Depends on the car, I think. For the 2000 lb (wet) XXXocet with AFCO shocks and an effective wheel offset of -25, it was the right choice. Remember that the wheel offset is going to affect the wheel rate.
XP4 is a dedicated track car, and from what I remember of its ancestor XP3 it was a bit stiff with the higher offset. But not terribly so.
For our little 4 cylinder track toy, the standard FM V-Maxx 392/258 setup is working nicely.
Think im going to go with the higher-ish rates. Mine's going to be a track missle.
Weight has a lot to do with it. XP-4 is on 350/225 springs, actually. With the cage, steel floors, and turbo, she weighs in at about 1620. The xxxocet is around 2000 lbs, and xp-5 is right at 1700.
They're heavy girls, compared to the sub-1500 n/a builds many customers are doing. I really like the rates on XP-4, although the rear probably needs to get bumped up a little.
Overall, there's not enough testing here to have an established science. I've ridden in a 1550 lb Exocet on 800lb front springs, and it didn't kill me. Due to the raw nature of the car and the stiff frame, I think there's a wide sweet spot here. I don't think you can ruin the car with a springrate choice, and eibach springs are cheap if you want to play with it.
ATL Fuel Cells makes an FIA certified road course economy fuel cell that is 20x17x9 that should fit. That's 12 gallons, with a shipping weight of 16 pounds. Comes with Molded Hard-Rubber Bladder, Steel Fill Plate & SF-103 Foam rated for all hydro fuels including methanol and ethanol for just under $500. Part # is SA112. Might try this one out in my build if there's a good way to strap it.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/abt-sa112
For the truly bat&^#* crazy with well endowed wallets, Jegs has a discount and $2K rebate on the LS9. 638HP, 604tq, $18,399. FMs XXXocet is over the top, this would set the bar a notch higher.
The pro racer/drifter Danny George is slapping two turbos onto those manifolds. He is aiming for 1200+ hp. The limit of Exocet-based stupidity (I use that word with the highest respect) has been set pretty high.
Last Sunday I got to hop between XP-4 and XP-5 back to back. I've got a little bit of experience with fast cars, and I feel competent enough to survive driving them. That said, XP-5's 6/10ths is too fast for tracks with traffic, let alone the street. Remember how people are crashing Hellcats because they're too powerful, even with stability/traction control and ABS? XP-5 has twice the power-to-weight. It would embarrass the entire Tudor GTLM field in a straight line, too. You don't need a V8.
Point is, I certainly am not a good enough driver to consistently push it to its limits, and I don't want this thread to mislead people into thinking that you need more than 250whp to stain the passenger seat. That's faster than a 997 GT2 and right up there with a Ferrari 458. You don't need a V8.
If I ever get a chance to build my own Exocet, it's going to be a built, high-revving n/a Miata motor. Once I feel like I've "mastered" the car, it'll get a turbo, but I think the limit of the Miata driveline makes for a nice personal limit as well. 300 wheel in an Exocet is around 5 lb/hp with me in it. That's better than a BAC Mono, Enzo, McLaren 650s, and most literbikes. Some of my vehicle dynamics textbooks even reference a general consensus from the 40s and 50s that 4-4.5 lbs/hp was the "limit of human control". You don't need a V8.
But, this is America, and oh god, there's something to be said about "better to have and not need." 
That BAC Mono is another car that seems like it should be really tough to sell while the Exocet exists. You'd have to put some aero mods on an Exocet to get similar cornering performance, and the Mono is undeniably in a different league in the looks department, but you could build a Mono-equivalent Exocet for 6 digits less!
In reply to GameboyRMH:
And while the Exocet has a substantial delivery time, it's not 2+ years.
That said, I have a friend that ordered a Mono early on, and his is getting close to done. I already have a drooling towel set aside.
Not much ice racing in SoCal.
What brake pads are people using? My car has NB8B brakes (270mm front discs), ABS has gone in the bin and it has coil overs, a rotrex and semi slicks. It will be used on the road occasionally but track use will be its main use.
In reply to papahet:
I've had good results with Carbotech XP series. Great modulation and fade resistance. Also their cold stop is still streetable, and they're pretty easy on rotors. XP-10 Front/XP-8 Rear would be my recommendation. Grab a prop valve for fine tuning and you should be solid.
Blackboxmotorsport wrote: In reply to papahet: I've had good results with Carbotech XP series. Great modulation and fade resistance. Also their cold stop is still streetable, and they're pretty easy on rotors. XP-10 Front/XP-8 Rear would be my recommendation. Grab a prop valve for fine tuning and you should be solid.
+1
That's my setup too. I've run Carbotech since 2007. (wonder if anything better has come along since then...)
The only downside is the corrosive dust that gets baked onto the wheels when they're wet, but I'm not sure they're much different than anything else.
Thanks chaps. My donor car was formerly a tarmac rally car and I ran XP12 front and XP10 rear...I absolutely love those pads! I got a lot of life out of them and the stopping power with the longevity of that performance was something else.
On the odd occasions I took the car on the road on street tyres or ran it on a test day on street tyres I found it massively over braked for the available grip. Would the XP10 be a step down enough for such a light car? Even running fat semi slicks is it going to get enough heat in to the brakes for them to work?
I run XP8s on my Locost with Miata brakes. Weight is about 1200 lbs. It stops like crazy. C&D measured it at 141' from 70 mph, which was shorter than any street-legal car they'd tested other than a Caterham. A lot of that is attention to brake balance, but the pads have always worked well.
jwagner wrote:Blackboxmotorsport wrote: In reply to papahet: I've had good results with Carbotech XP series. Great modulation and fade resistance. Also their cold stop is still streetable, and they're pretty easy on rotors. XP-10 Front/XP-8 Rear would be my recommendation. Grab a prop valve for fine tuning and you should be solid.+1 That's my setup too. I've run Carbotech since 2007. (wonder if anything better has come along since then...) The only downside is the corrosive dust that gets baked onto the wheels when they're wet, but I'm not sure they're much different than anything else.
The only other pads that were similar were the Cobalts from what I tried. I think they were even a spinoff from Carbotech. I never got to try them but I heard the Raybestos racing pads were actually very good. As far as being friendly on rotors, I don't think it matters. Something has to wear out and rotors cost less than the pads. I would rather have the pad eat the rotor if they are $250 a set for pads vs $99 for a set of rotors.
Bump for interesting developments. 10 Days? zzzzz
I was just thinking the same thing myself ....
Nothing to say...just want to see this hit page 100.
Here's some news: we needed the drivetrain from our Exocet, so it got stripped down. When it goes back together, this engine is going inside.
Minus the roller barrel throttle bodies, as they didn't really work well. It's a high compression stroker engine that should be very, very fun in the Exocet. Somewhere around 175 rwhp from what I recall. It's been bouncing around the shop for years, this is the third car we've put it in.
Page 100 yet? In for interesting developments.
That's a bold strategy, Cotton.
Ohhh man, who needs an LSA when you've got that little beast!
I checked out the Exocets at Carlisle Import and kit car show. I am impressed as ever. Comparing them to some other kits nearby the prices are so much more reasonable for the average enthusiast.
I was surprised that there was only one Seven clone and no Exocets or Factory Five cars represented. FF didn't have any representation at the show.
I'm not disappointed as I went to make sure the Exocet was for me and I fit in it but for a show as large as Carlisle and billed as Kit and Import I was looking for more kit makers and more kit cars and builds there than I saw. There was a 7 clone with VW flat 4 mounted up front and a 914 transaxle in the rear. Very odd to my thinking of what a 7 is but neat none the less.
Now I can't wait to order mine and begin the labeling and teardown process of my donor. It was nice meeting Kevin and the Exomotive crew and seeing the cars in various forms and build completion.
For anyone considering a kit if you get the chance to check out various kits side by side with Exocet and have a reasonable budget you have to consider make the trip to Carlisle or wherever you can check out the car in detail. I have always love bike engine super light kit cars but looking at the prices compared to the Exocet there was no comparison for my money.
Also for the Ohio guys looking to build one a windshield and wiper is required and the windshield must be safety glass. I kind of expected this but reading the requirements for OH in more detail it was confirmed. I plan to do something removable for trackdays and use it for fun drive on the road and for certification purposes. Looking at the other kits I have some ideas.
Keith Tanner wrote: Here's some news: we needed the drivetrain from our Exocet, so it got stripped down. When it goes back together, this engine is going inside.
Keith,
What does a motor like this cost? 175whp is pretty impressive not to mention it looks gorgeous.
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