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Testing BFGoodrich’s g-Force COMP-2 A/S Tires

Jun 2 2015

BFGoodrich invited me to Mosport racetrack to test their all-new tire, the g-Force COMP-2 A/S.

But while listening to the morning’s press presentation my breath sucked in, “oh no, A/S stands for All-Season, how did I miss that?”

Okay I know exactly how – when reading the invite email, “Keri, we’d like to invite you to the track…” my eyes glazed over everything after “track”.

But this was a problem, because how can I endorse an All-Season tire when I’ve been putting them down for years, both here and at the paper?

Then the spokesman said 2 things that won me over:

1 – they said an All-Season tire really means 3 seasons, “it’s not a snow tire.” Agreed 100%
2 – before sending me out, they gave instructions on how to cheat a tire test

In the hundreds of press events I’ve attended it’s rare to hear such honesty. Day is off to a good start.

Test #1 – Braking

Floor it to 70 km/h, then stand on the brakes and measure which tire brought me to a stop in the shortest distance.

Super fun to do, super erratic results that tell me nothing. It’s not the tire’s performance, it’s because the driver (me) braked all over the place, so can’t rely on results when the tester was so inconsistent.

Test #2 – Wet Autocross

Toss 3 identical Audi A4s around a wet autocross course while riding on the 3 competitors – Continental, General and BFGoodrich.

Continental – didn’t hold the corners as well as BFGoodrich
General – the most fun because they slid all over the place; this is not a compliment
BFGoodrich – grippiest, and I executed my smoothest lap on these. Winner

Test #3 – Dry Autocross

Floored 2015 Ford Mustangs around a dry autocross course. Same set up as Test #2 – identical cars, around the same track, riding on 3 different brands.

And guys my skills are improving, I’m getting smoother!

Watch:

General – sliding around again but less funny than the wet track, these grip poorly
Continental – better than the Generals, but…
BFGoodrich – I was able to get back on the throttle the quickest with these because the grip was already there. Winner

So BFGoodrich’s g-Force COMP-2 A/S won. And their price point is right in line with their competitors.

They come with a 70,000 km warranty, are on-sale now in 32 different sizes, then 52 sizes by Q1 of 2016.

I’ll leave you with the same thing I always tell you…

Don’t cheap out on the ONLY part
of your car that touches the road!

Powered by a Stock Honda Fit Engine

Oct 8 2014

It’s an F2000, like a starter Indy Car.

And it’s powered by the same engine as Honda’s Fit.

Not modified either, total stock. Really!

It’s a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine outputting 130 hp and 114 lbs.ft.

(my review for the above 2014 Honda Fit, and a few Fit animated gifs)

Got to go around the DDT track at Mosport 3 times.

Arrow – went off, twice. Too aggressive into the corners + queen of the late-brakers here.

So they kindly let me go around one more time. Got it.

Tracking a Porsche with Pfaff

Aug 8 2014

Pfaff Automotive invited me to Mosport for a track day… in one of their day-lease Porsches. Yes please!

It was my 2nd track time ever, bit spoiled huh, because here I go around in a Porsche Cayman.

Learned how executing a proper corner feels…. effortless?! Huh.

And did you know you can steer the car using only the throttle? I did that once… accidentally.

That’s Brad Meise of Apex Driver Training you hear coaching me; thanks Brad! Liked your style: precise and non-stop.

My mistakes: I brake way too late, and enter the corners with too much aggression :|

That’s the thing though: so what I can fly around with a Brad in the passenger seat.

How about when it’s just me, and there’s no cones around the track to guide me, now add the pressure of competing in a race…

You can do this too.

Day-lease a Porsche or Audi from Pfaff and spend the day driving the above track, with coaching if you’d like it.

All information found here: Pfaff Track Days

A Porsche 911 is $1,699 +HST for the day rental at the track, and the other vehicles available are the Porsche Cayman, the Audi TTS and Audi S5.

Or track your own car.

That’s $449.00+HST for the DDT Track this 2014 season with the use of your own vehicle. Because the goal is not to learn how to go faster, but to better understand the physics behind driving.

And that’s what I wrote about for that week’s ‘Keri on Driving’ column.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

It’s best to explore the limits of your car in a contained environment instead of a real life situation. This way, when your car gets away from you and starts to drift down an icy on-ramp, for instance, it’s not the first time you’re experiencing how that feels.

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

My First Track Time

Aug 5 2014

First ever!

I’ve driven a gokart on a car track, a car on a gokart track, and plenty of autocross courses in parking lots. But this was my first proper time, in a car around a car track.

It was done in a 2014 Honda Civic Si at Mosport.
It’s a 2.4L outputting 205 hp and 174 ft-lbs.
Starting at $26,710
Manual, obviously. It’s a good, short throw.

I documented the occasion.

My two biggest mistakes are: I brake way too late, and into the corners I’m, wait for it, too aggressive.

Who you hear coaching me is this guy, Honda IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe.

Liked your coaching style, thanks James! Best of luck this season.

I interviewed him for a ‘Keri on Driving‘ column about concentration, here. Because really, without concentration, everything else, all the tech, tires and money, are for not.

Thank you Honda, for giving me my first track time.

And it’s rather appropriate, because Honda was one of the first manufacturers to bet on my blog. Here’s our history.

Put a Monk in a Race Car

Aug 5 2014

Can’t concentrate? Can’t race.

Because really, all the tech, tires and money are for not if the driver drops their focus for one fast moment. Because that moment turns into seconds lost.