The FRS is a great "student" car.

[rice_classic]

I was out instructing at the track yesterday and at the end of the day when 80% of the people had left it was open session and a few of the instructors get to play with their toys.

I actually had no intention of playing with the FRS that day but when the director said, "It looks like we'll have freedom to play in the last session and I want ride around the track in your new car." So that was that and I took my completely stock FRS out on track. It was a bit difficult for me to acclimate for 1 very simple reason.

I couldn't hear it.

Simple as that and no, I wasn't wearing ear plugs like I do in the race car. I like quiet cars on the street but this was a great example of exactly how important the auditory cues from a car are to driving fast. The engine/exhaust were so quiet vs the wind noise, I was caught off guard by the rev limiter over and over and over, then I was over compensating by shifting too early. I finally overcame it all by having to spend more time looking at the instrument cluster which is not something I like to do more than what is absolutely necessary.

Like others have said, these prius tires shouldn't grip like this but I was surprised by how the car works them, how much it gets out of them. I was deliberately over driving the car into corners to induce something, anything and got nothing, no big understeer, no fantastical oversteer just very neutral. As I ratcheted up the speed I could get the front to wash on entry or the rear drift on throttle or induce entry "drift by lift"; but it wasn't instinctual for my racing mind. I had to deliberately get it wrong in order for the car to "get it wrong" and that, I feel, is pretty rare for a production car. For point of reference, the aids were turned off. I also want to note one other observation; the OEM brake pads just don't like the heat but hey, no duh.

The director and myself thought this would be a brilliant school car for new students not wanting to take their own cars on track as it's a great learning tool which will produce the appropriate results of bad driving or bad habits without producing dire consequences.

Of course, that stock exhaust system has got to go.

[ill86]

Agreed. Excellent school car. I've got a little something in the works for us here too...