1.0L Yaris Too Slow?
Discussion
Yes, this has been done to death, but I'm not sure many people have wanted to take a 1.0L Yaris on track before 
I'm 18, and own a 2003 Toyota Yaris 1.0L and have done so since August 2017 (passed my test in October 2017). I really like the little Yaris, the VVTi makes it a somewhat exciting first car, insurance is pretty good too. Thinking of buying something else next year, and I'm deciding what to do with the Yaris. I thought about selling it, then I had a much sillier idea, partly inspired by Dale Lomas and what he's doing with his 'club 1000' and his Yaris.
I've wondered all morning about turning it into a budget track car. Better pads and fluid, lowering springs (to eliminate the massive body roll), strip out the interior etc and just take it on track until it dies. I don't know if its just too slow to make it worthwhile though. I'd be planning to go to Castle Combe, Abingdon airfield, maybe Silverstone National if I can find one of their taster track dates (I live near Reading). I want to gain track experience, but I don't want to be in people's way all day and slowing them down all the time (my dad's 1.8 MX5 is usually the least powerful thing on track, but there are points when he can find gaps on track). And as someone that hasn't been on track before, I can't imagine I'm going to be very fast to start with (espeically driving with a massive 67bhp
). Any suggestions - maybe I should just wait until I can afford something a bit quicker?
I'm 18, and own a 2003 Toyota Yaris 1.0L and have done so since August 2017 (passed my test in October 2017). I really like the little Yaris, the VVTi makes it a somewhat exciting first car, insurance is pretty good too. Thinking of buying something else next year, and I'm deciding what to do with the Yaris. I thought about selling it, then I had a much sillier idea, partly inspired by Dale Lomas and what he's doing with his 'club 1000' and his Yaris.
I've wondered all morning about turning it into a budget track car. Better pads and fluid, lowering springs (to eliminate the massive body roll), strip out the interior etc and just take it on track until it dies. I don't know if its just too slow to make it worthwhile though. I'd be planning to go to Castle Combe, Abingdon airfield, maybe Silverstone National if I can find one of their taster track dates (I live near Reading). I want to gain track experience, but I don't want to be in people's way all day and slowing them down all the time (my dad's 1.8 MX5 is usually the least powerful thing on track, but there are points when he can find gaps on track). And as someone that hasn't been on track before, I can't imagine I'm going to be very fast to start with (espeically driving with a massive 67bhp
). Any suggestions - maybe I should just wait until I can afford something a bit quicker?I'd always say that the fun in a track car is what you make it, but this might be a stretch too far. You're likely to be sharing the track with cars that have a MASSIVE speed differential to you, and your lack of oomph might turn you into an obstacle that they could trip over without realising...
This isn't necessarily meant to be some sort of gatekeeping exercise (e.g. "you can't go on trackdays unless you have xxxbhp/tonne"), but as a newbie driver in a hideously underpowered car you're likely to make life more difficult than necessary for those around you. While everyone deserves the same right to enjoy their own day, you can't underestimate what a significant obstacle you might present.
The only way I'd consider it in your shoes would be to try a 'Beginner' day in a very tight/slow track, perhaps a karting track somewhere.
This isn't necessarily meant to be some sort of gatekeeping exercise (e.g. "you can't go on trackdays unless you have xxxbhp/tonne"), but as a newbie driver in a hideously underpowered car you're likely to make life more difficult than necessary for those around you. While everyone deserves the same right to enjoy their own day, you can't underestimate what a significant obstacle you might present.
The only way I'd consider it in your shoes would be to try a 'Beginner' day in a very tight/slow track, perhaps a karting track somewhere.
Thanks for the replies, I want to be realistic and I can see that it would be a bit of a mobile chicane (only 13.6 seconds to 60, every tenth helps ). Hopefully I wouldn't be too slow in terms of driver skill (I pretty much know the limits of the car having owned it for over a year, knowing where oversteer will occur etc) but I wouldn't say I'd ever be the quickest driver (I can catch oversteer, heel-toe but would need some time to find the balls to take high corner entry speed). I'd take it to somewhere like Abingdon this year just to see what happened, but I know the brakes would just fade in a couple of laps as they're just standard pads & fluid but buying new parts isn't worthwhile if I'm just going to sell it in a years time. What tracks are 'twisty'?
). Hopefully I wouldn't be too slow in terms of driver skill (I pretty much know the limits of the car having owned it for over a year, knowing where oversteer will occur etc) but I wouldn't say I'd ever be the quickest driver (I can catch oversteer, heel-toe but would need some time to find the balls to take high corner entry speed). I'd take it to somewhere like Abingdon this year just to see what happened, but I know the brakes would just fade in a couple of laps as they're just standard pads & fluid but buying new parts isn't worthwhile if I'm just going to sell it in a years time. What tracks are 'twisty'?Abingdon would be a good start. after that you'd know a lot more to answer your own question too.
it's not so much 0-60 as the ability to maintain speed and corner fast, and that might challenge the little Yaris too. Not sure your brakes would suffer so much as you won't have the speed or weight in the first place, they won't be great but I'm not sure they'd over cook either.
Apart from airfield days you could try big open tracks like Bedford and also focus on the afternoon sessions when it's quieter. certainly avoid the excitement (danger) of the first 90 mins).
Avoid Combe for now.
it's not so much 0-60 as the ability to maintain speed and corner fast, and that might challenge the little Yaris too. Not sure your brakes would suffer so much as you won't have the speed or weight in the first place, they won't be great but I'm not sure they'd over cook either.
Apart from airfield days you could try big open tracks like Bedford and also focus on the afternoon sessions when it's quieter. certainly avoid the excitement (danger) of the first 90 mins).
Avoid Combe for now.
I'd have no hesitation at all wringing the neck of a Yaris round the likes of Blyton Park or Curborough. Perfect for that sort of thing and a good way to get your eye in.
Faster tracks - it wouldn't be so much the risk for me, more the fact you'd be spending more time looking in your rear view mirror than looking where you're going which would definitely hamper your enjoyment on the day.
Faster tracks - it wouldn't be so much the risk for me, more the fact you'd be spending more time looking in your rear view mirror than looking where you're going which would definitely hamper your enjoyment on the day.
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonhea...
Book into the novice session. 0-60 is not relevant on a track, corner speed is. Oh and leave the interior in, you won't save much weight and it'll just rattle lots.
Book into the novice session. 0-60 is not relevant on a track, corner speed is. Oh and leave the interior in, you won't save much weight and it'll just rattle lots.
This will have similar performance to the C1 racing cars that have taken off in a big way last year, and even more so this year in anticipation for the 24 hour race at Rockingham.
I raced one twice last year, and did a couple of trackdays in one too. Beforehand I was sure I was going to be so dangerously slow I was a bit worried about going out on a general track day, the day we had picked had some Ginetta G55s on, brilliant! However I was pleasantly surprised, yes they are slow, but if you can drive, so many cars will hold you up round the corners, it was hilarious being held up by the usual mix of French hot hatches and stripped out E36s round corners such as Coram at snetterton where you are simply flat to the boards all the way round until the braking point, I had so much fun. Just do be aware of your surroundings and hold your line on long straights as closing speeds to really powerful stuff is fairly alarming.
A twisty track like cadwell will probably be fine for it, the fastest C1s were lapping at 2.00 dead last year which isn't that slow when you think the cars have sub 70bhp! Just be courteous, keep your eye on your mirrors and have fun.
I raced one twice last year, and did a couple of trackdays in one too. Beforehand I was sure I was going to be so dangerously slow I was a bit worried about going out on a general track day, the day we had picked had some Ginetta G55s on, brilliant! However I was pleasantly surprised, yes they are slow, but if you can drive, so many cars will hold you up round the corners, it was hilarious being held up by the usual mix of French hot hatches and stripped out E36s round corners such as Coram at snetterton where you are simply flat to the boards all the way round until the braking point, I had so much fun. Just do be aware of your surroundings and hold your line on long straights as closing speeds to really powerful stuff is fairly alarming.
A twisty track like cadwell will probably be fine for it, the fastest C1s were lapping at 2.00 dead last year which isn't that slow when you think the cars have sub 70bhp! Just be courteous, keep your eye on your mirrors and have fun.
MRichards99 said:
....insurance is pretty good too
.....turning it into a budget track car. Better pads and fluid, lowering springs (to eliminate the massive body roll), strip out the interior etc and just take it on track
As a second car, and modified, the extra insurance at your age could kill the concept. It's worth working out how much that would be before you start taking it apart......turning it into a budget track car. Better pads and fluid, lowering springs (to eliminate the massive body roll), strip out the interior etc and just take it on track
Having seen the 1000cc class cars on many rallies I'd say go for it, they look like a real challenge to keep up momentum!!
The most fun you will have with that heap is crashing it into the armco & finding out you are not dead, yeh sure folks do track those c1 things, but not uytter track novices & on a grid of same cars is a different kettle of aardvarks vs an utter novice on a general trackday passed by everything including apex cones on a windy day.
Sure go to an Abingdon day, just don't look over to yr right when on the main straightwhere 44tonners on the A34 restricted to 56mph are passing you.
Sure go to an Abingdon day, just don't look over to yr right when on the main straightwhere 44tonners on the A34 restricted to 56mph are passing you.
What a lot of tosh some people spout. Pick a smaller circuit, long straights will not be your friend, but you know that. Then go and enjoy it. Highly doubtful it'll boil the brakes as you're not going to need to shed that much speed, that often.
The talentless ones holding people up usually are the ones with a lot of bhp who think it's all about nailing it down the straights. Bhp has feck all to do with getting round corners, lack of weight helps a lot.
The talentless ones holding people up usually are the ones with a lot of bhp who think it's all about nailing it down the straights. Bhp has feck all to do with getting round corners, lack of weight helps a lot.
upsidedownmark said:
What a lot of tosh some people spout. Pick a smaller circuit, long straights will not be your friend, but you know that.
What about the other cars though... E.g at Cadwell if someone is behind you before the Mountain, chances are you'll hold them up all the way through Hall Bends and onto the straight... whereas at a bigger track they'll be able to filter past on any of the straights so you get less trains on the circuit.upsidedownmark said:
What a lot of tosh some people spout. Pick a smaller circuit, long straights will not be your friend, but you know that. Then go and enjoy it. Highly doubtful it'll boil the brakes as you're not going to need to shed that much speed, that often.
The talentless ones holding people up usually are the ones with a lot of bhp who think it's all about nailing it down the straights. Bhp has feck all to do with getting round corners, lack of weight helps a lot.
Yes, you're absolutely right. The boggo 1.0 Yaris with a brand newbie driver definitely won't hold people up through the corners... The talentless ones holding people up usually are the ones with a lot of bhp who think it's all about nailing it down the straights. Bhp has feck all to do with getting round corners, lack of weight helps a lot.
I think some people just like to disagree for the sake of it.
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