New to forum, just purchased a new 2016 F type R which will be used as my wifes's daily drive and my weekend track toy. Can anyone point me to threads talking about setting up the car / track mods / track tires.

I went to tire rack and for some reason are showing 0 wheels that will fit the car - are there any track wheels available???

Does anyone know the Range of Camber adjustments available with stock parts?

Any "must do" mods before tracking the car??

 

Welcome to the mad house!

I have attached Jaguars' F-Type guide to tracking, which has been removed from the internet for some reason. It's quite useful.

As far as tyres...PSS seem to be the way to go. I ran the OEMS, and they were OK once hot.


Just do a 'Search' within this Forum and it will bring up a number of posts.

 

Thanks Tel,

That attachment was good to read - thanks for sending. The new RE-71Rs by Bridgestone have sizes that may fit on OEM wheels if i go to 245s on the front. Really, i want to use some dedicated track wheels if i can find some that fit. Mc

 

I don't know how you feel about the Nitto's but they make a track tire.

 

@Matttheboatman
Sounds like you want spare set of rims that have track tires mounted. You could look on the for sale forums or eBay for someone selling their old rims. I agree the Michelin Pilot Super Sports are the way to go for tires (great for normal as well as track driving). I am planning on getting PSS in OEM size front, but 305 in the rear for a bit more rubber.

 

If you plan on having a dedicated wheelset for the track, I would suggest going with a Nitto or Toyo road racing slick in the closest available size, and size the wheels accordingly. Rear camber is not adjustable. Recommended front camber adjustment for the street is asymmetric. More on the right than left. I have a RWD, so my numbers probably won't do you any good.

 

Thanks Unhinged, thats what I'm thinking - either Michelin Pilot Super Sports and stay with OEM wheels, or go to affordable slicks or semi-slicks if I use dedicated track wheels.

Does anyone run the F type with a set of track day wheels? If so, what is your set up?

 

Update: I spoke with tire rack this morning. They confirmed that NONE of the wheels they sell will fit a Jag Ftype R due to the size of brake caliper.

Regarding tires; the front tire is an uncommon 255/35 so none of the "streetable" Ultra Performance track tires (Pirelli Trofeo / Mich Cup 2 / Nitto / Dunlap Race Maxx / Bridgeston RE-71R) come in that size other then Continental Contiforce Contact which is a very expensive tire.

I can downsize 10mm and go with the incredible sticky RE-71Rs - they make a front tire 245/35-20 that will fit with the existing 9" OEM front wheel. Most all will fit the more common rear wheel size 295/30 20.

These ultra performance streetable tires add a lot to performance and will let you DOT legally drive home BUT wet/cold traction is limited and puddles are a nightmare. So, I'm back to trying to find some dedicated wheels that will fit the Jag.

If I stick with what I know will work which is a set of OEM 20" wheels, which one is the lightest? Does anyone know the weight of the OEM wheels?

 

[QUOTE=Matttheboatman;1592016]
These ultra performance streetable tires add a lot to performance and will let you DOT legally drive home BUT wet/cold traction is limited and puddles are a nightmare. So, I'm back to trying to find some dedicated wheels that will fit the Jag.
QUOTE]

I would highly recommend PSS. They are great on the track and do well on the wet. When they are warmed up the performance is amazing. I had them on my Ferrari F355 and allot of my buddies who track their cars have them. They wear very well too. I was considering the Cup tires, but was told they are not good in the wet (even though the F355 and Jag do not go out in the rain if they can help it).

 

[QUOTE=355rockit;1592115]I agree 355, the PSS are the best combo tire out there. And, I may end up with them.

But, coming from the Porsche Cayman world, we experienced on a 2:00 circuit going from the Michelin Pilot Super Sports to the Cup 2s is worth about 3 seconds, and then from the Cup 2s to the Bridgestone RE-71Rs another 2 seconds. So, tires alone change the lighter car 5 seconds on a 2 minute circuit. I'm thinking perhaps an even greater impact on the heavier Ftype. That's like going from a 430 to a 458 Special for the price of tires!!!

 

What you must do before tracking the car:

1. Wait for break-in period to nearly end
2. Replace stock tires with Michelin pilot super sport
3. Spend time on a skid pad so you develop a feeling for the car slipping
4. Take engine cover off

Also, always take cool down lap to give your car a chance to cool down before you shut it off.

 

Thanks Sin,

Re: break in period - too late! this Cat has had its tail stomped on many times before I picked up the car with 350 demo miles. I was assured by the salesman that he can personally attest the car goes over 150!

Tires; still debating on the MPSS "grocery getters" or some soft compounds designed for the speed at the track.

Skid pad - great advice. Learned more in 1 day of rain, than all my other days combined. When it is wet, I just close my eyes and let the force take over (in a zen sorta way).

RE: engine temps - I am honestly worried. The other brand was so bullet proof that I will be learning the car and any bad habits it might have. Superchargers are known to add heat which definately must be managed when pushing the car at its limits. I generally avoid running on hot summer days regardless. And, I never use the Ebrake after baking the brake pads on the circuit - was told they can get to over 800 degrees.

 

Although not putting the handbrake on after a track session is good practice i remember reading in other thread that the parking brake has a high temperature re clamp function in order to stop warping the brake disks. So possibly i wouldn't worry about this to much if you put it on and the car is on flat ground.

 

Update on tire choice: After researching I discovered that going down in size on the fronts from 255 to 245 (with way more choices) would result in a rolling increase of 777 revolutions per mile on the fronts vs 770 on the rears - that is not much of a difference but with the fact that the car is a 2016 All Wheel Drive, I did not want to even chance that the small difference will cause the computer any issues.

So, I went with the quickest tires available in OEM size - the Continental ContiforceContact. These are the only ultra performance "streetable" tires available in OEM sizes and exactly 770 revolutions per mile front and back. I bought the last set in stock at Tire Rack. about $1,600 delivered. In thier class, they are considered a "good" wet tire which is not to say they like water, which they don't. But, the best of the worst when it comes to wet conditions.

The ContiforceContact will be much faster than the Mich Pilot Super Sports, but are a tad slower than the Mich Cup 2s / Dunlop Race Maxx, and a bunch slower Bridgestone RE-71Rs or Nittos. But, I think they will perform adequately on the street in the rain so I will leave them on between track days. These ultra performance tires do run just OK in the rain - as I have experience running these types of tires in the rain on the autobahn. Poorly, they can hydroplane if you run over a puddle which can be disconcerting at speeds. So, no puddles allowed for the Jag.

By the way, I share this car with my wife who will daily drive it. Hopefully, she will avoid puddles too. But if not, the Pirelli P Zeros will go right back on to maintain marital bliss.

If I can find a good installer open on Saturday, I will do one track day with the OEM tires and get comfortable with the car's slippage. Then switch over to the new Contiforce tires, give them a good break-in, then do the next day on the stickier tires. I will report back on lap times and handling differences between the two.

 

I ran the ContiForce Contacts

they lasted 4k miles

shocking

Great tires, but the wear rate was ridiculous, as its such a heavy car, and they come with much less tread to begin with

 

Thanks - Good to know as I was contemplating these when I do need to change. Looks like PSS are in pole position at the mo

 

Yes, a painful reality of soft compound tires for sure.

The less expensive Bridgestone RE-71Rs would provide both dramatic increased grip and at a reduced cost. But, only avail in a 245/35 in the front.

What do you think about the diameter size difference if one would go with the 245/35s on the front and 777 vs 770 revolutions - with this car being an AWD, would it cause issues???

 

I went ahead and installed the new Continental ContiForce Contact tires on the car. They came in OEM sizes 265/35/20 and 295/30/20. On the street they feel and ride similar to the PZeros. Will report back on track feel and performance.

 

Update: So, I outfitted the car with the Continental ContiForce Contact tires as the stickiest available street tires in OEM sizes. Took the Jag out to my home track of NOLA this weekend. I was soooo looking forward to getting back out on the track. The tires performed very well. No rollover to report, no chucking / and only the front left tire had uneven wear. They delivered a high level of confidence. And, the Jag performed equally as well - no overheating / no transmission issues / no warnings.

My plan this weekend was to compare the Jag to my last car, which was the Porsche Cayman GT4. And, decided if the Jag will run as good as she looks. The Jag performed admirably despite its 900# weight disadvantage. That is like having 4 friends riding in the car - so definately a handicap. Of course, the GT4 is lauded as the best track car of modern times and perhaps rightly so. Nevertheless, the Jag brings 550hp to the game - which is more than most all others.

In summary I would say that Jag is 180 degrees different than the Porsche. I had a bit of a learning curve, and to retrain my brain on braking, turn in, acceleration, and top speed.

Here is what I discovered...

1. Turn-in. The Jag turns in WAYYYY better than the Porsche. Perhaps the extra weight on the front end, or the larger 265s vs 245s tires, or perhaps because of the advanced double wishbone suspension. Or a combination of all. I don't think I ever truly found the limit. The Jag points like no other car I've ever driven. At one point, it felt the computer memorized the course as it seem to go into "auto point" and with very little effort the car was going from cone to cone. I'm smiling.

2. Acceleration. What can you say about 550hp instantaneous. Truly, the fastest car on the straight all weekend. Wow, if I did not have to stop at the end it would continue to build speed all the way.

3. Braking. Not bad, but not good either. It's' not so much the stopping distance, more of the Jag's tendency to bob and weave when coming down from 135+ mph. In close quarters, it can be unnerving. As a I driver I compensated by lifting early, which robs the car of some of its high speed advantage. Perhaps the car would benefit first from stiffer springs.

4. AWD. I found the AWD to be a super-nanny, but in a good way. It does not pull through a corner like a Front Wheel Drive. Instead, it simply keeps the car going straight when you feel like it is about to let go. Kudos to the software engines who designed this system. It works. Flawlessly.

5. Unwinding and High Speed turns. Surprisingly good. Once the car stabilizes past the apex of the turn, I was able to add power smoothly without any wiggle or push. This cat likes to run as long as you don't stomp on its tail. Steady on the power, the car grips very well.

Of course, the Porsche Cayman GT4 has several advantages on the track. The mid engine allows you to maintain higher speeds through the turns, and there is "less going on". Whereas the Jag requires much more abrupt changes in driving styles. Higher speed on the straights, more time braking, aggressive turn in, followed by patience getting back on the power, followed by "lets catch back up" massive power on the straight.

Bottom Line: My best track time with the Jag was 2:09. My best track time with the 385hp GT4 2:01. The Porsche's stickier Cup 2 tires account for maybe 2 seconds of the gap.

The Jag performed flawlessly and the AWD drive delivers confidence. I received a lot of compliments on the car as she was the only Jag out there. Like I say in the mirror each morning, it is great to be so good looking!!!

You Tube video of a lap at NOLA Motorsports Park first day in the Jag..
https://youtu.be/m8fRWGVpTaM

 

Tire pressures cold......hot ?
Glad you had a great day.