Shan's S2000: Hitting the Books
When you’ve had so many formative driving experiences in something as light as a kart, or as purposeful as a Formula SAE, many production cars feel a little cumbersome. This was Shan’s perspective and the impetus to sell his E92 M3 for something responsive, svelte, and raw.
While a college student, Shan was both powertrain lead and test driver on his Formula SAE team. As part of getting the most from their bike-powered spaceframe car, the test drivers – he was one of several – were expected to refine their driving techniques through go-karting. As his own development as a driver dovetailed nicely with his expanding understanding of chassis setup, he developed an unshakable confidence that, years later, would enable a rapid ascent in the world of time attack.
Before he could put himself in a car which would benefit from his years of racing experience, he took a left turn – one that was unpredictable, yet understandable.
He had his foray into time trials with a heavyset production car unlike the other machinery he’d grown accustomed to: an E92 M3. “There were some cars I was considering, but this one was the most versatile.”
Its heft and plush GT-designation left him feeling a little lukewarm, and after five track days, he recognized his need for something with a bit of that single-seater urgency he missed.
First kiss
Rather than go full-180° and buy another spaceframed car, a trailer, and a tow rig, he decided to compromise in the name of practicality. For him, the S2000 was the only fendered car in his price range that had the pointiness he was after. Plus, he didn’t mind hacking one up.
He found an AP2 that, while a little rough around the edges, was a suitable candidate for a track build. A little patina and some missing interior panels didn’t upset him, but the blown Konis certainly made the trek from Los Angeles back to San Francisco less than comfortable. Thankfully, he knows a good chiropractor.
However, those minor annoyances faded when he took the car to Laguna. There, he was reacquainted with all those familiar feelings from his college days — plus a new form of fear.
“I don’t think I’d ever driven something with so much lift-off oversteer before, though that was due to the setup in some part.”
The Honda had teeth; its mystery alignment kept Shan guessing when it would slide. However, even on ancient RS4s and a comically snappy setup, the car was eagerly responding to his subtler inputs. It kept him alert and, with a little time to learn its habits, it raised his confidence.
After adding the first round of track-day bolt-ons – brakes, wider wheels, and a set of forgiving NT01s – he could start exercising his old approach to finding speed. Shan had a few areas of focus:
Ergonomics
Ensuring everything is easily reached was paramount. As he learned from FSAE, the more comfortable one is, the harder they can push. For this reason, he added a very bright shift light directly in his line of sight.
Chassis first
Aside from a Hondata piggyback and a testpipe, the motor would remain stock; the gains would be made in cornering speeds.
No more than necessary
Only parts that had proven to cause a bottleneck or had failed would be replaced. This was done to save, but also to ensure his engineering abilities would be put to good use making the most of what he had.
After accepting the limitations of his Konis, he splurged on a set of JRZ RS Pros. They’d been vetted by his car-crazy colleagues. Raised to an appropriate ride height and aligned correctly, he started putting in the seat time.
The car stayed as it was for some time as Shan delved into the data and refined his technique. “I analyze my laps through RaceStudio and take very detailed setup notes after a session to make sure I'm aware of what's going on, what changes i'm making, how the car responded to those changes, etc.,” he stated.
Complex, but simplifying
When it came time to add some aerodynamic pieces, he used his analytical mind and his engineering ability to make the most of the new alterations.
“My first laps with aero weren’t much faster than my previous best,” he started. “I was still driving the car like I had been before the wings; tentative at corner entry, braking somewhat gently. The aero changed that. I used to worry about oversteering too much at turn-in, but I can throw the car into the corner now. If it needs to scrub some speed, it’ll just understeer.”
He could start changing some parts to make use of the additional aero loading. “Previously I was running a less aggressive compound in the rear because the car was prone to entry oversteer, which would only get worse if the pad compound in the rear could cause momentary locking. With the aero grip, that’s no longer an issue, so I have a high-torque pad at the rear.
Clearly, the right sort of aero helps not only with outright cornering speeds, but stability as well.
Drag bad, grip good
However, this all comes at a price; drag cannot be overlooked in a low-powered car like the S2000. Trimming the wings was vital to find a net improvement in speed, and after using the suggested window for optimal wing angles from 9LivesRacing, he timed every subsequent alteration until he found the fastest settings.
“One thing I did after the first aero day was try to visualize the corner speed increase and drag increase around Laguna. I made plots to understand the behavior better. I could reach out to people with more racing/motorsports experience too, to see if this aligned with what they would consider a car with properly functioning aero, so it was decent validation.”
Shan had to increase his spring rates by 100lb/in to handle the aerodynamic load.
Shan’s taken a studious, resourceful approach to building this gleaming AP2. It might not sport top-shelf parts in every area, but those used have been tweaked and fettled to get the most from them.
An ideal setup is only possible if one has the ability to run the necessary calculations. Shan’s background in racing a clean-sheet kind of car has helped him see what’s vital to speed, and that alone gives him an edge that primo parts alone cannot trump.
He’s clearly passionate about the engineering side of things, too. In fact, he’s used his engineering expertise to build new bits to improve the overall package. They might not be obvious, shiny, or expensive, but, in aggregate, they make a major difference.
“When I have the time, I’ve been using some of the 3D printers at work to build some basic parts to help. For example, I put together some supports to prevent the trunk from flexing at higher speeds.”
Though the car is fast and forgiving, Shan’s still seeking a sharper edge. “The front is much less effective than the rear, and, for now, I just deal with the understeer. I’ll try increasing the rear spring rates to encourage some rotation. It’s not a normal way of dealing with an aero problem, but it might work.”
He’ll find a solution — even if it keeps him in the garage all weekend. For Shan, staring at plots all Sunday to find a few tenths is time well spent.
Parts List
Sakebomb rear sway bar, Eibach front sway bar
Bump steer + roll center correction kits
Recaro Profi SPG driver's seat
JRZ RS Pro (900lb/in front, 800lb/in rear spring rate)
Racebred Components front splitter kit
9LivesRacing rear wing
Wilwood Superlite front BBK w/ Carbotech XP12 brake pads all around
Hasport polyurethane engine and differential mounts
Maxxis RC1 255/40-17