There are many paths you can take to build the ultimate track day vehicle. Some people buy high dollar exotics, some people buy bare shells to build from the ground up. For a select few, either of those options don't lead to their ultimate goal: dominance. Alex Pfeiffer decided to up the ante in his history of vehicle ownership, and bring the thunder with his Locost Super 7.
Being the avid driver and fabricator that he is, he wanted something unique that was fun to drive, and could be an expression of the purist attitude that he believes should be embodied in all cars. Nothing could be more representative than this Locost 7. Weighing in at a bare bones 1200 lbs., you'd be hard pressed to find a chassis that has the same potential that this has. Perhaps the only thing that comes close are the KTM X-bow or the Ariel Atom, but both of those monsters costs upwards of 30,000, a sum of which many of us can't afford to spend on a weekend toy.
Alex decided that he would transplant the baisic mechanical components from his AE86 Corolla onto his 7. No small task by any means, but not an impossible one for a man with his fabrication and building skills. First to go on from the AE86 was the rear axle. Alex kept the 6.7" rear differential with 4.3 ratio ring and pinion to drive his 7, along with the all import KAAZ 2-way limited slip differential. These components, mated to the standard T50 transmission put down all the power his engine produces.
The engine was also transplanted from his AE86. This was no ordinary AE86 engine, however as the 16v powerplanted was boosted with a turbocharger. Alex' custom fabricated turbocharged engine includes OEM 4AGZE pistons, rods, crank, block and head, with boost duties handled by a Garret T28. A custom tube manfold collects the air to help the spool, and a custom aluminum intercooler helps cooling duties. You'll also notice that the intercooler and aluminum radiator are positioned in the newly popular "V" positioning. Usually to showcase fabrication skills among show cars, this setup actually gets put to use m allowing additional airflow to enter the nose of the engine, to help in cooling of both the radiator and intercooler, and in this case also the massive 40 row Long Racing oil cooler. The entire engine setup is good for 240 rear wheel horsepower.
The suspension is also trick. Custom Koni coilovers with heim jointed ends along with custom wound eibach springs aid in the majority of the dampening, only complemented by custom heim jointed arms at each end that Alex fabricated himself. The result is clear and reactive steering and chassis control. For some this might create a vehicle that is too sensitive to inputs, but in the hands of the right driver it becomes a surgical instrument to carve correct lines on the track.
To help stop this beast, Alex also imported his own Batlle Version AE86 Corolla brake kit, which includes steel braided lines, Hawk "Blue" pads, and most importantly Willowood 4-piston front calipers. These brakes, while small play a significant role in this vehicle's balance and supercar ability as stopping form high velocities become a matter of finessing the pedal.
Inside the car, you'll finder perhaps the most spartan of all stripped down interiors. Absent are any gimmicky race gagues, instead replaced by no-nonsense race gauges from a variety of different manufacturers. Oddly enough, positioned center directly in front of the driver is not the tachometer, but rather the water temperature gauge. Helping contrl the vehicle is a custom Momo steering wheel originally intended for use on a go-kart, but adapted for duty to help tame this beast. Also, a vintage Momo fiberglass race bucket holds him in place during long drifts and high speed turns alike.
Driving Impression:
Doing the math leads you to one conclusion: this thing is fast. Take a 1200 pound car and give it more than 300 flywheel horsepower, and you have a recipe for pants-wetting excitement. To say that this thing is fast is a total understatement. Perhaps its the proximity to the ground, or perhaps its in its necessity to wear goggles or some sort of shield to prevent the wind from burning your eyes, but no other vehicle that I have ever drive even comes close to the sheer performance this vehicle unleashes at you.
Taking the car out and driving it around town is actually pretty easy. When the engine is not under boost, it is actually quite docile, and is even fuel friendly! The minute you stab the throttle however, all things totally change. Boost hits incredibly fast thanks to the ball bearing center section, and before you even have a chance to process what you've just done, you're off. Acceleration is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Pure neck snapping torque coupled with the rush of the turbo spool creates and addictive environment that's both exciting and frightening at the same time. Hit 2nd gear, and soon enough third is right around the corner. The final drive gear ratio makes for insanely fast acceleration, and rewards those who are paying attention. Unlike an AWD turbo vehicle, like the Lancer Evolution or the Subuaru WRX, you absolutely must pay attention while driving this vehicle. All the traction and versatility is there, but if you're caught asleep for even a second, things will certainly get ugly.
The steering, ooooh the steering. Alex also decided to bring over the steering system from his AE86, but modified it. With aggressive negative camber settings and sticky tires, this car bites and bites hard. Not once did I feel understeer at the limit, nor did I feel any numbness. As a matter of fact, the steering feels like its wired directly to your brain. The reactions are so fast, that you wonder if you even though of the movement first, or if it happened in some Jedi mind trick manner. Either way, telling the car what to do and thinking ahead is the way to drive this car. In addition, in case you've come into a corner too hot or power on the gas too early, Alex had built in a failsafe. He modified the steering rack so a massive amount of angle can be achieved. The car almost feels like it can bite its own butt. Hanging it out and letting the wheel counter, you can dive in and give the car throttle without worry of the car spinning. It really makes you feel like you're a much better driver than you actually are.
The brakes on the car are very sensative. Almost too sensative, as it was rather easy for me to lock up the fronts. Perhaps its my driving style, but barely pushing on them induces lots of pressure on the rotors. Indeed it does help the vehicle stop, but heel-toe driving in my size 13 shoes proved to be quite difficult.
Feats of testicular fortitude often times define masculinity. At least among race car drivers, that attitude is still prevalent. Hiding behind computer controlled traction control all wheel driver or insane amounts of power are definatly ways to help you go around a race track quickly, but if you really want to showcase your hairy chest, then you'll buy a Super 7!
experience to finally get a feel for it. Some of the other guys who signed up for the drift were looking forward to driving in an event that wasn't going to kill their stamina or wallet to get to.
