Echo question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

ChiGz · 08-19-2005, 10:50 AM

Anyone track their echo yet? Just wondering how it does. I really need a good potential track car for my next car, and I am seriously considering the echo.

jlift · 08-19-2005, 04:52 PM

I don't own a bow and arrow or moccasins and can't read tire trails worth a darn. sorry.

EchoHoLiK · 08-19-2005, 06:00 PM

A good person to ask on TN is Wraith, since he has modded his Echo (sedan) to the point where it can hold its own in the twistie bits. I haven't done track with my hatchback, but I'm telling you right now right here that if you're looking for the best fun/bang for your dollars, the Echo (hatchback) is the best right now. And with aftermarket suspension upgrades or even coilovers, strut braces, anti-roll bars, sports tires and other engine upgrades, it WILL be one heck of a track car.

And just so you know that I'm not yanking your chain, here's some links about how much potential an Echo hatch has in terms of track racing, even when with its stock engine:

Toyota Echo Pirelli Cup - http://www.theracesite.com/index.cfm...e=pa&pa_id=392

A Vitz (Echo hatch in Japan) with a Blitz supercharger tuned by Yoshio - http://superstreetonline.com/feature...130_0310_vitz/

and here's a teaser pic of that supercharged Vitz (fucking sweet looking, even in pink!!):

Good luck with your decisions. Cheers,

EchoHoLiK

Wraith · 08-19-2005, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiGz

Anyone track their echo yet? Just wondering how it does. I really need a good potential track car for my next car, and I am seriously considering the echo.

Chigz;
I love my echo .. I've been playing with the suspension for alittle over 4 to 5years and took me that long to perfect it ... Its a monster on the tight touge ( canyon roads) and its a beast at the track if you push it hard enough and know how to drive the car... The echo is a very good tuning base for track racing... Its good around the corners but kinda unpowered on the straight away. But, that doesnt matter because all that disappear when the guy in front of you look in his rear view mirror and see you dive bombing him in the corners...

heres the thread when I got back from Willow Springs:
http://toyotanation.com/forum/t89167.html

I'll have more vids and in car vids when I get back from Willow springs on the 27th and 28th...

ChiGz · 08-20-2005, 01:15 AM

Thanks guys! Ya i'm not a huge fan of big power..im more of a light car..good handling kind of person. I love cornering. I was considering a miata, but its not exactly the best day to day driver. My s14 was pretty good in corners, but i would love to know what a lighter car would feel like..hense the echo. Hopefully i'll be grabbing one in the next few months, and will be joining u guys at shannonville next year for you guys that track...I'm sure even just coilovers will do wonders on that car...probably good enough to dust the majority of different cars in the corners..

Wraith · 08-20-2005, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiGz

Thanks guys! Ya i'm not a huge fan of big power..im more of a light car..good handling kind of person. I love cornering. I was considering a miata, but its not exactly the best day to day driver. My s14 was pretty good in corners, but i would love to know what a lighter car would feel like..hense the echo. Hopefully i'll be grabbing one in the next few months, and will be joining u guys at shannonville next year for you guys that track...I'm sure even just coilovers will do wonders on that car...probably good enough to dust the majority of different cars in the corners..

Coilovers and some frame braces... Suspension wise, my echo is the most complete here in North America... I dont or havent seen another echo coupe, sedan or hatchback that has all the suspension pieces yet...

ChiGz · 08-22-2005, 02:51 PM

Woiw...Wraith..i just read all the links..thats some crazy shit done to your echo..lol..hopefully i'll be joining you in due time..its all abour the corners..

..

EchoHoLiK · 08-23-2005, 01:28 PM

^^^ from reading the other thread's post about your likes for the 5dr version, IMHO I'd still op for the 3dr if you're gonna track the car. Regardless of the extra convenience or your prefered styling of the 5dr, it's just common sense that the extra doors will be heavier, less structural stiffness than the 3dr, and perhaps more things to break which would cost more to fix, even though the differences might be negligible.

At the end of the day the choice is yours. I'm just stating the obvious that one might fail to realize. Cheers.

ChiGz · 08-23-2005, 01:53 PM

In regards to the weight, according tot he toyota website, the 4 door is only a few pounds heavier then the two door. Chassis wise, im not entirely sure how much more stiff a 3 door would be compared to a 5 door. But im sure certain things like strut bars would do the job. Costs wise, well I mean if you crash then you crash. You dont exactly consider something like this when people usually try and build a street/track car. If so, why get more expensive cars then? Why track audi's, bmw, etc. I dont think there is a huge difference between replacing a quater pannel compared to a door, but then again i have not looked up prices on that.

I appreciate your comments, but I am not only building a complete track car. On the other hand, I am looking for a good day to day car, with good track potential. Therefore the convience of the 5 door would be to a greater advantage to me on the day to day uses, other then a little improvement in handling on the track with a 3 door.

EchoHoLiK · 08-23-2005, 04:03 PM

^^^ hey, that's legit enough of reasons to get the 5dr. I'm just stating the obvious, please understand that I'm in no way implying that you're ignorant about the implications or what not

There're reasons why Toyota only made the Vitz RS Turbo in 3dr versions only, and structural integrity would definitely be one of them. Unless installing a roll-cage is part of the plan, the 5dr will definitely flex more than 3dr regardless of strut braces. That's why you don't see true sports cars with 4 doors (RX-8 isn't really a true sports car but they pulled it off nicely, LanEVO and Imprezas are just cramped sedans with huge doses of steroid which works, but not true sports cars). But I totally understand the convenience of 5dr, and heck the EchoHatch is far from a sports car to begin with. The potential is there, however.

Good luck with your future decisions

Wraith · 08-23-2005, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EchoHoLiK

^^^ hey, that's legit enough of reasons to get the 5dr. I'm just stating the obvious, please understand that I'm in no way implying that you're ignorant about the implications or what not

There're reasons why Toyota only made the Vitz RS Turbo in 3dr versions only, and structural integrity would definitely be one of them. Unless installing a roll-cage is part of the plan, the 5dr will definitely flex more than 3dr regardless of strut braces. That's why you don't see true sports cars with 4 doors (RX-8 isn't really a true sports car but they pulled it off nicely, LanEVO and Imprezas are just cramped sedans with huge doses of steroid which works, but not true sports cars). But I totally understand the convenience of 5dr, and heck the EchoHatch is far from a sports car to begin with. The potential is there, however.

Good luck with your future decisions

actually the 3dr hatch back is heavier than my sedan ...

EchoHoLiK · 08-23-2005, 04:25 PM

^^^ yeah, why is that??? I've been told that the sedan is lighter than the hatch, but where the hell did the weight go?? Unless the trunk area is made of paper-mache

echo_hrs · 08-23-2005, 09:07 PM

The Canadian Hatch had to have reinforcement in the bumpers as well as the rear suspension revised to meet our crash standards, which added weight...

Wraith · 08-23-2005, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EchoHoLiK

^^^ yeah, why is that??? I've been told that the sedan is lighter than the hatch, but where the hell did the weight go?? Unless the trunk area is made of paper-mache

um why do you think the AE86 HatchBack is heavier that the coupe ??? Its because of the hatchback thats where all the weights at ...

EchoHoLiK · 08-23-2005, 11:28 PM

^^^ umm so who do I believe?? Wraith or echo_hrs???

j/king

Both made sense. Just kinda skeptical that the hatch weighs more than the sedan's trunk and (extra) rear quarter panels combined. And FYI I don't know that the AE86 hatchback version's heavier than the coupe, but does that mean the hatchback version of most other cars is typically heavier than the coupe/sedan equivalent? Just wanna learn more.

And just a personal note (flame-suit on ready for possible attacks), I understand the main preference for the 4 doors is usually the extra convenience (which is fully justified), but to say that the 4 doors (design or styling wise) is more pretty/beautiful compared to the 2 doors, while subjectivity is kept in mind and individual opinions are fully entitled, IMHO it's kinda like some people that said the film Terminator (one) is the better sequel compared to T2. It'd certainly be somewhat "acquired" taste, but wouldn't fall in the majority. Please don't be offended, hope you guys know what I mean.