Hi guys,

I am posting a poll with this thread. First time I have ever done this, polling. I want some input.

First off, it is a great honor that we have been invited to compete in the Car & Driver Super Tuner Challenge. I have watched/read about this event for years and have always wished we could compete in it.

I got a call a month or so ago inviting us and have been planning my attack since!!

Let me give you a quick run down of the event, how it works and some rules. From there I am going to put up this poll and would like some well thoughtout voting and feedback from you guys, if you can spare me some of YOUR time.

Event consists of the first day letting the editors of C&D drive the car you bring to compete in on public roads. The event is held in Michigan and the race portion is at Michigan International Speedway. The editors judge the cars as anyone would on driveability, ride, loudness, etc. This portion is just an overview of what they think of your car, it does not help or hurt the actual competition portion.

When you show up for the ride and drive portion you must have less than a 1/4 tank of fuel. They then fill all the cars with 93 octane.

The cars are impounded for the night at the raceway. The next day the cars are refilled with 93 octane. No alky or water injection are allowed and no race gas. Anyone caught cheating is banned for life from the event.

The cars have to run on a spec tire that is branded and must be bought from Tire Rack. The car are encouraged to run a cat and have to be tested for emissions. Neither of these hurt the cars competition portion either.

The cars must pass a decibel reading on the track. Now, if they are too loud this does hurt the competition portion and you are penalized some time.

Competition portion consists of Starting from a dead stop and running a 1/4 mile, continue to accelerate and then turn into the infield and run through a road course, exit road course and then accelerate to 150 mph and then brake to 0 mph. Time from start of 1/4 mile to 0 mph is your time.

You also have to claim everything you do to the car. This gives them a total amount spent on the vehicle. So, in my case, $26,500 for the RS. Then add in modifications. So far I am at $8400 in mods on the car. All of them power/drivetrain. NO suspension yet, no wheels, no tires etc. This would give the car a total of $34,900. This is cheap considering what I have seen in the past.
I am adding wheels (weight and looks), suspension and a few other minor things to the car. These will bring the build price up another $7,000, for a total of $41,900 spent.

I have to consider building the engine/head and adding a bigger turbo. Since you have to claim retail on these parts this adds yet another $7650 to the build. Now you are driving a $50,000 EVO. Doesn't take long does it?!

Here is my question to you all. As readers of magazines and the internet, as EVO owners, potential owners, parts buyers and potential parts buyers, what is it you want to see?

Here are the options as I see it.

#1. Full blown barely street legal car that could win the event? This means me building this car for an unlimited budget. If it takes me $50,000+ in mods to build it into the fastest race/street car I can then do it. Just make sure it wins.

#2. "Budget" built, street legal, very enjoyable to drive, great ride, great road manners do everything really well but nothing perfect. This type of car is what I see most of you guys building and most of you guys are buying these parts from us keeping our doors open and may I add striving.

I have to look at this from a businessman/car builder side. I think I need to look at this from that perspective even more than I need to look at it as a RACE. I am in business to sell parts that work. What I am wondering is do you guys think you'd be more likely to buy from a company that shows up with an unlimited budget built EVO and wins, which in turn would cost you $50,000+ to duplicate OR would you be more willing to buy from a company that shows up in a more budget built EVO and takes 2nd or 3rd place?

This is extremely important to me/us as a shop. I have looked forward to this chance for a very long time.

Please take your time and think about this before just clicking a choice as I am going to seriously consider the outcome of this poll before I make my final decision as to what I am going to do.

I want to show up with the budget built EVO and place as high as we can, I personally think this is the thing to do. I would buy MY parts for MY car from the shop that did that.

Let me know guys, I appreciate your time.

David Buschur
www.buschurracing.com

 

where is the poll?
(edit - now it appeared..)

Budget, shcmudget.... Go all out dude.... you have already proven #2 to all of us.. now its time to go nuts and blow all those other cars away!!!

good luck.

 

As a businessman I think you can accomplish both perspectives. buid the best you can do and go for the win. these are my reasons
1

1:buy winning you show the true potential of your work and what the Evo can do in the hands of the right person.

2:All your work was done in some kind of sequence and therefore can be done over time if your customers want to to the same. Ending up with the ultamite Evo 8

Now if you do the regular packages your customers do most but are there realy a lot of the same modded evos outhere I think most will have something different one part or another mening not everone is the same are a like.

congrats on the invite and tear them up.

 

Dave,

This is AWESOME. I wish you the best of luck as this is going to be fun for you and your company.

 

When it comes down to the best advertisement to your company, it will be what place you come in. The first thing that is always discussed is which car won. If you come in second to a 150k Cadilac, as 40 or 50k car would be great. No one would care all that much about the difference from 40 to 50k just how well you did in the competition( you would automatically be termed in the economical class by the cost, and your historical reputation as a excellent tunner that is well priced). Now, if you could spend 55-60k and take first, it would be priceless.

 

Forget budget. Like others said, you've already proved the business side to us, so why not go all out and prove the EVO's tuning capability to everyone else?

 

Nobody remembers second place. Ever.

 

Most important, who's driving? Need someone top notch to show the car's true potential.

Although I'm not a Buschur customer, I do look forward to your build-up and wish you the best of luck.

 

Forget budget, you need to show what a properly built/tuned EVO can do. Second place is the first loser! I think you should do whatever you think it will take to WIN! Good Luck.

 

I’m a longtime reader of C&D. Winning all out against blown Vipers and crews that flow parts in via private helicopter is very difficult. If I’m in your shoes I would go with the option that would benefit my business the most, option # 2. Take it for what it’s worth.

 

Your prodcuts have proven themselves. This will be your first C&D so do what you feel is right. I have yet to purchase parts from you but from customer feedback thats left from members on these boards, your products are admired and appreciated by many. Knowing this, in a month or so I will purchase your stage 4 kit because of quality and service you provide. You've proven your business so I say kick some a$$ and earn place. Future customer shortly...

Vision

 

I read about this event every year, and would love to see an EVO take the win. Go all out!

 

2nd Place is, 1st Looser...!

"Porch" wins alot of races and sells very few of the Race Cars....

 

hey dave, I think it would be best if you did eveything possible to win. I mean it's your money but if you go in there and just smoke everybody imagine what it will look like for buisness when a huge national magazine runs this headline "BUSCHUR EVO CONQUERS ALL". Either way you go I know your car is going to do very well. GOOD LUCK!

 

bump