New 2 owner at Grassroots Motorsports magazine

[GRM Tom]

Hey all-

My name is Tom Heath, and I'm excited to join this community. I've been a Mazda fan for a long time, but stuck mainly with the Miata-only groups on the web. So far, I really like this forum, so it's nice to meet you all.

I'm the web guy for Grassroots Motorsports magazine and I just picked up my Mazda2 last night. In my job I get to drive new cars pretty regularly, but the 2 is the first in a long, long time that I really wanted to run out and purchase. Seeing the B-spec race program from Mazda and Honda helped a lot, and the comparison test from our February 2011 issue kinda sealed the deal. What a fun little car!

I'm not sure how much involvement the car will have in the print magazine, but you can be sure I'll be doing some updates and documentation on our website. I can't wait to get through the break-in period and start autocrossing this little gremlin. Are there any other autocrossers or track day enthusiasts out there?

My car is an M2 Sport in Crystal White, which I love. I'm already planning some changes, including lowering, some intake and exhaust improvements, wheels/tires (death to hubcaps!) and I think I can figure out how to add the cruise control functions from the Touring model onto the Sport. Wish me luck!

 

[elfhearse]

Welcome.....great mag, I just did the ten year renewal with GRM. It's one of my favorite reads, right up there with the Roundel.

 

[Perro del Sol]

Hey all-

My name is Tom Heath, and I'm excited to join this community. I've been a Mazda fan for a long time, but stuck mainly with the Miata-only groups on the web. So far, I really like this forum, so it's nice to meet you all.

I'm the web guy for Grassroots Motorsports magazine and I just picked up my Mazda2 last night. In my job I get to drive new cars pretty regularly, but the 2 is the first in a long, long time that I really wanted to run out and purchase. Seeing the B-spec race program from Mazda and Honda helped a lot, and the comparison test from our February 2011 issue kinda sealed the deal. What a fun little car!

I'm not sure how much involvement the car will have in the print magazine, but you can be sure I'll be doing some updates and documentation on our website. I can't wait to get through the break-in period and start autocrossing this little gremlin. Are there any other autocrossers or track day enthusiasts out there?

My car is an M2 Sport in Crystal White, which I love. I'm already planning some changes, including lowering, some intake and exhaust improvements, wheels/tires (death to hubcaps!) and I think I can figure out how to add the cruise control functions from the Touring model onto the Sport. Wish me luck!

Don't let Andy Reid drive it! Welcome abord, will you be at the Mitty? Looking forward to meeting you as we've been invited to to help out at the Mitty!

 

[Kags1969]

Do a writeup when you add cruise contol, I would be very interested!

 

[Richard_rsp]

Welcome aboard! (Love the mag, I'm a 3rd year subscriber...) While this board is not very active (yet) I believe there is some good information and a great base group for forming a solid community....

I haven't autocrossed mine (yet) but I plan on running in H-stock eventually. I am contemplating running this Sunday at our local event (Im in the Dixie Region, covers Tallahassee...) Since im in VERY south Georgia, I may run into you on occasion once you start!

Looking forward to your input in the future!

 

[Slow Paul]

I'm new here too, but welcome. I'm a huge fan of you magazine. I'm glad too see that one of the GRM staffers is a 2 owner.

 

[SuprFly]

Welcome, I would love to hear about the switching the sport to cruise control when you get that done too! That would be amazing, i have been going on a lot of longer trips lately and would love to put cruise control in mine. Nice to have you on here!

 

[GRM Tom]

Thanks for all the warm welcomes.

My theory on the cruise control retrofit is based on the parts diagrams for the car; there are only two part numbers that refer specifically to the cruise contralto system; the airbag module and the wheel itself. The fact that the 2 is a throttle-by-wire setup could allow for the rest of the system to handle all those functions; i think the only other part that might be necessary would be the multifunction display in the gauge cluster. I'll know more when I get my hands on the shop manual. (anybody found one online yet?)

I'll definitely be at the Mitty; this year we're honoring Mazda as the featured marque and Jim Downing (Mazda racer and HANS device inventor) as the Grand Marshall. We'll also have a ton of other stuff, including an attempt at a Guinness world record for largest parade lap. Not to be a shill, but you can get all the details at our website.

I'm really excited about autocrossing this car; the proposed changes for street touring in 2012 are good news for Mazda2 owners.

 

[Slow Paul]

Not to throw your welcome thread off-topic, but what are the proposed changes?

 

[GRM Tom]

Not to throw your welcome thread off-topic, but what are the proposed changes?

I'm not 100% sure yet. This won't be an "official" project car, so parts are coming out of my pocket or donated. That will slow things down some.

If I stick with the SCCA Street Touring plan, it will be intake/exhaust/header(?)/springs/shocks/swaybars/wheels/tires/seats and weight loss. The SCCA rulebook is pretty specific about what's allowed and what isn't. The next autocross that's local to my area is about 3 weeks away, so I'm eager to see how the car plays around the cones. That will tell me a lot about what needs to happen next.

I will say I'm a little bit in love with the idea of Bilstein PSS10 coilovers; I've used their stuff on my Miata and a few other cars and have always been happy with the results.

<EDIT> I just re-read your post; now I'm not sure if you meant changes to the car or changes to the rules. If you meant the rules, here's the link to the official scoop: http://www.scca.com/documents/2011%20Tech/Rule%20Proposals%20for%202012.pdf (It's a download.)

Basically, they're kicking the Civics (and several others that have had success) out of ST and moving them to faster classes. That opens the ST class to little stuff like the 2, the Fit, etc...
The base Mini is also eligible, which is probably the overdog for the class.

 

[elfhearse]

I Auto-X'd late last year totally stock and recently with the Corksport SRI and rear torsion bar and 949Racing 15X7 wheels with HEAVY Bridgestone RE-11's.. The wheel tire upgrade actually slowed the car slightly as they weighed 6lbs. more per wheel than 15" stock, but are super sticky (obviously). It's definitely a momentum car, you need to be on the throttle thru most of the turns because when you brake, it takes a decade to get moving again (slight exaggeration) I hope the SRI and new cat-back combination will bring back the quicker throttle response and slight HP increase. Overall, a quick little go-cart thru the cones, just lacking the big HP for the straights.

 

[GRM Tom]

Definitely a momentum car, and the short first gear/tall second gear combination is less than ideal. Still, it's feathery light for a modern car, and the dynamics are good.

A little more power is sure to help. I'd like to experiment with wheel and tire combinations to see if a shorter tire can give back some acceleration that the tall second second gear takes away.

Time for an autocross thread?

 

[bazooka joe]

welcome and love the mag! see you at the mitty! mark

 

[Slow Paul]

<EDIT> I just re-read your post; now I'm not sure if you meant changes to the car or changes to the rules. If you meant the rules, here's the link to the official scoop: http://www.scca.com/documents/2011%20Tech/Rule%20Proposals%20for%202012.pdf (It's a download.)

Basically, they're kicking the Civics (and several others that have had success) out of ST and moving them to faster classes. That opens the ST class to little stuff like the 2, the Fit, etc...
The base Mini is also eligible, which is probably the overdog for the class.

Oh wow, that sounds good. I've always autocrossed with BMWCCA, as my previous car was a MINI. I am no professional driver, but the thought of coming out 1st in ST with the Mazda2 at any local SCCA events here in SoCal seemed like a pipe-dream. Well, this defiantly changes things. Thanks for the link too BTW.

 

[Antoine]

Welcome to Mazdas247.com and thank you very much for your support, Tom! (2thumbs)

Great to have a Member of the GRM crew in the Community! Please check your PM inbox, just sent a response and why not be one of the first to post in the new Mazda2 Autocross & Motorsports Forum (great suggestion)!

Thanks again and enjoy the forums! (drive)

 

[MacAttack7]

Definitely a momentum car, and the short first gear/tall second gear combination is less than ideal. Still, it's feathery light for a modern car, and the dynamics are good.

A little more power is sure to help. I'd like to experiment with wheel and tire combinations to see if a shorter tire can give back some acceleration that the tall second second gear takes away.

Time for an autocross thread?

What's the best way to drive around town with the short 1st gear/tall 2nd gear combo? I'm a shifting rookie, but that must be the reason 2nd seems to be sort of dead when I first shift into it; then it gets going after a slight delay. Is it better to get 1st into a higher rpm range before making the shift to 2nd? I usually take 1st up to about 3100 or so I think. Should I take it higher for normal, everyday driving?

 

[drop360]

I've only had my 2 for a few days, but I've noticed that "dead" feeling you mentioned. This car seems to have a pretty clear powerband that starts around 3000. If I'm trying to accelerate and I shift and RPM's drop below 3000, acc. isn't so great. If I run the revs higher before shifting, and have it land around 3000 after the shift, it seems pretty good. Once I'm up to speed and cruising, RPM's are usually below 3000 for me.

 

[concealer404]

Hi Tom!

Welcome to another corner of the internet!

-92celicahalftrac

 

[Mistersix]

I love the fact that GRM has a 2 in the stable. I'm a subscriber and i hope they make it a regular part of the magazine. They seem to be having fun with their MS3 and make space for it each month.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[GRM Tom]

What's the best way to drive around town with the short 1st gear/tall 2nd gear combo? I'm a shifting rookie, but that must be the reason 2nd seems to be sort of dead when I first shift into it; then it gets going after a slight delay. Is it better to get 1st into a higher rpm range before making the shift to 2nd? I usually take 1st up to about 3100 or so I think. Should I take it higher for normal, everyday driving?

Like all good questions, I'll answer that with "It depends". Traffic is traffic, so unless you're being timed there's no reason to be in a rush.

When conditions permit, I'm not at all afraid to run the car right up to the 6200 RPM redline, but it does make passengers nervous. Especially when they're your parents/girlfriend/wife/kids. Let the situation at hand guide your decision; keep up with your maintenance and your car won't mind the extra revs. The car will not blow up from going to redline every once in a while.