First track day for the Elantra N and other than an oil change, the only modifications made were 18x8.5 Motegi MR140 wheels mounted with Nankang AR-1s (245/40) and the Torque Solutions Rear Engine Mount.  The goal was to see what the car could do and learn about its driving characteristics.

First impressions revealed the Elantra was extremely different than that of the GTI.  The longer wheelbase took some time to get used to and eventually found that the car can rotate effectively.  At times being too ambitious, the rear end would want to kick around.  In my quicker laps, I would sometimes get too much rotation mid corner and rush the turn exits trying to make up.  The extra rotation is not a negative aspect at all, it’s a benefit, it’s just starkly different from what I am acclimated to.  Because of this, I would often not be as sharp on corner entries/exits in T2-5 (an area I was even still trying to improve in the GTI).  In time, I believe this won’t be an issue as I become more accustomed to the car; after all, the GTI was nimble and relatively easy to control with skinny 225 tires.  

Where the Elantra excelled was in T7-11, where there are multiple areas of heavy weight transfer.  The car never was incredibly stable near the bottom of T7 and handling was sharp leading into the entry of T11.  Deliberate inputs are still necessary, however, I had much more confidence compared to the GTI which struggled with weight transfer.  With some brake upgrades, the Elantra has some serious potential to go faster here and in other deep braking zones.

As far as my driving goes, I definitely was not expecting to run a 1:55.xx lap time.  The theoretical best from the AIM data reveals a 1:55.6 was in store, so the lap time is there to match my GTI’s PB and it comes down to stringing it together.  In future, working on pointing the car more effectively should help extensively.

My first upgrade of choice will be to upgrade the brakes (pads, fluid, etc.), the stock brakes would tend to hold their own for around 3 hot laps before fading.  Additionally, a camber bolt installation is in store, which should help out with using more of the AR-1s.  The Elantra N shakedown was a success as I learned so much about the new car and identified areas of my driving to improve upon.