SeeLS

Raced an IS300 on the straights the other day. An easy win. We talked at a light, and he wanted to race a fourlane with some twisties nearby.

Let's just say it wasn't close, and after the 2 of 4 S-curves, I was out of it. Gotta hand it to the altezza pieces of crap. It handled like it was on rails. He later told me he was coasting through the last two. Wish ours was rear wheel. Wish were getting a stick like the `02 IS too.

moomaster_99

Buy sway bars, lower it and buy better tires...we have crap for tires.
The sways will get you up there...no lean...the lowering will help your center of gravity and the tires will stick to the road.



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2001 Cl-S Black on Black with Navigation
Black Tint all around (15%~45%)
Weapon-R Dragon Filter
Weapon-R Coil-Overs
Koni Adjustable Struts
Comptech Sway Bars
(sooner than I thought...)
Comptech Headers

SeeLS

No doubt that would help, but the IS was built for autocross and not sprints like our CL-S. It's gonna take more than lowering and sways I'm afraid after witnessing what it's capable of. I should have known better though.

moomaster_99

Yeah.....but proper modification of your car can yield some surprising results....plus if you are a better driver...you can win..although that .9G skidpad on IS300s are pretty damn impressive.

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2001 Cl-S Black on Black with Navigation
Black Tint all around (15%~45%)
Weapon-R Dragon Filter
Weapon-R Coil-Overs
Koni Adjustable Struts
Comptech Sway Bars
(sooner than I thought...)
Comptech Headers

EricL

Put some sticky tires on. I would kill a stock CL-S with the tires. There were some roads that scared the heck out of me with the stock tires. The Toyos transformed the car into something completely different.

(I'm not kidding or exaggerating -- night and day difference.)

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2001 Satin Silver Cl-S w/ NAVI

• Mud Guards
• Wheel locks
• Toyo 235/45ZR17-97W* T1S Proxies on 17x8" SSR Competition rims (~48lbs lighter)
• (pre-SSR wheels time) --Gtech 1/8th tank 40F ~=6.1
• Zaino magic
• Sways, headers, CAI comming soon

SeeLS

Stock CL-S? You mean stock IS right? That's fine and dandy if you're into the mods, which I'm not. I guess I'm just talking stock vs. stock. You can mod anything enough to eventually beat anything out there, assuming whatever you're trying to beat isn't doing the same.

But to spend all the extra cash to hang with the IS in the twisties, you might as well have spent the couple extra grand and bought the Lexus. Not that I recommend that.

EricL

If there was ever a car with terrible tires for "twisties" it is a CL-S. The stock tires suck. Notice the Lexus, Bimmers, and other performance cars all come with really good dry/wet rubber. The CL-S comes with tires that are good "all-season" tires that would make an Lexus or Bimmer slide all over blacktop too.

So, the tires I am talking about, Toyo T1S 235/45-17s @ 150ea on stock rims are CHEAPER than the stock tires.

$600 total (super sticky killers) vs $600-$720 for the replacement stock MXM4 tires.

So, your argument about spending enough to buy the Lexus doesn't cut it. I purchase cars with "total" cost in mind.

I looked at the Lexus (sorry, I'm not into the IS. I do love the other models). I also looked at a BMW330, Audi, Lexus, and Maxima (Sorry, each had issues and it wasn't price. The BMW and Audi were closest.)

At least some dealers are now letting buyers get modified wheels and tires as replacements for the stock tires.

I consider a car stock if I can change a set of tires on it that meet with the OEM ratings. (Mine are 97W and fit on the stock rims. I put on lightened rims to reduce the rotational inertia.)

If you were in Los Angeles, I'd give you a ride you would never forget.

Enjoy your choices...


BTW -- If you took you for a ride and you went, "Eric, I can't believe how well this car handles -- it is amazing. What did you do..." And I said, "I needed new tires and got some for a cheaper price that were safer, handled better, were quieter, stuck like glue in the dry and wet, and lasted as long, what would you say?"

Finally, having owned a BMW and Maxima and having gotten bad tires and good ones, I can tell you that this decision is one that most people will never understand or bother researching. Its great, I just wait at the end of a long winding road, like Mulholland, for them to finally show up. They usually ask, "what in the f*ch did you do to that thing". I just tell them tires. The other folks are too embarrassed to talk and turn off.

(P.S. -- you will kill me in the snow, but then I would rather get snow tires [if I ever need them])


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2001 Satin Silver Cl-S w/ NAVI

• Mud Guards
• Wheel locks
• Toyo 235/45ZR17-97W* T1S Proxies on 17x8" SSR Competition rims (~48lbs lighter)
• (pre-SSR wheels time) --Gtech 1/8th tank 40F ~=6.1
• Zaino magic
• Sways, headers, CAI comming soon

[This message has been edited by EricL (edited 03-21-2001).]

uu

yeah, of course, CLS can't beat IS in curvy road, just look how low IS chasis kisses the ground...

I am sticking with straightaway...

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2001 Stock Black/Black CL Type S
since 11/29/00
Scrached three rims.

EricL

I hope your kidding


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2001 Satin Silver Cl-S w/ NAVI

• Mud Guards
• Wheel locks
• Toyo 235/45ZR17-97W* T1S Proxies on 17x8" SSR Competition rims (~48lbs lighter)
• (pre-SSR wheels time) --Gtech 1/8th tank 40F ~=6.1
• Zaino magic
• Sways, headers, CAI comming soon

oonowindoo

how about Nitto tires

EricL

I can only speak from experience. So, I know the Toyo T1S Proxies are awesome -- the best of the best of the best.

I put RE-71s on my Maxima (and those were the best for my ride at the time.)

The dealer, Washington Tire, who sold me the Toyos (I did the research) *and* the SSR Competitions (Technique gets the credit), said he really liked the Nittos. My friend, who turned me on to the Toyos, had suggested years ago that Nittos and Toyos were worth looking at. "Billy" over at Washington tire says he sells a lot of wheels and tires to "hot-rodders" (lots of lowered/sooped-up Hondas, Acuras, Lexus, Mercedes, Bimmers, Nissans) there.

He said, "Have you considered the Nitos". I told him I heard they were good tires, but I wanted to try the Toyos. He said he used them and people really like them.

I think you can get a trial on them. The NT-450, NT-555, and NT-555R are the hot items.

NOTE: I had this BOZO dealer try and sell me a NITO passenger tire for my Maxima. I returned within a mile -- it felt like the car was on ice. He was a jerk, and tried to sell me these 80,000 mile tires as the correct tire for my Maxima. I was really pissed, and blew him off for trying to cheat me. The tire names I gave you are in the ballpark of what you are looking for, if you want to try the Nitto.

Good luck.



------------------
2001 Satin Silver Cl-S w/ NAVI

• Mud Guards
• Wheel locks
• Toyo 235/45ZR17-97W* T1S Proxies on 17x8" SSR Competition rims (~48lbs lighter)
• (pre-SSR wheels time) --Gtech 1/8th tank 40F ~=6.1
• Zaino magic
• Sways, headers, CAI comming soon

NYREP1

so are you guys saying a cl-s with springs sway-s and new tires still cant keep up with a is300 in the twisties? i find this hard to belive b/c i friend has an accord with nittos 225/40/z18 tires, and eibach springs, and it frequently keeps up with the local ricers in the corners

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2001 acura cl type-s
comming soon
2000 accord v6 sedan
1997 4runner
1992 camaro
1993 volvo 850
"Tell me kid, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light"

EricL

Sure didn't here that from me. I've had the car up on Mulholland, and the ride is so fast that I will not report the speed I was going. Lets just say my friend who is working on the Cobra was "blown-away" by the car with just the Toyo T1S Proxies (no wheels yet).

I wonder if we have some IS lurkers around here. I've had Bimmers[32x, 330cs] pushing it behind me (I had my Toyos, they had the suspension upgrade package -- Contis, wheels, etc. I was not making a peep and not sliding AT ALL. The Bimmer's I've "hooked" have been sliding all over the road. Bad drivers, perhaps, but they were the ones looking like candidates for a reckless driving ticket!!!!

Note: EricL in an M3 would beat EricL in an Acura CL-S on Mulholland. But, it wouldn't be a cake-walk.



------------------
2001 Satin Silver Cl-S w/ NAVI

• Mud Guards
• Wheel locks
• Toyo 235/45ZR17-97W* T1S Proxies on 17x8" SSR Competition rims (~48lbs lighter)
• (pre-SSR wheels time) --Gtech 1/8th tank 40F ~=6.1
• Zaino magic
• Sways, headers, CAI comming soon

moomaster_99

To tell you the truth, the IS is reportedly as good a handler as an M3!!! They both do about .9G in the skidpad...vs. .81G for us and .83G for the new 330 with EURO Sport Package. But then you have to look at the overall wheelbase and what kind of tires are on the IS300..stock they come with 17x7 215/45/17....meaning less flex on their sidewall...alot less flex.

------------------
2001 Cl-S Black on Black with Navigation
Black Tint all around (15%~45%)
Weapon-R Dragon Filter
Weapon-R Coil-Overs
Koni Adjustable Struts
Comptech Sway Bars
(sooner than I thought...)
Comptech Headers

JZ

The stock CLS tires are like balloons!! There is no sidewall stiffness whatsoever!! I could barely carry them b/c the sidewall was so flimsy.

------------------
Black/black CLS
Comptech headers, springs, swaybars
Koni yellows
PIAA 19169 road lamps
Solaris Hi beams
Potenza RE730 225/45/17
Red AEM CAI
35% mirror tint next

moomaster_99

EXACTLY...everytime I hit a slight turn...the damn tires squeal too!!!
It's because FUCKING FRENCH people make them!!! And they whine everytime you push them and if you push them a little bit more...they surrender!!


------------------
2001 Cl-S Black on Black with Navigation
Black Tint all around (15%~45%)
Weapon-R Dragon Filter
Weapon-R Coil-Overs
Koni Adjustable Struts
Comptech Sway Bars
(sooner than I thought...)
Comptech Headers

Dacat

Totally agree with EricL, tires can make all the difference. A buddy of mine has a 528 with sport package, came with P.O.S. Continentals. Switched to Potenza S-02's, now he scares me sometimes! That thing is a totally different animal with those tires. I'm just wearing my current crap stock tires out a bit, then getting some real ones.

Does this board have a thread for tire suggestions? I was thinking either S-02's, Dunlop 9000, Nittos, etc.. but can't make up my mind...


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01 Silver CL-S, Navi, Spoiler
Retired: 94 540i

M5 Lite

Put that little pimped out corolla against my ///M3, we'll see who drops off to the side first =). Im running my M3 with the following setup:

18x7.5 rims with 225/40/18ZR on the front
18x9 rims with 245/35/18ZR on the rear

Did I forget to mention that they were the Pirelli P-Zero system which comes standard on the ferraris?

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'98 Dakar Yellow ///M3
www.BMWExperience.com
Forums are now open at www.BMWExperience.com

moomaster_99

Let the IS throw 10K into a TRD suspension kit and you'll be the one on the side of the road. Sorry M3sins, but your M is a lot more expensive than an IS...i'm comparing a 330 with euro package....which will get creamed.

------------------
2001 Cl-S Black on Black with Navigation
Black Tint all around (15%~45%)
Weapon-R Dragon Filter
Weapon-R Coil-Overs
Koni Adjustable Struts
Comptech Sway Bars
(sooner than I thought...)
Comptech Headers