Oh, while I'm here: What would you guys recommend as a test methodology when I get my car? I want to compare acceleration between the heavy stock wheels, and the lighter aftermarket wheels. Things to keep in mind:
- The car won't be broken in, and won't be until after the heavy wheels are long gone.
- I've already sold the heavy wheels/tires, so wheelspin is a no no.
I'm thinking I'll leave the
DSC on to keep me honest, and try to release the clutch pretty quickly, even if that lugs the engine a tad on launch. That way I'll get a fairly long 1st-gear "pull" where I've got my foot to the floor (don't tell MINI!) and the clutch fully out. This won't be a fast launch, but it should be pretty reproducible. (I'll "trim off" all the data at the very beginning of the run, so it'll sorta be like a "street start".)
I hope to end up with "before and after" 7MPH-to-35MPH pulls that vary only due to changes in tire/wheel weight and, perhaps, temperature. I'll try to do the runs at similar ambient temperatures, but what do I do about controlling the intercooler temp? Should I do both runs after letting the car cool off for a while? Or should I do multiple runs back to back and only compare the "hottest" runs? What's the best way to cool the intercooler off? Let it sit, or drive down the road at a brisk but steady speed?
-Dave
