Only if manufacturers have any inkling at all to actually take up one of these challenges. But I'd bet dollars to donuts that most of them will dismiss them without batting an eye.

GM, for example, actually races the Cruze in Europe now, a car that's soon to be released in the US (finally, a 'global' platform that's actually global). But do you think they'd take a challenge like this seriously in any way? I don't.

As for the Hyundai challenge, I think MINI HAS to accept it after throwing down the gauntlet with Porche. I've heard some good things about Hyundai in recent years, so that would certainly make for an interesting match up.

Personally, I'd love to see more of these, with tweaking limited to manufacturer options that are available to the general public through the dealers only, from tires right up to aero kits and anything in between. No after-market anything allowed - only what you or I could drive out of a showroom. Professional drivers and closed courses, head-to-head or lap-for-lap, whatever the manufacturers would agree to. Maybe a couple of different venues, in case one has an obvious advantage over the other in certain types of layouts.

Now there's something Speed Channel should be looking into, instead of that insipid waste of cable bandwidth PassTime.

 

Ummmm, WHAT????? Direct injection, fully-variable valve timing, Getrag 6-speed manual or Aisin 6-speed auto trannies? What's old-school or questionable about that?

 

Oh yeah... Now that's a great idea!

Kind of reminds me of what the SCCA initiated years past with the Showroom Stock classes (SSA, SSB, SSC) in club racing.


+1! Right on the money!

Add to the largess of SPEED's mediocrity offered: The Racing Chef, Dangerous Drives, PINKS, Unique Whips, Wrecked, and of course all the NASCAR themed shows!

 

Now THAT is what stock car racing should be.


Oh, don't get me going ... The Racing Chef? Gimme a break!! If it isn't about preparing meals while doing timed runs around a road circuit, it belongs on Bravo!

 

 

A race series that runs only stock cars. (Classes of course) Full interiers, Total stock Engines, Stock body's, Only Factory suspensions & brakes, Of course a roll bar on convertables.( Factory pop up OK if equiped ) Tire & wheel change OK as long as they are street tires.( No Race Rubber allowed ) Just plain stock cars.

I used to really like the Rolex series until Nascar got involved with their really stupid ""DAYTONA SPECIALS"" They ain't what I like to see at all. They are just like stupid NASCAR cars that are all the exact same with different decals showing what they are supposed to represent. UGH!!!!

The Continental challenge is still more fun to watch then the Daytona specials running around in a line not being able to pass because they are all the same. Of course the Speed channel shows the Rolex series and not very many Challenge races.

I have been getting into watching the World Rally Championships on HDTHEATOR and now that is what I call racing. Way to much fun to watch. They run totaly modified stock body cars and drive the heck out of them. WAY TOO COOL.

Stock factory cars would be nice but I don't think it will ever happen.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eds not-so-red MINI

Ummmm, WHAT????? Direct injection, fully-variable valve timing, Getrag 6-speed manual or Aisin 6-speed auto trannies? What's old-school or questionable about that?

Japanese transmission, Honda variable valve timing, injection available on anything for years. Where's the "cutting edge" here?

 

Wow really, really?! Variable valve timing and VTEC are similar but not the same and who cares if it is a Japanese transmission.

 

That Japanese transmission is fairly well battle-proven, but hardly an antique. The variable valve timing in the MINI motor isn't Honda's, it's BMW's. Direct injection is not available on just anything.

It may not all be cutting edge, but it certainly can't be called 'old school'. So what's Hyundai offering that's technologically light-years ahead of MINI?

 

A larger car for less money.

 

Valid point, but that's because they can pay their workers 20p per car. Not saying its a bad thing, but its less a benefit of the car, and more a benefit of the country it's made in.

 

Uh, no. A Camry is a larger car for less money. Most compact cars (and quite a few sub-compacts) are larger for less money. I don't get the point.
Gunner45 says the MINI is old school technology. What I want to know is compared to what. Hyundai? Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Hyundai. I just want to know what cutting edge technology Hyundai is packing that makes MINI old-school.

 

Hyundai will kill mini on the track plus hyundai has better quality and reliability and is a more up to date design .
Hyundai FTW

 

Here we go again.....

 

Hyundai FTW?
Does that mean it's from Fort Worth, Texas?

Dave

 

I've driven just about every large scale production car in the US (working for a rental company is so exciting..!) and I can say with certainty that Hyundai makes some very nice cars (my significant other owns an Accent) the new Sonata is a great mid-size family car and the Tiburon is a pretty quick, nippy little guy (granted you have to be a contortionist to get into it and finding a comfortable driving position is as likely as finding a Kia at an HPDE) so I'd be really interested to see what the Genesis can do against a MINI.

Having said that, they are two very different cars. The track would make a massive difference to these two. I did see an Elantra at my local autocross the other week though...

Having said that too, I say bring it on!! Win or loose at least we can all have a laugh!

 

Have you worked on the mini? I owned an 03 tiburon several years ago before my 350z, and it was way easier to work on than this mini. You have to pull out the MFE for like half the engine services, or remove mounts and jack up the motor. Much more compliated than most cars.

Also, to the reliability folks, the Mini seems to have a much worse track record than Hyundai's. I've had two, and never had an issue with 75k on the first and 65k and going on our 05 Santa Fe. Plus the warranty is rediculous.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Mini. There just seems to be a lot of misinformation about the crooked H brand. Which is fine by me, it keeps cool cars like the Genesis and the new Sonata cheap for the smart folks that have no brand loyalty.

 

A geniesis 3.8 blew my jcw away at a autocross. now if i had non runflats things my have been different .

 

I've read a lot of comments regarding Hyundais being crap. I admit, I'm no fan of them, but seriously saying they're crap just because you think MINI is the best automaker out there is pointless. Let's face it, some of us really need a reality check. MINIs are not Ferraris. It's a premium hatchback pretty much in it's own niche (the perfect car for people suffering a midlife crisis and can't afford a Vette). It's highly over-engineered and with that, it's going to have it's share of problems. This makes reliabilty questionable. I have a 14 year old Suzuki Sidekick that I beat the living he'll out of. I used to take it airborne. This was longgggg before I knew what kind of drivetrain damage can be done with this type of abuse. 14 years later, I'm still on the original clutch and nothing major has happened to the vehicle besides normal maintenance. Simple cars like this and what Hyundai put out are not bad. So in the end, I'm sure MINI will accept Hyundai's challenge and anybody else who does. MINI is exuberant and young. They will continuously pull PR stunts like this. It's actually good business.

 

I thought mine Getrag was German?
I would consider a G8 or GTO if you apply the Money vs. Equal to Size formula to buy cars.
Although running stock tires would allow Mfg's to select stickier oem tires. They'll need brake pads too.
Please tell me more about HDTheatre what other road racing programing do they show? Iam considering dropping DishNetwork for DirectTV to get this channel

 

It is WELL worth it . Bookmark this page and it gives you daily updates on just about everything racing on wheels .

Randy
M7 Tuning

http://www.tvracer.com/

 

Honda variable valve timing?

Valvetronic and VANOS, which have been around for several years, make any of the currently available "VTEC" systems from Honda look like they were designed by a 3rd Grader. The as-yet-unreleased A-Vtec (as in Advanced) is similar, but Honda hardly has a monopoly on "cutting edge" technology when it comes to Variable Valve Lift/Timing.


A Genesis beating your JCW is your PROOF of that statement?

FYI, at a recent autocross, I ran a better time for the day than an experienced driver in a Genesis 3.8 Track. Oh, and I was on runflats... with a regular Cooper... and it was my first auto-x.

Does that mean Coopers are better track cars than the Genesis? No... just like your single experience doesn't prove the opposite.

 

Thanks a million!
I knew there had to be more telavised races than just those occassional races shown by SPEED.

 

No worries . Try to catch one of the Isle of Man TT races . Even if you are not into bikes you will be amazed at these guys breaking 130 mph AVERAGE on country roads .

Randy
M7 Tuning

 

YOU ARE MY HERO!!!! This is the best site EVER!!!! Finally I don't have to go to the website of every series and look up when its playing and then set my DVR accordingly when I get home.

If I was a girl, I'd offer have your babies. That's how excited I am about this!