[echobravo]

Checking in from Wisconsin. Bought an Electric Blue base M6 last week...and loving it. Traded out of a 2014Accord EX M6, which was a nice car--but did little to stir any emotion.

I have a long background in SCCA racing. Been autocrossing since 1992, did wheel-to-wheel in 1999 and 2000 (SpecRX7), and have been a track day instructor at Road America since 2006.

I have a dedicated autocross car--full prep FSP 2000ZX2 S/R, so the ES won't likely see much track time...but I think it could be a fine HS car, especially locally and regionally. The FiST's are a bit lighter and that is tough to overcome.

I look forward to "meeting" those online here--especially those who will be autocrossing and track-day running their cars.

-Erik

 

[Voodoo Idol]

Welcome to the ES forums!

 

[EazyG]

Welcome to the forums! Would love to see some photos of both the ES and the ZX2 S/R

 

[echobravo]

 

[echobravo]

 

[echobravo]

 

[echobravo]

The top photo is the car on Hoosiers. 15x10 Front 275/35-15. Back is 15x8 205/50-15. Middle picture is at Road America HPDE "Drive for Babies", which is a charity event for The March of Dimes. Bottom photo is 15x9 all 4 wheels, 225/45-15 Hankook RS3.

 

[grinsaplenty]

Welcome to the forum. I am thinking of trying some local autocross with the ES. Not going to get serious or anything just for Sh_ts and giggles. Do you think the ES is an appropriate car for this? Good enough for me to learn in? I have to be careful with it though as it has to get me to work afterwards reliably.

 

[echobravo]

Absolutely. It is a VERY good car, in fact. My guess is that it will be classed in HS (H-Street) in it's stock form. It will class against the FiST, which is lighter and has similar power...that is the car to have at the national level in this class.

That said, at the local level, a good driver in a less than ideal car will beat a less than ideal driver in the good car. Go out and have fun. Ask questions and work on being smooth...

 

[echobravo]

Here is my all stock ES...

 

[echobravo]

Welcome to the forum,

Always nice to have a seasoned driver for people to ask questions to! You should definitely take the ES out one day, you will be pleasantly surprised on how well it does around the track!

If you ever want to spice it up a bit let me know, or go take a look at our website to see what we have! Welcome | DamnFastDD.com

Tyson

I suspect it will take a few laps around Road America later this season...

Thank you!

 

[nels0300]

Hey neighbor, next door in Minnesota.

Interesting you traded a V6 Accord, I traded a 2014 V6 Camry SE. Had the Camry after a series of manual transmission cars. Thought I'd try the automatic, I didn't last long. The engine was fantastic, the rest of the car, not so much.

I was resigned to getting a base model compact car with a manual transmission just to get out of the Camry and found the ES to be in the same price ballpark as a base Mazda3.

What do you have done to your Escort?

 

[SXTH-Element]

Welcome to the forum! that Escort is bad-ass. you'll have just as much fun with the ES, if not more.

 

[rdaex1]

I think thats the first time Ive seen a ZX2 with performance to it... Nice.

 

[echobravo]

Hey neighbor, next door in Minnesota.

Interesting you traded a V6 Accord, I traded a 2014 V6 Camry SE. Had the Camry after a series of manual transmission cars. Thought I'd try the automatic, I didn't last long. The engine was fantastic, the rest of the car, not so much.

I was resigned to getting a base model compact car with a manual transmission just to get out of the Camry and found the ES to be in the same price ballpark as a base Mazda3.

What do you have done to your Escort?

The Accord was M6 2.4 I4 engine--the motor and the transaxle were fantastic. There was nothing bad about the car--but it was kind of sterile and didn't evoke much in the way of emotion. You didn't walk away from it and look back over your shoulder and think "yeah..."

The ES seems better at that, at least for me. It's smaller and rides more harshly--but that is stuff I knew going in, and was willing to take. It's nice to be in a car again that DOES make you look back over your shoulder as you walk away...

 

[echobravo]

I think thats the first time Ive seen a ZX2 with performance to it... Nice.

Thanks for the comments--the ZX2, for what it is, is a pretty good platform. Its a BG Mazda Protege (91-94/MX3) underneath, with a Ford engine and a Mazda transaxle.

The link above is from Road America during a HPDE where passing is allowed from T14 to T1 and then from T3 to T5. Around 3:45 its kind of funny--remember, this is an Escort...