I wanted to write this post by cataloging the work I’ve done to my car to set it up for AutoX in the best way possible (for me). This means:

• remaining in a class where the car is somewhat competitive
• not sacrificing too much daily comfort
• not breaking the bank

I am going to start by saying that all motorsports are pay to play. Cars aren’t cheap and neither is racing them. When you begin to try and squeeze more performance out of a car than it was designed for you are exposing yourself to risk and potential damage. But I’m sure that if you’re reading this you are aware of that. Finally, this is the setup that works for me. You may have different preferences or find something that works better for you and if so, congrats! This is what I have learned in my ~2 years of AutoX.

Okay, onto the mods:

• Whiteline Rear Sway Bar
• Holy Shift! Short Throw Shifter
• Ferodo Brake Pads
• 3″ Downpipe
• Stage 2 tune by EQT
• EuroSport Camber Puck Inserts
• Southbend Stage 3 Daily Clutch
• CTS Intercooler
• Bridgestone Re71rs Tires, 255/35R18

And that’s it. I think that all in this was sub $7k. Furthermore, this was not all at once. I did the sway bar first, then shifter, then the tune/clutch/downpipe, then the intercooler, then the camber pucks and finally tires. In hindsight, this was definitely not the best order.

The above mods place my car pretty comfortably into BST, or B Street Touring. Locally in Austin I am able to remain competitive with this setup.

Apart from the power gains of the tune, the three biggest upgrades I noticed were:

• Tires
• EuroSport Camber Pucks
• Rear Sway Bar

These 3 things significantly changes the handling characteristics of the car. I cannot overstate how much of a difference these changes make. The car was always fun to AutoX, but wow does this make a night and day difference. The car has much more lateral grip, is less prone to under steer, and is generally more predictable and fun to drive. Additionally, thanks to the increased grip up front and stiffer sway bar, lift-off oversteer is easier to initiate, manage, and repeat. This was a total game changer in getting the car to rotate that little extra bit more.

So, if you’re looking to get into AutoX (and you really should), here is what I would advise for those of you running Golf Rs.

If the car is stock and you don’t plan on modding it or dont want the hassle, run in BST and leave the car as is. If you find you enjoy the sport all you need to really push yourself is a set of 200tw tires and an extra set of wheels. This will provide tons of fun and keep the impact on the car (and your wallet) relatively low.

For those of you already tuned, here is my recommendation. The tune is going to put you into BST, so to make the most of it, you should do the following mods

• Camber pucks (or plates if you’re a big baller and don’t mind the NVH)
• 200tw tires
• Rear sway bar

That said, I ran without 200tw tires and camber pucks for over a year. It is definitely possible to remain competitive without these things, but you will be at a disadvantage.

At this point, you may be asking yourself “gee, this seems like a lot of work and money. How hard is this on the car”. Luckily, AutoX is the gentlest form of motorsport for your car. Track days, or even spirited canyon runs, will likely end up being harder on your car. Higher temps, brake fade, and tire wear are all worse in these other disciplines. This is not to say there is zero risk to AutoX’ing your car, but many people daily their AutoX car with no issues. (I know people track their dailies as well, but the running and repair costs are generally higher).

The beauty of AutoX is you can start wherever you and the car are at. Over time you can decide which direction you want to go and how you wish to modify the car.

However, the single most important mod you could ever make is going to be driver mod. Refining your skills, honing your craft, and becoming a better drive are always going to result in faster times than any mod to the car. A great driver in a bad car will almost always out pace a bad driver in a very capable car.

In summary, regardless of what you have done or plan on doing to your car, AutoX remains the most fun I have ever legally had in a car. If you are even the slightest bit curious, support your local club and join for an event. It is a great way to see what the grassroots motorsport really has to offer.