New to Tuning - Where to start?

All above are valid points. My recommendations for new tuners are:

  1. Start with a RWD in D class. The cars are slow and gentle enough to reveal it’s weakness as you start to push. Mazda Miata is an excellent vehicle.
  2. Choose a track where most of the testing/evaluation is going to be done. A short track is beneficial for this purpose so you can quickly evaluate the changes. I like Lime Rock because it is busy with many types of corners.
  3. Drive a lot in Rivals mode. Pick a rival that’s using the same car and climb the ladder, changing/updating your builds.
  4. Once you hit the limit of the build, then start tuning for that extra second or so.
  5. Softer = slower response but could gain little extra grip. Stiffer = faster response but at the expense of loss of little grip.

Too soft = unstable (feels like floating on water). Too stiff = unstable (skittish?!?, like an RC car)

In mid corner, if the car is balanced, the car should:

  1. Lift-off > the rear end tucks in (controlled slide), bleeds off speed, and helps the car to turn INTO the corner
  2. Neutral throttle > stays on course
  3. Little throttle > gentle understeer
  4. Generous throttle > controlled oversteer, i.e. rear end slides around in control which causes the car to turn INTO the corner

Objective is to carry as much speed as possible through the corners and over the bumps. Therefore the goal of tuning is to set-up the car in a way that will allow a driver to get on the throttle as early as possible and stay on it as long as possible.

If you are going to start using 650S, I’d recommend a build/tune that prioritizes good rear end grip. Making it to top 1% in Rivals is only the beginning.

Foot’s open sourced tunes. You’ll see a few trends in ideal settings and builds