im going to br going to my first solo x event in a week
and my friends say that the mazda 3 handles like its on rails
all i have is an Apex'i N1 exhaust system,
but do i stand a chance against the competition?
im a good driver and all just wanna get some feedback by ppl who have run in solo x events before

 

if these rails are made of marshmallows, maaybe.

the 3 leans like crazy on stock suspension :P

Is the Apex'i a catback?

I bet in stock class it would do well just because the other cars in it's class are probably garbage mushy blahmobiles like Civics and Sentras and crap.

p.s. who cares about the competition, trust me it's not worth worrying about whether your car is competitive or not.. it's a friggin blast, that's all that matters. By the time I started autocrossing my car was already in street modified class (yeah this was before I even turboed the car) so I knew I wouldn't be able to compete with the cars in my class at all, but it's still a ton of fun and you really learn a lot about driving your car right at it's limits (if you have the guts to take it there).

my advice: go do it ASAP

 

i agree with kansei....competition should not exist in you venture expecially your first one.....do not try to "beat" someone elses time or you will slip up...it does handle good enough for me not to hate it and i live to race mtn. roads.....just remember to walk the course many times...untilly you can see the whole thing with your eyes shut...you may not believe me but my first event i walked my course 4 times and dnf 4 out of 5 times......so concentrate on the course....use your first run to memorize the course from driving standpoint....and if you have the stock tires get ready for them to break loose around the corners... and as for handling like it is on a rail....NO it does not stock...now the ms3 does but not our 3
my first event my car was pure stock...i finished 4th out of 5 drivers...but i had damn fun....so just enjoy it this time get good and then worry about competition...

 

^^ even the ms3 feels wallowy to me in stock form (yes I've driven) but anyway..

Yes, walk the course as much as you can! Get there as early as possible (i.e. before registration even officially starts) so you have time to. The first even this season I got a dnf (do not finish) 3 out of my 3 runs because the course was crazy, craaaazy complicated (multiple choice forks, parts you have to do twice in two different directions, huge vague areas with like 3 cones and no indication which side you had to be on) but it was still a blast!

 

damn we need some of those courses here...and as for the ms3 compaired to the 3i it is a freakin dream...it can be better but still good "compairatively"

 

aight cool. yea im going with a lot of friends so this should be a blast! thanks

 

and yea its a catback N1
and for anyone that may be wondering, Lou's custom exhaust did it and they were great. Meineke made the muffler hang down and it was s0 ugly.they sucked. now its tilted up and angled. looks real nice