Fifth Place
Imagine Auto
Think of this car as the AMG of the event. Whether you prefer Cort Wagner's "chicktronic" or its owner's "Monkey Tronic," it has the big Mercedes five-speed and managed to be fast in spite of it. The computer was reluctant to go anywhere near redline before upshifting, which hurt the dyno numbers and gave Alex Ross about one-third of the available points.
On the road course, this car was just 0.06 sec. away from second place. In the 1/4-mile, it was the fastest of the rest, with an 11.13-sec. pass. Alex apparently enjoys drag racing this car, as he drove it himself. The launch was outstanding, and the acceleration curve didn't show interruptions at shift points. The 124-mph trap speed matched that of cars with slower e.t.'s, suggesting they put more power to the ground.
We liked a lot about the way this car was built. The NHRA requires a roll bar in cars that run 11s, so Alex installed the Porsche Motorsports bolt-in bar, a Sparco harness and GT3 seats, keeping it as factory as possible. Most owners assume 15-in. brakes require 19-in. wheels, but Alex had Kinesis build custom, 18-in. K18Rs to clear the big Brembos. The meaty sidewalls are what Dan Barnes thinks tires should look like. Turbo engineers we know suggest that zero-clearance turbos, being 97% efficient, as claimed, fail the sniff test, but they probably aren't worse than the regular KKK units most others used, and having the car custom dyno-tuned is certainly a good idea.
Driver's View
What, a Tip in a shootout? No way. I was in for a lesson: This thing hauled ass, handled great, BUT the transmission was unpredictable for the track, as it picked the gears it wanted instead of the other way around. It was a great handling car, maybe a bit heavy in the rear with the auto trans and all, a bit too much oversteer, and the front brakes had too much bias, which hurt my corner entry speed. An insane grocery-getter, as when this thing spooled up, the auto trans worked amazingly in a straight line, leaving nothing in the way of acceleration; it just simply felt like a very big-blocked Vette. Fun to toss around the track, and probably shines best on the streets where it will never be caught off guard with that great motor. Power was very usable, good down low, and nutty up top.
Engine Displacement
3600cc
Internal Modifications
None
External Modifications
Modified stock headers, custom exhaust,NO2 intercooler spray, Ultimate Motorworks zero-clearance turbos
Engine Management Modifications
GIAC software tuned to turbos
Drivetrain Modifications
Imagine Auto custom torque converter, custom trans oil cooler installation
Suspension
Front: Imagine Auto custom-valved Bilstein PSS9 coilovers, GT3 anti-roll bar
Rear: Imagine Auto custom-valved Bilstein PSS9 coilovers, GT3 anti-roll bar
Brakes
Front: Brembo GT Race; 15-in. rotors, eight pistons, eight pads, titanium inserts, ATE Super Blue fluid
Rear: Brembo GT Race; 14-in. rotors, four pistons, titanium inserts, ATE Super Blue fluid
Wheels
Front: Kinesis K18R, 9.5x18
Rear: Kinesis K18R, 11.5x18
Tires
Front: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, 265/35-18
Rear: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, 315/30-18