In-car HPDE Lap of NCM in a Honda CR-Z

[HX520W]

https://youtu.be/LuNWxTQrqps (Not sure how to embed videos)

Here's a video from a trip my brother and I recently took to the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park. I am not driving in this video. The CR-Z doesn't have the straight line speed that most of the other cars out there do, but it corners and stops well.

I'm not sure how many people on here are interested in or participate in HPDE events, but I thought I'd post a video anyway. If you're thinking about participating in an event, DO IT they're a lot of fun and really help teach you car control. It doesn't matter what car you have, the most important thing is the driver.

As far as the powertrain goes, the car has a GE8 intake manifold, HKS cat-back exhaust with a T1R header and mid-pipe, ported and polished intake runners, 270 cc Accord V6 fuel injectors, and the stock air filter and air intake.

Here's a dyno graph in case anyone is interested. (Numbers are at the wheel)

Other various fluids/components:
Brake fluid: Castrol SRF
Brake lines: Goodridge braided stainless
Brake pads: Hawk HT-10 (front), Hawk Blue 9012 (Rear)
CVTF: Honda
Engine oil: Castrol Edge High Mileage 10W-30
Oil cooler: Earl's 16 row wide with a Mishimoto thermostatic sandwich plate
Oil filter: FRAM XG7317
Tires: 225/50/16 Continental ExtremeContact Sport
Wheels: Kosei K4R
Numerous chassis braces have also been added.

 

[PolarisX]

Nice video filming at 60FPS!

 

[Virtus_Probi]

I'm sure that's a fun little car...the first car I bought was a CRX. I was impatient and my focus was shifting around wildly when I decided to replace the '76 Nova my had given me, I had gotten rear ended by a little Honda at a stop and the thing was tough to drive (and hardly worth repairing). I decided that I was 100% getting a Grand National, then learned that the weren't being made anymore. My test drive of a Cavalier Z24 was pretty fun, but it didn't seem put together quite right and I passed...people I knew who bought them later were very disappointed in the reliability. I went to a Honda dealer and they had some of the HF models and a single base model with an auto tranny, I liked the last one well enough and just bought it. I sometimes regretted not waiting to drive an Si, but everybody I worked with driving manual trannies hated them for commuting due to the brutal Dallas traffic at the I75/635 junction North of town (where I worked).

It was a trouble free little scooter that sipped gas and cornered extremely well. A buddy of mine whose parents owned a 944 (N/A) told me that my car handled about as well as theirs and was only slightly less powerful...of course, they had a back seat and my car didn't look nearly as cool. Another friend who drove it was really impressed that she could hit the gas at 90 and the car would still jump...she must have been driving a real dog, and I kind of wondered what she was doing taking a borrowed car to that speed. My father thought it was some kind of exotic sports car and really wanted to try it out, then refused to get in the driver's seat because the car was so low...I thought it was funny that he was scared of a little Honda.

In short, the thing never caused me trouble and was fun in its own way. It didn't really work on the buckled roads I found in New England and was also way too low to get through any depth of snow, ended up trading it in on an Outback after 8 years and that taught me just how well the CRX really handled. My second to last turn on my way home was a right off a 50mph road (then, since lowered) onto a 30 going uphill, and I would barely even slow down for it in the CRX. First time in the Outback, I slid completely across the road and nearly into somebody's lawn...it was eye opening for me. That Outback was 100% utility, 0% fun.

 

[IndyIan]

Looks fun, that dip and turn section must be interesting. I didn't know the CRZ had a CVT, I know a guy who has a MT one and autocrosses it once in a while. (I did beat him with my wagon, but I'll take the credit for that

)
How does the CVT like long runs? No overheating? The constant rpm kind of reminds me of honking around the lake with our old motor boat or skidoo.

 

[robertcope]

Very cool. So odd to hear the motor essentially sitting at one RPM.

I prefer older school Honda tech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwCAZBlip4A

 

[HX520W]

Great story! I've been amazed by the number of people who fondly talk about a CR-X that they had in the past after seeing the CR-Z.

 

[HX520W]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Looks fun, that dip and turn section must be interesting. I didn't know the CRZ had a CVT, I know a guy who has a MT one and autocrosses it once in a while. (I did beat him with my wagon, but I'll take the credit for that

)
How does the CVT like long runs? No overheating? The constant rpm kind of reminds me of honking around the lake with our old motor boat or skidoo.

The "sink hole" section is really fun. On entry, you can't see the curbing on the right-hand side of the track until you're nearly on top of it. You also gain a substantial amount of grip when the car is being forced into the ground as you make the left-hand turn climbing out.

So far, the CVT has been great. It has about 1,000 miles of track use on it (consisting of 20-40 min sessions) and has never given a complaint or turned on a light. That being said, I'd like to find a way to check and see what temperature it's getting up to. Going to Barber and Road Atlanta mid summer can't be the kindest thing you can do to it. We've been looking for a place on the car to fit a transmission cooler for the track that can also be blocked off on the street to keep the temperature up.

 

[IndyIan]

You can get a thermostat valve for your trans cooler, or if you think your engine rad has some spare capacity, these look pretty neat.
http://www.laminova.se/technology/engine-and-transmission

 

[HX520W]

What have you done?! Now, there might be an excuse to reconfigure the entire cooling system

. If needed, there's a possibility that we can get one of the big aftermarket radiators for the manual transmission version of the car and still be able to heat the CVTF with the inline oil to water heat exchanger. I'll have to figure out some way to monitor temperatures before next track day to see what the car needs.

I didn't know that they made oil coolers like that. Thanks!

 

[A_Harman]

I worked with Laminova coolers many years ago on an intercooled supercharger project at Eaton Corp.
They were nowhere near as effective as conventional tube and fin coolers for the same installation volume.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I worked with Laminova coolers many years ago on an intercooled supercharger project at Eaton Corp.
They were nowhere near as effective as conventional tube and fin coolers for the same installation volume.

Yeah, I can see how its tough to get 210F fluid to cool 230F fluid without alot of area. I think the main advantage is that it doesn't need another thermostat valve and they don't need cool air flow.

 

[HX520W]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I worked with Laminova coolers many years ago on an intercooled supercharger project at Eaton Corp.
They were nowhere near as effective as conventional tube and fin coolers for the same installation volume.

Thanks. We've been working on ducting a narrow 13 row oil cooler behind the left front fog light and venting it into the wheel well or out the side of the bumper cover (haven't decided yet). I'm not sure if that will be enough cooling or not. Hopefully, if we focus on airflow, it will be effective at speed without overcooling while blocked off on the street. There's also the possibility of running a fan off the unused fog light wiring.

I'm open to hearing any ideas, experiences, or criticism.