Is it smart to AutoX a Smart ?

vwcorvette wrote: I've heard of Focuses and BMW 318Tis going over due to stock suspension and sticky tires.

A Focus flipped at the last autocross I attended. Same deal, stock (worn) suspension and R-tires. Flipped at the end of a slalom section.

if that is the one i'm thinking of, he was a novice who had Rs on the front and street tires on the back.

Apexcarver wrote:

vwcorvette wrote: I've heard of Focuses and BMW 318Tis going over due to stock suspension and sticky tires.

If you can supply picture of the 318ti rollover I would be very grateful (want to fun ends on a friend who has one)

I'd rather not see that.

Hell, I just learned that there was a guy here in the ATL region who flipped his r-comp'ed stock-class Mini "S" onto and over its' nose after getting crossed up in a slalom (whiskey tango foxtrot!). So, yeah I gander there's a bit of potential danger there, especially if he's a novice driver.

That said, I'm certainly not qualified to give advice on the subject. I think there's already been some good advice in the thread about not "approving" the car, but instead "allowing at-your-own-risk". Even then, I'd at least ban r-comps on the thing.

I happened upon this while looking for something else.  I've always been interested in these cars.  No intention myself, but wondering where the world stands on autocrossing Smart cars a decade later?

Adrian_Thompson said:

I happened upon this while looking for something else.  I've always been interested in these cars.  No intention myself, but wondering where the world stands on autocrossing Smart cars a decade later?

Lets see... its still tall and narrow, but the tires are now stickier and thus it is more likely to roll (but it is not on the exclusion list for SCCA).  Also, its hopelessly outclassed everywhere in SCCA classing.

^Note that with SCCA classing, pretty much the slowest car you can have thats still competitive is effectively an 8th Gen Civic Si or a Fiesta ST.

In reply to ProDarwin :

I was wondering if any had fallen over in the last decade tha's all..  Cool that it's not on the exclusion list. I was wondering if anyone had modified one at all for autocross, my brain was thinking stripped out, lowered fun machine.  

There is no planet where either an 8th Gen Civic Si or a Fiesta ST should be considered slow in any way!

theres a very lenient group here in wisconsin that i run with on the rare occasion.  They let one run, and sure enough it ended up on its side.

Adrian_Thompson said:

There is no planet where either an 8th Gen Civic Si or a Fiesta ST should be considered slow in any way!

 

Honestly, I think there is still a good argument for placing the Fiesta ST on the exclusion list.  Either that putting the tippy cars on 350tw tires 

H-Street is the slowest class and those are the cars that are winning, with a few others in the mix (2010 Accord, 10th gen Civic Sport, 2010 Mini)

In reply to 79rex :

So that's one tip over.  Any more tip over, or success stories out there?

In reply to ProDarwin :

It cracks more up that a 200hp car that can hit 60 in circa 6 seconds is in the slowest class.  I'm suffering from old man syndrome as when I autocrossed my 1.6L NA Miata it was in B stock.  That class is now filled with Porsche's, BMW M cars, Mustangs etc.  LOL. 

You could also look at it as a high-cg, camber limited strut/beam axle car with an open diff is winning a class and that's surprising.

In reply to ProDarwin :

Yup, but having grown up when GTi's were new and anything over 100hp, under 10 seconds 0-60 seemed like a rocket it just blows my mind.  Now, pleased come and enjoy my lawn, we'll sit down with a beer or two 

The whole reason I brought this back up is I like small underdog cars.  My first ten cars or so were all Hillman Imps so I like unusual but effective suspension systems.  Here are the SMART front and rear subframes.  Front, simple McStrut.  Rear a rather novel DeDion system.  It looks like these could be bolted into some kind of other body, or used as is.  I wonder if the bike engine conversions add an LSD?