Last weekend the MARRS SRF racers meet with Steve Pence (SCCA Enterprises Board of Directors member) to get some details of what is coming to SRF and when. There was a lot of great news about the future of SRF.


1) The new engine is a FORD (well maybe, at least that the current plan), a 1.6l from a Focus, and will be available in 2015. It will have around 125 HP and about 7 lbs less torque, but it will weigh 55 lbs less. The cost is going to be $8000 for the engine and you will also need the $2200 ECU which includes completely new wiring set up (not a MOTEC, because it was looking like that would be $4000). AEM is likely to be the ECU unit and should be available for the current engine in 2013. So, be ready for a $10,000 upgrade (in steps if you wish), current rebuilds are now over $4000 so this is not as bad as it seems. They have interest from Honda, Alfa Romeo, and maybe even VW, they are going to try to use that interest to get us a better price. Also if (insert name of engine here) wants the class to be Spec Racer (insert name of engine here) the price needs to go down a lot, let support Eric and gang on this as best we can. We were warned that the first batch of the new engine conversion kits will be the cheapest as hopefully asking for 300 to 400 will get us an additional price break. You can continue to run the old engine for a number of years (TDB). Enterprises is going to ask the Comp board for two classes, and if approved they will be something like SRF & SR, Enterprises does not want head to head racing between the updated car and the classic version. One additional item was the engine will be severely detuned to make it last forever. The engine is good (red line) to over 7200 RPM, but will be electronically REV limited to 6500 allowing for a safety margin so that the 4rd to 5th, but got 3rd up shift should not hurt the engine.


2) The AEM engine management system will be available early in 2013 for about $2200, and will allow the current engine to run closed loop for wide open throttle usage, and the map will be equalized to the current performance level. With the AEM system any engine should run as good as the best tuned cars today, so a poorly tuned car could gain a lot. Enterprise’s hopes, and is designing so that a perfectly tuned engine gains nothing, except knock protection and closed loop safety. We will not be able to use just a simple pig tail adapter to the current harness based on recent start synch issues, but the new harness is being aggressively quoted and will carry over to the new engine (there will be some unused plugs on the current engine).


3) New vented brakes are coming too, still some testing to be done. They fixed the “cut .080 of the brake pistons” problem, and we will retain the same calipers, a simple bolt on update. If Enterprises does not get a 100% “we love them” feedback from the 5 tests sets they may cancel the program for now. Rotors will be $300 (or less) for 4 (a full set) and will not be mandatory until the cars race with the new engine.

Well, um...huge. Thanks.

Some info here that contradicts the earlier announcement (as I read it) but is probably within the error bars of information transfer.

Regarding the brakes, can someone elaborate on this please? “cut .080 of the brake pistons” problem

Denny - you don't need no stinkin brakes - they just slow you down

Oh Man,

I am so glad I sold my cars this last year! To be stuck with a 10k upgrade? Why? You are just sending lots more people to Spec Miata. IMHO you are destroying the value of the present cars and killing the SRF class.

Someone be smokin somethin ( a lot! )

Dude

dmc wrote:Oh Man,
I am so glad I sold my cars this last year! To be stuck with a 10k upgrade? Why? You are just sending lots more people to Spec Miata. IMHO you are destroying the value of the present cars and killing the SRF class.
Someone be smokin somethin ( a lot! )
Dude

I think this *exact* visceral response is why Enterprises has tried (and in general, done a very good job) to control the release of information.
I won't go into detail defending the decision here, but I will say that no one (that I know of) is smoking anything. This is being done for the long term viability of the class and is being done (IMO) with a very keen eye towards not "stranding" those who don't want to upgrade in the first year or two.

Beyond that, I will let Erik et al respond.
My preference is that this type of info not be posted to the board by those not directly related to Enterprises, just because the messaging is every bit as important as the data, and as we all know, data by itself can be twisted or taken wrong very easily.

Just my .02...

Now back to that brake question. What does that mean? I must be misreading it, because it sounds like a) something that would help with my consistent brake drag problem and b) something that would get me dq'd after a race every time. Did I misread it?

As a motor sports reporter for ESPN you can be certain I verified this information with the President of Enterprises, who added a little bit more information, even more then was posted.

Sure, belive what you want to and disreguard the rest, sit with your fingers in your ears and wait for news. I am sure Eric will be posting many an additional detail in the weeks to come. Some things may even change, wow thats why Eric calls it a plan. But as of today this is waht I gathered for two sources.

Did you all wait for the Grand AM/ ALMS anounceent today for the news - no? You new of it long before - how ESPN, Speed, oh yea the press. So don't why try to blame the guy who gathered the news for the news.

Off to cover the Goodwod Revival for ESPN next weekend, sure hope I don't learn of anything before it has been widely reported by others.

As for the brakes, there was a early test setup that was a bit too wide for the caliper. The fix was to remove some material from the fingers on the brake pistons. Enterprises will continue testing with a new setup that no longer requires this modification.

My $0.02 also - I hated the switch to ford - loved the renault - raced them until the last runoffs in 96 - then got a ford which I still hate. I will probably do the same with the new engine package but also will eventually switch at the last moment (although engine rebuild economics may dictate a switch) which appears will be when I am about 69 years old which hopefully means maybe there will not be another engine change by the 50th anniversary race and party when I will be 85!!! Denny - if I am gone by then you need to give me a nice toast - or even a bad toast - any PR will do!!!

Dude: You have three years to save up. $3,000/year is less than the Spec Miata guys will pay for mods to make their cars a little less slower than the current SRF!

And it's not like your current motor is going to last forever anyway. You have a $4,000 rebuild coming anyway.

SRF with a snarling, 120+HP motor and better brakes will create a real buzz. I'm looking forward to it.