the handbrake nice and tightly.

3. Drive, steer, and enjoy. Beware of 'shopping trolley' handling!

Note: Unlike a rear wheel drive drift, you can only control a TT drift using your speed, the steering angle and your choice corner radius.

5. Be careful, start slowly and don't try and show off, otherwise bad things can happen...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdH40VS59rE

6. When you smell rubber, time to replace the trays!

Disclaimer: Tea tray drifting is definitely not endorsed by us and should never be done on public roads. If you were thinking about doing this in a car park at night, shame on you.

Best driving vid of all time?

Just watched the new Ken Block promotional video for the DC clothing brand. Incredible! If you like drifting, tyre smoke and inch perfect driving precision this is a must see...

Everyday tips to make you a better driver

Road and track driving techniques are very different animals, but there are many skills you can practise on the road every day which will make you a better all round driver and this in turn will greatly benefit your performance on the track. Remember, it has been proven time and time again that the quickest drivers are also the smoothest. 

Weight transfers

Avoiding dramatic shifts in weight due to aggressive driver inputs is vital for every performance driver. You may be able to get away with this behaviour at lower speeds, but as soon as your car approaches the limits of grip even a tiny weight transfer in the wrong direction can cause you to lose traction. Practising smooth driving every day will make the journey more pleasant for your passengers, but also allow you to cover the ground more quickly and safely.

Braking - smooth yet rapid

Progressive application of the brakes is vital to maintain stability and composure at speed. To do this, press the brake pedal until contact is made between the brake pads and discs (i.e. take up the slack), then squeeze on the pressure until the required rate of deceleration is reached. This doesn't mean you can't brake firmly or quickly but it's important to make the application progressive rather than simply stamping on the pedal. Equally important is the smooth release of the pedal. Remember you can brake much faster than you can accelerate thus the weight transfers while braking (and easing off the brake) are more extreme. Progressive braking will make you less likely to lock a wheel or lose control due to loss of traction.

Acceleration - squeeze on the gas

No matter how much (or little) power your road car has, you can practise progressive acceleration, although the benefits will be more dramatic in more powerful cars. Applying the throttle too early or too aggressively can lead to unwanted weight transfers and spinning wheels. 

Steering and cornering lines

Steering position should be at the nine and three o'clock positions, as this is the position which gives you a good range of motion without forcing your hands off the wheel. Adopting this position will allow you to turn the vast majority of corners without shuffling hands or taking one off the wheel. Allow both hands to do the work - don't simply pull with one or push with the other, splitting the effort will allow you greater control and give you more feedback from the road. Finally, make sure you take every corner in a nice smooth arc and use as much of the road as you can (within the limits of the law of course!). If you find yourself tightening up the steering half way through the corner you probably have taken the wrong line. Start to straighten up as soon as you hit the apex - again if you find you can't do this you've probably got the line wrong and hit the apex too soon. 

Gear changes

Changing gear is often overlooked but is often where the greatest gains can be made. Rev-matching and heel and toe should be second nature for anyone changing down in a manual transmission car. When making any gear change, the shift should be imperceptible from the passenger seat as in extreme cases, dodgy shifts can lock wheels of cause wheelspin any any loss of traction means you're losing time on the track. Don't use the gears to slow you down, modern brakes are very good at doing this for you and give you a much greater amount of control, if you do decide to change down before a corner this should be done to give you maximum acceleration on the way out, not to slow you down on the approach. Finally, when changing down before a corner, ensure you brake first then change down - this will get the engine speed down to a point where the gear change is easier to perform smoothly.

That's all for now - happy motoring!

Rally car rolls 17 times

If you doubt the importance of properly fitted roll cage, have a look at this incredible clip of Jari-Matti Latvala driving a stage in Rally Portugal. Very lucky to be alive!

Best racing simulator?

If you don't have access to a racing track in your garden, you can improve your skills using a decent racing sim. There are many great games out there at the moment such as the incredibly popular Forza 2 but we're mainly interested in realism, sexy graphics are an added bonus.

What makes a good racing simulator?

Games manufacturers have to strike a compromise between playability and realism - a simulator which is absolutely true to life may end up being completely unplayable. Very few people can put in a sub 9 minute time on the Nurburgring in real life, but this is usually attainable in games, which makes them less useful to improve real-life driving skills. So we instantly have some compromises. Add to this the many layers of player assistance that are available in most games such as map overlays and aerial views and we're gradually getting further and further from reality. 

Computing power is now so great that very advanced vehicle and environmental physics can be built into the game, but you need to have programmers that understand the behaviours they're trying to simulate.

So, where can you find a game which is focused towards real driver and written by people who know how to drive? We believe the answer is 'Live for Speed S2' for several reasons, summarised below. 

1. They are not sponsored by any vehicle manufacturers - this means that the handling characteristics of the cars is unbiased. Although you won't find real car names in the game, there is a good mix from front wheel drive Minis to powerful single seaters with downforce.

2. The game has input from a thriving community of enthusiasts, and the programmers constantly release updates to make everything more in keeping with reality. 

3. The interface is designed to re-create the experience of driving a real car. The instruments are positioned correctly, even if this sometimes means you have to judge engine speed by ear and there are no overlays for assistance.  

4. Things wear out if you don't drive sympathetically - clutches, engines and tyres all need to be looked after or performance is compromised.

5. You are rewarded for smoothness and just as in real life it's the most sympathetic drivers who win the races.

6. The customisation options for the cars is unparalleled - tweak almost every conceivable setting from tyre pressures to camber angles.

7. Finally (and most importantly) the level of realism is frightening. The behaviour of the cars reacting to understeer and oversteer is very accurate, and with a good wheel you can actually feel the loss of traction. Braking, acceleration and cornering needs to be done progressively and you are rewarded for a decent racing line.

The game, however, is not perfect - although the 'S2' version that we tested is a complete game, this is just phase two of the big picture development until the official final release (which will be offered as a free upgrade to current users).

If things continue to progress as they have been, this will certainly be a very strong contender for the best racing simulator for real drivers.

Don't just take our word for it, download a trial version of Live for Speed visit http://www.lfs.net/ and try it for yourself.

We need your tyre reviews

One of the most important decisions you can make when driving on the track is tyre choice. Wet, dry intermediate, slicks, asymmetric tread, and the list is manufacturers is almost endless.

To try and make this a little easier, we've set up a tyre database but we need you to populate it with your reviews and ratings. If you have a tyre for the road or track you particularly like or dislike, why not add a quick review? We've started things off with the Yokohama A048, a superb dry track day tyre...

http://www.drivingfast.net/track-cars/tyre-choice.php

1000 fans!

The DrivingFast.net Facebook page has now accumulated over 1000 fans! Many thanks to everyone who has shown their support for the site. Please keep comments or suggestions coming in...

To become a fan, please click here

Photo of the month

This month's photo is an incredible four wheel drift in an Audi Quattro. To pull this off you need huge amounts of power and an unlimited supply of new tyres! Click on the image for a larger view...

Courtesy of bruze.nu/foto/

Winter driving tips

As the northern hemisphere plunges into the depths of winter, it's time to think about adapting your driving style to suit the conditions. Broken bones hurt so much more in the cold!

Every year, the number of accidents goes up dramatically as the roads start to freeze. The vast majority occur due to inattentive drivers who don't recognise the conditions or see the need to alter their driving style. Luckily, most winter driving tips are common sense and a few tips should help you get through the season unscathed.

Note: if you're looking for the basic winter tips such as 'clear snow off windscreen', 'defrost testicles', 'eat your greens' I'm afraid you're in the wrong place. You're an intelligent person, you deserve better!

Now, the amount of grip available in icy conditions is significantly lower than on dry tarmac, so the likely scenarios which can arise while driving in icy conditions are traction related:

- Loss of traction on corners - this can result in understeer or oversteer

- Loss of traction under braking, leading to huge stopping distances and loss of steering control

- Wheelspin under acceleration

Rules of thumb to survive the winter include:

- Drive slower. Do it.

- Create (lots of) space between you and the car in front. This will allow you plenty of room to brake and avoid the classic pile up of vehicles which usually occurs when everyone hammers on the brakes in a panic.

- Never, ever brake midway through a corner, get all of your braking done on the straights.

- When using the brakes, apply pressure progressively - stamping on the pedal is a sure fire method of locking the wheels and starting a slide.

- Be prepared for ABS activation if it's fitted: a rumbling noise, a vibrating pedal, the need for new underpants. If you do have ABS fitted and you need to stop quickly, press the brake pedal and keep it pressed firmly. Remember, ABS will gives you the best chance of being able to steer while braking, so use this opportunity to move around obstacles.

- Use all vehicle controls in the most gentle way possible - you can maximise the available grip by being smooth. Change gear, steer, accelerate and brake as smoothly and gently as you can. This will also make you a better driver in summer!

- Use the highest practical gear. This may sound counter intuitive but it reduces the amount of torque at the wheels and thus reduces chances of wheelspin. Pull away in second gear if necessary.

Techniques to think about:

- Braking techniques: including progressive braking, avoidance braking, use of ABS. Click on the link for more information.

- Smooth driving techniques: including rev matching, heel and toe, progressive use of the controls

Click on the links for more information on the techniques.

Car modifications:

- Change to winter tyres: in some countries this is a legal requirement, but in some it isn't. The difference these can make to grip levels is dramatic. In Finland in winter you don't find a load of 4x4s on the roads as you might expect, instead you'll find Ford Fiesta's with studded tyres. Case closed.

For more information on winter driving tips, see the main article here

New look for drivingfast.net

We are currently updating the look of drivingfast.net. We hope this will make the user experience more enjoyable, with better illustrations and updated content. We'll be updating the whole site over a period of months, but some new pages are live now. Please let us know what you think!

Nissan GTR at the Nurburgring

Now that you've built your new Nissan GTR, you'll want to take it for a gentle spin. This video should give you a few tips...

Build yourself a Nissan GTR

The Nissan GTR is a feat of engineering brilliance but it is pitched at the premium end of the market and much more expensive compared with the old Skyline. If you fancy a GTR for your garage, why not build one yourself and save a fortune....

More paper models available from http://www.nissan.co.jp/EVENT/PAPERCRAFT/ but you'll need to brush up on your Japanese first!

Oh &%*$

How to develop a racing car yourself

A new section has been added to drivingfast.net which discusses the process of developing a racing machine from a standard road car. Part one discusses the choice of driveline and engine layouts. Find out more by clicking here.

Lift off oversteer

Lift off oversteer is a phenomenon which can occur when reducing the throttle mid corner. This will only happen when driving close to the limit so only experiment when on the track! Sporty front wheel drive drive cars can be especially prone to this due to the heavy front end and light rear. Reducing the throttle input results in a forward weight transfer, which increases the grip at the front tyres, but reduces levels at the rear. If this is performed during cornering, the combination of the heavy front end and the reduction of grip can cause the rear wheels to break traction and start to slide towards the outside of the corner.

In the image below the driver of a front engined car lifts off the throttle mid corner at A which results in lift-off oversteer at B due to a forwards weight transfer.



Luckily, lift off oversteer can usually be corrected by reapplying the throttle and accelerating. This should pull the front of the car forwards and straighten out the car, but continuing to reduce throttle application can cause the car to spin. Steering in the direction of the intended direction of travel will help keep the car on track.

For more information on oversteer, click here

The technique for braking well on the track

Before entering a corner on a track you'll almost certainly need to brake hard to achieve the correct entry speed. While doing this you'll probably want to retain steering control of your car, so locking up all four wheels may not be the best strategy!

Threshold braking is the technique you should strive for in this situation, which is the quickest method of reducing speed. This method of braking involves braking to the limits of grip without allowing the wheels to lock. However it is sometimes very difficult to judge the amount of brake force the tyres will accept before locking up. This technique must be practiced regularly in your racing car before you can accurately judge the brake pressured required in different conditions.

The key to this technique is progressive braking inputs. If you stamp as hard as you can on the pedal the resulting spike in forward weight transfer can cause wheel lock at the rear (if you don't have ABS fitted), whereas more progressive braking inputs will allow the front wheels to load up more gradually without compressing the front suspension to extreme limits. This doesn't mean you can't brake hard, but try to apply the braking in a progressive yet rapid manner. As you load up the front wheels with the forward weight transfer, you artificially increase the amount of grip available which will further aid your deceleration.

If you do have ABS, this progressive technique is still relevant as sudden weight transfers also upset the balance of the car which needs to be stable before entering a corner quickly.

Another factor to consider is the change in state between a rotating wheel and a locked wheel. Tyre rubber doesn't change between these two states as rapidly as you might think and there is a transition period of 'slip' before the wheel finally locks. The maximum braking force a tyre can provide is actually just as it begins to slip and this is the point to aim for with threshold braking. Sounds tricky and it is!

The next thing to consider is what to do if you do lock up one or more wheels under braking (this will happen fairly often until you become very familiar with your car and the track). When wheel lock occurs you have several options.

• Keep the brakes on – the wheel(s) will remain locked so this is only really an last resort option if your desired path is straight ahead. Beware that the directional stability of the car will be compromised in this state. If you need to turn you'll need to release the brakes to get back steering control.


• The second option is to release the brakes slightly and reapply with slightly less pressure – this should free up the locked wheel and allow you to steer. Now you can resume attempting to threshold brake.


• Cadence braking involves reapplying the brake, but repeatedly continuing to experience locked wheels. Keep releasing and reapplying the brakes as smoothly as you can to try and find the threshold point. This will give you a compromise between braking and steering, but is not the fastest method of braking. Cars with ABS automatically try and find the threshold point by rapidly releasing and reapplying the brakes.

To sum up, aim for threshold braking, but until you're a very experienced driver make sure you have a contingency up your sleeve!

For more information on braking techniques, please click here

Wet vs dry driving on the track

Driving on the limit in the dry is hard enough, but wet conditions on a track makes things very difficult indeed. If it starts raining, you'll need to adopt your driving style and even make some adjustments to your car.

The first thing to think about is the decrease in friction between the contact patch and the road. This means you'll need to brake earlier, corner at a lower speed and squeeze on the power in an even more progressive way. In general, slow down or you risk sliding off the track. On a one mile track, the difference between wet and dry times can be as much as five to ten seconds.

Approximate coefficients of friction (roads) with a multi-purpose tyre are shown below:

Dry: 0.7
Wet: 0.4

For slicks, the difference is dramatic:

Dry: 0.9
Wet: 0.1

Braking with locked wheels

On dry roads, the stopping distances which can be achieved when braking with locked wheels vs threshold braking are relatively minor. However in the wet, if you lock up the wheels there is a much more dramatic reduction in friction which can lead to you ploughing ahead on entry to a corner. If you do lock up wheels you'll suddenly wish you had ABS, but if not now is a good opportunity to practice your threshold, cadence or avoidance braking techniques.

Tyre pressures and grip

Lower tyre pressures will increase the size of the contact patch, so letting some air out (while adhering to manufacturers guidelines) will allow you to gain a small grip increase in wet conditions. This will only help up to a point though!

Tread depth and braking distance

Recent research at MIRA (UK) measured the stopping distances at 50 mph in conditions that represented moderately heavy rain (0.5mm to 1.5mm water depth). The research discovered that tyres with a 3mm tread had a 25% better performance than those at 1.6mm. This represents an extra 8 metres (25ft) added to the stopping distance in wet conditions. In one test, when a tyre with a tread depth of 8mm was compared to one with only 1.6mm, the stopping distance increased by 13 metres (42.25ft).

So the moral here is if you are considering a separate set of wet tyres for track use, try not to use them for everyday driving and make sure the tread is over 3mm deep.

For more information on braking techniques, please click here

For more information on grip, please click here

Rev matching - the first step towards learning heel and toe shifting

If you haven't heard the term rev matching before here's a brief summary of what it is and why it's useful when driving.

Essentially, it's a technique used in manual transmission vehicles to smooth downshifts and is the first step towards learning heel and toe shifting. But why are smooth shifts important I hear you ask! Well, on the road smooth gear changes will make the journey more comfortable and reduce wear on the drivetrain, and on the track they will make you a faster driver.

In the most extreme cases, failing to rev match when changing down can actually cause the driven wheels to lock momentarily due to the action of engine braking. You'll only ever experience this if you're really going for it on the track, but not matching the revs will cause unnecessary weight transfers in almost all cases which can upset the balance of the car and lead to passenger discomfort. Rev matching is almost always associated with corners, as you'll usually need to slow down and select a lower gear on the approach before turning in.

To experience an demonstration of why rev matching is important, try changing down and release the clutch more quickly than you would normally - you'll find this causes forward weight transfer and a jerky gear change. When driving fast on the track this will become even more exaggerated if rev matching isn't used.

So, how do you do it?

As you're approaching the corner (or any other reason to slow down) brake to a suitable speed which will allow you to turn in safely.

Come off the brake and prepare to change down.

Press the clutch in, and select a gear which will allow you to accelerate out of the bend.

Before bringing the clutch out, increase the revs to a point which will allow you to release the clutch smoothly without resulting in any engine braking.

Release the clutch.

Sounds easy, but determining how much to increase the engine speed before releasing the clutch will take practice, but eventually will become instinct. There's no hard and fast rules, but any increase in revs will be better then none.

Click here for a how to guide on rev matching

How to control understeer

What is understeer?

Understeer is what happens when a car breaks traction at the front tyres when cornering. This results in the car heading straight on despite applying steering lock.

How to recognise understeer?

Understeer is most likely to happen when cornering in slippery conditions, or when driving a car hard. The most obvious symptom is the fact that when you turn the wheel, little steering actually occurs and the steering becomes light. But understeer tends to occur in graduations and it won't necessarily mean than you continue in a straight line.

How to control understeer?

Understeer is one of the easiest to control losses of traction. Simply ease off the gas (don't brake as this can make things worse), and apply slightly more steering lock. This results in a forwards weight transfer which should provide more grip at the front and regain steering control. The additional steering lock should bring you back on track.

For more information on understeer, please click here

Can you stop faster than ABS?

It is incredible how fast vehicle technology marches on, especially advances in safety and stability systems. Bosch have now been making ABS systems for 25 years, and the electronics have moved on dramatically since the first versions. Conventional racing wisdom says that drivers can usually brake in a shorter distance that ABS using methods such as 'threshold braking', but Bosch think differently:

"ABS significantly improves vehicle stability and usually also shortens the braking distance."

There are very few accurate figures for stopping distances in the same car with and without ABS in the public domain. If you have personal experience in a modern car, in both slippery and high grip surfaces please comment below.

For more information on braking techniques, please click here

Top three 'go faster' mods for your car

So you're now bored of the modest amount of power you manage to squeeze out of your seemingly pathetic car and are looking to upgrade to a more fiery number, but how do you go about it?

Well, it largely depends on the type of engine - quite often manufacturers restrict the power from one of the engines in their current line up to provide the propulsion for one of their slightly cheaper or less sporty cars. This is usually a marketing decision to prevent the migration of customers from their more premium range to a cheaper car with the same performance, but more likely to ensure decent fuel economy and reduce emissions. In this case you probably have more chance of a significant power boost, than in a car which is already extracting full beans from the engine such as the turbocharged sub one-litre engine in the Smart. So read up on your car and find out whether the engine derivative is used elsewhere. If it is, you're in luck, but where do you start?

The most common methods to increase performance cheaply include:

1. Making it easier for the engine to take in air and get rid of waste gas
2. Modifying the electronic engine management
3. Reducing weight

Air intakes, exhausts and manifolds.
For the majority of cars, extracting every last horse from the engine isn't top priority for the manufacturer, reducing assembly costs is always high on the list. This includes making components with less complex curves such as those needed to allow a perfectly smooth flow of air into and out of the engine. The fluid dynamics of air as it enters and exits an engine is an extremely complex topic, which requires detailed and expensive computer modelling to ensure the optimum flow of air. Sure enough, less than perfect components are usually used in a cost saving exercise. Replacing such components with ones which aid the free flow of air is often a good way of ensuring the best efficiency of your engine with its current management settings. Do bear in mind that it's the free flow of air which is important - getting the fattest exhaust you can fit will probably compromise performance by not providing enough essential back pressure.
Key items to consider include air intake, air filter, intake manifold, exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe. K&N dominate the paper based filter market and Pipercross do foam varieties, both companies will provide a solution for almost every car, and will even make one to fit if you know the dimensions of the pipes. These do need cleaning, usually at the service intervals, otherwise efficiency is reduced. Getting a free flowing air intake and manifold will further increase performance and the same is true for the exhaust end. The quicker the air can be expelled the less precious power is sapped forcing it out.

Modifying the engine management.
Almost all modern engines are now controlled by electronic engine management chips. This control almost every aspect of the engine, from the spark timing and fuel air mix to the rev limit and throttle response. When determining the factory spec all kinds of factors are considered, including fuel economy and emissions. Replacing or re-programming your chip can give instant performance gains, but usually compromises in other areas and can be expensive. Bear in mind once a chip is reprogrammed it can be expensive to reset it back to defaults.

Reducing weight.
This may sound obvious, but reducing weight can be the easiest and most effective way of increasing performance. In real terms, the only figure that actually matters is the power to weight ratio. Reduce weight and you have the same effect as an increase in power and will also lead to more nimble handling. You'll be amazed how much weight can be lost from items such as rear seats, spare wheels, carpets, roof linings, sound deadening material....this list is extensive. This is only really an option if you are creating a dedicated track car, and you'll be equally amazed how noisy it can be without all this stuff inside!

Front vs rear wheel drive

The eternal debate.

Conventional wisdom tends to favour rear wheel drive (RWD) for track and fast driving based activities, this is because the grip requirements of the tyres are spread between all four wheels - front for steering and rear to put the power down. In theory, this division should provide a more balanced and composed car than front wheel drive (FWD), which have to deal which have the steering and driven wheels on the same axle. A powerful FWD car can also suffer from 'torque steer' which means drivers have to fight with the wheel when accelerating hard.

Fast front wheel drive cars tend to handle in a more neutral manner, but trying to accelerate and steer can sometimes result in understeer, as the total available grip can be used up trying to do both these activities at once, resulting in a car which continues straight on despite turning the wheel. However, accelerating while on a corner with rear wheel drive can result in oversteer. But which of these is more desirable on the track?

Well, both of these effects will lose you time if you're trying to be competitive - but it could depend on the track and conditions. Less experienced drivers will find understeer more natural to correct - simply ease off the gas and apply a little more steering lock to bring you back on course. Oversteer can be more of a shock to the system as the back of the car tries to catch the front, but with practise can also be controlled easily too.

Another factor to consider is 'turn in' (i.e. the willingness of a car to change direction quickly when cornering). As FWD tend to have more weight at the front (due to the drive train and engine in the same place), this can provide high levels of grip at tun in especially if combined with a brief lift off the throttle to cause forward weight transfer. In addition, as the driven wheels are pointing in the direction of desired travel this can have the effect of pulling the car round.

When thinking a track car, it might be worth considering front wheel drive after all!