mazda iRacing Global MX5 Cup Vehicle User Manual
- August 20, 2024
- MAZDA
Table of Contents
iRacing Global MX5 Cup Vehicle
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Specifications
-
Chassis: Double-wishbone front, multi-link
rear suspension -
Length: 3911 mm (153.9 in)
-
Width: 1727 mm (68 in)
-
Wheelbase: 2311 mm (91 in)
-
Dry Weight: 975 kg (2150 lbs)
-
Wet Weight with Driver: 1008 kg (2224
lbs) -
Power Unit: SKYACTIV-G 16-valve 4
cylinder -
Displacement: 2.0 Liters (244.1 cid)
-
Torque: 151 lb-ft (204 Nm)
-
Power: 181 bhp (135 kW)
-
RPM Limit: 7500
Product Usage Instructions
Getting Started
The Mazda MX-5 requires the clutch to be depressed prior to
engaging the engine starter for safety reasons. Follow these steps
to start the car:
-
If using Manual Clutch, ensure the clutch is fully depressed
when starting the car. -
If using Auto Clutch or a shifting aid, start the engine like
any other car. -
Select the upshift button to put the car into gear and slowly
release the clutch if using Manual Clutch.
Transmission
The car uses a sequential transmission:
-
No clutch input is required to shift.
-
Downshifting is restricted if engine damage is imminent due to
high speed. -
Upshift when shift lights on the dashboard are flashing at 7400
RPM; rev limiter activates at 7500 RPM.
Loading an iRacing Setup
To load an iRacing setup:
-
Upon entering a session, the car will load the iRacing Baseline
setup automatically. -
If desired, choose from iRacing’s pre-built setups under Garage
iRacing Setups.
-
To customize a setup, make changes in the garage and click
apply; save changes by clicking Save As. -
Access personally saved setups by clicking My Setups in the
garage. -
To share or receive setups, use the Share and Shared Setups
options on the right side of the garage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How do I know when to upshift in the Mazda MX-5 Cup?
A: Upshift when the shift lights on the dashboard are flashing
at 7400 RPM. The rev limiter will activate at 7500 RPM.
Q: Can I customize and save my setup in iRacing?
A: Yes, you can customize your setup in the garage and save
changes by clicking Save As. Your saved setups can be accessed
under My Setups.
“`
USER MANUAL GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CLICK TO VIEW A SECTION
GENER AL INFORM AT ION
A Message From iRacing »
3
Tech Specs »
4
Introduction »
5
Getting Started »
5
Loading An iRacing Setup »
6
Dash Pages »
7
ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS
Suspension »
9
Tire »
9
Front »
9
Front Corners »
11
Left / Right Rear »
13
Rear »
14
GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | USER MANUAL
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DEAR iRACING USER, Congratulations on your purchase of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
(992) From all of us at iRacing, we appreciate yoursupport and your commitment
to our product. We aim to deliver the ultimate sim racing experience, and we
hope that you’ll find plenty of excitement with us behind the wheel of your
new car! The following guide explains how to get the most out of your new car,
from how to adjust its settings off of the track to what you’ll see inside of
the cockpit while driving. We hope that you’ll find it useful in getting up to
speed. Thanks again for your purchase, and we’ll see you on the track!
3
GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | TECH SPECS
CHASSIS
DOUBLE-WISHBONE FRONT, MULTI-LINK REAR SUSPENSION
LENGTH
3911 mm
153.9 in
WIDTH
1727 mm
68 in
WHEELBASE
2311 mm
91 in
DRY WEIGHT
975 kg
2150 lbs
WET WEIGHT
WITH DRIVER
1008 kg
2224 lbs
POWER UNIT
SKYACTIV-G 16-VALVE 4 CYLINDER
DISPLACEMENT
2.0 Liters
244.1 cid
TORQUE
151 lb-ft
204 Nm
POWER
181 bhp
135 kW
RPM LIMIT
7500
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The information found in this guide is intended to provide a deeper
understanding of the chassis setup adjustments available in the garage, so
that you may use the garage to tune the chassis setup to your preference.
Before diving into chassis adjustments, though, it is best to become familiar with the car and track. To that end, we have provided baseline setups for each track commonly raced by these cars. To access the baseline setups, simply open the Garage, click iRacing Setups, and select the appropriate setup for your track of choice. If you are driving a track for which a dedicated baseline setup is not included, you may select a setup for a similar track to use as your baseline. After you have selected an appropriate setup, get on track
and focus on making smooth and consistent laps, identifying the proper racing
line and experiencing tire wear and handling trends over a number of laps.
Once you are confident that you are nearing your driving potential with the
included baseline setups, read on to begin tuning the car to your handling
preferences.
GETTING STARTED
The Mazda MX-5 requires the clutch to be depressed prior to engaging the
engine starter for safety reasons. If you are using the Manual Clutch setting,
be sure to have the clutch fully depressed when starting the car or the
starter will not turn on. If you are using Auto Clutch or a shifting aid, you
can start the engine like any other car.
Once the engine is started, leaving the pits is as easy as selecting the
“upshift” button to put it into gear, and hitting the accelerator pedal while
slowly releasing the clutch if using Manual Clutch.
This car uses a sequential transmission and does not require a clutch input to
shift in either direction. However the car’s downshift protection will not
allow you to downshift if it feels you are traveling too fast for the gear
selected and would incur engine damage. If that is the case, the gear change
command will simply be ignored.
Upshifting is recommended when the shift lights on the dashboard are flashing.
This occurs at 7400 RPM, the rev limiter kicks in at 7500 RPM.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | INTRODUCTION
LOADING AN iRACING SETUP
Upon loading into a session, the car will automatically load the iRacing
Baseline setup “baseline.sto”. If you would prefer one of iRacing’s pre-built
setups that suit various conditions, you may load it by clicking Garage >
iRacing Setups > and then selecting the setup to suit your needs.
If you would like to customize the setup, simply make the changes in the
garage that you would like to update and click apply. If you would like to
save your setup for future use click “Save As” on the right to name and save
the changes.
To access all of your personally saved setups, click “My Setups” on the right
side of the garage.
If you would like to share a setup with another driver or everyone in a
session, you can select “Share” on the right side of the garage to do so.
If a driver is trying to share a setup with you, you will find it under
“Shared Setups” on the right side of the garage as well.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | DASH PAGES
DASH CONFIGURATION
The dash display in this car is non-adjustable and features a single page to
display critical vehicle information.
Six numbered status indicator lights are featured in the top left and top right of the dash within the outer frame. Each light displays a different condition, with the light’s color representing a different level of each condition:
Engine Warning – Will illuminate in red if a serious engine
problem is present, usually paired with a message on the
main display.
Water Temperature – Flashes blue whenever the engine
cooling water is overheated
Fuel Level – Displays fuel level in three stages based on
percent of a full tank: Green: More than 25% of fuel level remaining Yellow: Less than 25%, but more than 15%
Red (Flashing): Less than 15% remaining
Inoperable
Inoperable
Pit Limiter – Flashes yellow when pit speed limiter is on.
NOTE: Pit speed limiter is only available in 1st gear.
The Global MX-5 is equipped with an AiM MXL2 Digital Dash to show the driver all vital information in an easy-to-read display.
·
RPM Band – Displays engineer RPM by filling-in segments
around the top of the display. Every line is 1000 RPM.
·
Speed – Vehicle speed is shown in the center of the display
just underneath the “7” on the RPM Band.
·
Gear – The currently selected gear is on the right of
the RPM band
·
H20T – Water Temperature in the engine cooling system
·
GPS: Good – GPS Connection status
·
Lap – Displays the number of laps completed.
This does not reset to zero when returning to the garage.
·
Lap Time – The previously completed lap time is displayed
in the center bottom of the display.
·
Engine Warning Box – Should a serious issue develop with
the engine, a boxed message will appear on the right side
of the display.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | DASH PAGES
PIT LIMITER
When the pit limiter is active the yellow light beside the 6 will flash. The
right side of the dash will also be changed to only display “Pit Speed” The
pit limiter is only available in 1st gear, shifting up will deactivate it.
SHIFT LIGHTS
The dash lights illuminate in pairs, meeting in the middle and then flash when the car should be shifted.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS
ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS
This section is aimed toward more advanced users who want to dive deeper into
the different aspects of the vehicle’s setup. Making adjustments to the
following parameters is not required and can lead to significant changes in
the way a vehicle handles. It is recommended that any adjustments are made in
an incremental fashion and only singular variables are adjusted before testing
changes.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | TIRES & AERO
SUSPENSION
TIRE
TIRE COMPOUND Selects which type of tire is installed on the car when loaded
into the world. Dry, or slick, tires are used for dry racing conditions while
Wet tires are intended for raining and wet track conditions.
FRONT
TOE-IN
Toe is the angle of the wheels relative to the chassis centerline when viewed
from above. Negative toe-in sets the front of the tires farther from the
centerline than the rear of the tires while positive toe-in sets the front of
the tires closer to the centerline than the rear of the tires. Toe-out will
destabilize the car in a straight line but this will increase turn-in response
at the cost of increased tire temperature and wear. Reducing toe-out (and even
running toe-in) will stabilize the car in a straight line and reduce
temperature and wear, but could make the car sluggish in response to steering
inputs.
ANTI-ROLL BAR
The front Anti-Roll Bar can be set to one of three settings to change the roll
stiffness of the front suspension. Softer settings will reduce front
suspension roll stiffness, reducing understeer but slightly reducing the front
end’s responsiveness to quick steering inputs. Firmer settings will increase
the front suspension roll stiffness, increasing understeer and steering
response.
CROSS WEIGHT
The percentage of total vehicle weight in the garage acting across the right
front and left rear corners. 50.0% is generally optimal for non-oval tracks as
this will produce symmetrical handling in both left and right hand corners
providing all other chassis settings are symmetrical. Higher than 50% cross
weight will result in more understeer in left hand corners and increased
oversteer in right hand corners, cross weight can be adjusted by making
changes to the spring perch offsets at each corner of the car. When adjusting
cross weight, be sure to adjust the perch offsets in pairs (both fronts, LR+RF
or RR+LF, all four) to avoid dramatically altering the ride heights. Changing
ride heights will alter the suspension dynamics on its own, which could mask
or conflict with the desired crossweight adjustment.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
FRONT CORNERS
COLD AIR PRESSURE
Air pressure in the tire when the car is loaded into the world. Higher
pressures will reduce rolling drag and heat buildup, but will decrease grip.
Lower pressures will increase rolling drag and heat buildup, but will increase
grip. Higher speeds and loads require higher pressures, while lower speeds and
loads will see better performance from lower pressures. Cold pressures should
be set to track characteristics for optimum performance. Generally speaking,
it is advisable to start at lower pressures and work your way upwards as
required.
LAST HOT PRESSURE
Air pressure in the tire after the car has returned to the pits. The
difference between cold and hot pressures can be used to identify how the car
is progressing through a run in terms of balance, with heavier-loaded tires
seeing a larger difference between cold and hot pressures. Ideally, tires that
are worked in a similar way should build pressure at the same rate to prevent
a change in handling balance over the life of the tire, so cold pressures
should be adjusted to ensure that similar tires are at similar pressures once
up to operating temperature. Hot pressures should be analyzed once the tires
have stabilized after a period of laps. As the number of laps per run will
vary depending upon track length a good starting point is approximately 50% of
a full fuel run or race length, whichever is more appropriate for the event.
LAST TEMPS O M I (TIRE TEMPERATURES)
Tire carcass temperatures once the car has returned to the pits. Wheel Loads
and the amount of work a tire is doing on-track are reflected in the tire’s
temperature, and these values can be used to analyze the car’s handling
balance. Center temperatures are useful for directly comparing the work done
by each tire, while the Inner and Outer temperatures are useful for analyzing
the wheel alignment (predominantly camber) while on track. These values are
measured in three zones across the tread of the tire. Inside, Middle and
Outer.
TREAD REMAINING
The amount of tread remaining on the tire once the car has returned to the
pits. Tire wear is very helpful in identifying any possible issues with
alignment, such as one side of the tire wearing excessively, and can be used
in conjunction with tire temperatures to analyze the car’s handling balance.
These values are measured in the same zones as those of temperature.
CORNER WEIGHT
The weight underneath each tire under static conditions in the garage. Correct
weight placement around the car is crucial for optimizing a car for a given
track and conditions. Individual wheel weight adjustments and crossweight
adjustments are made via the spring perch offset adjustments at each corner.
FRONT RIDE HEIGHT
Distance from ground to a reference point on the chassis just behind the front
wheels. Since these values are measured to a specific reference point on the
car, these values may not necessarily reflect the vehicle’s ground clearance,
but instead provide a reliable value for the height of the car off of the race
track at static values. Adjusting Ride Heights is key for optimum performance,
as they can directly influence the vehicle’s mechanical grip when cornering
and responsiveness. Increasing front ride height will allow for more weight
transfer across the front axle when cornering, usually reducing understeer but
sometimes reducing front-end responsiveness. Conversely, reducing ride height
will reduce the weight transfer across the front axle, which can induce
understeer but usually provides a more responsive feel to the driver.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
SPRING PERCH OFFSET
Used to adjust the ride height at the corner of the car by changing the static
preload on the spring. Increasing the spring perch offset will result in
lowering the corner of the car and reducing the corner weight, while reducing
the spring perch offset will raise the corner of the car and increase the
corner weight (along with changes to the other three corner weights). These
changes should be kept symmetrical across the axle (left to right) to ensure
the same corner ride heights and no change in cross weight. The spring perch
offsets can also be used in diagonal pairs (LF to RR and RF to LR) to change
the static cross weight in the car.
COMPRESSION DAMPING
The compression damping setting is a paired adjustment controlling both the
low and high speed damping characteristics of the damper. For the MX-5, “0” is
the minimum damping setting (least resistance to compression) while “+11” is
maximum damping (most resistance to compression). Increasing the compression
damping will result in a faster transfer of weight to the wheel during
transient movements such as braking and direction change with increased
damping usually providing an increase in turn-in response but a reduction in
overall grip. High speed compression damping will increase proportionally to
the increase in low speed compression damping which will also result in
harsher response to kerb strikes. At smoother tracks more compression damping
will typically increase performance while at rougher tracks or ones with
aggressive kerbs less compression damping can result in an increase in
mechanical grip at the expense of platform control.
REBOUND DAMPING
The Rebound damping setting is a paired adjustment to both low and high speed
rebound damping characteristics. Increasing rebound damping will slow down the
rate at which the damper extends in both low and high speed situations. A
typical low damper speed situation would be as the car rolls back to level on
a corner exit while a high speed situation would be where the suspension is
extending after large kerb contact. Setting “0” is minimum damping (least
resistance to extension) while “+11” is maximum damping (most resistance to
extension). While high rebound stiffness will result in improved chassis
response it is important to avoid situations where the shock is too slow in
rebound (set to high) as this will result in the tire losing complete contact
with the track surface which can induce or exacerbate severe oscillations.
CAMBER
Camber is the vertical angle of the wheel relative to the center of the
chassis. Negative camber is when the top of the wheel is closer to the chassis
centerline than the bottom of the wheel, positive camber is when the top of
the tire is farther out than the bottom. Due to suspension geometry and corner
loads, negative camber is desired on all four wheels. Higher negative camber
values will increase the cornering force generated by the tire, but will
reduce the amount of longitudinal grip the tire will have under braking.
Excessive camber values can produce very high cornering forces but will also
significantly reduce tire life, so it is important to find a balance between
life and performance. Increasing front camber values will typically result in
increased front axle grip during mid to high speed cornering but will result
in a loss of braking performance and necessitate a rearward shift in brake
bias to compensate.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
LEFT / RIGHT REAR
REAR RIDE HEIGHT
Distance from ground to a reference point on the rear of the chassis just in
front of the rear wheels. Increasing rear ride height will allow for more
weight transfer across the rear axle when cornering, typically inducing
oversteer. Conversely, reducing ride height will reduce weight transfer across
the rear axle, typically inducing understeer.
COMPRESSION DAMPING
The compression damping setting is a paired adjustment controlling both the
low and high speed damping characteristics of the damper with identical ranges
to those of the front dampers. Increasing the compression damping will result
in a faster transfer of weight to the wheel during transient movements such as
accelerating and direction change with increased damping usually providing an
increase in response but a reduction in overall grip. Excessively stiff
compression damping can cause very poor traction on rough tracks as it can
result in large tire load variation and a reduction in overall grip.
REBOUND DAMPING
The rebound damping setting is a paired adjustment controlling both the low
and high speed damping characteristics of the damper with identical ranges to
those of the front dampers. Increasing rebound damping will slow down the rate
at which the damper extends in
both low and high speed situations. As at the front, high rebound stiffness
will result in improved platform control and better overall chassis response
but it is important to avoid situations where the shock is too slow in rebound
(set too high) as this will result in the tire losing complete contact with
the track surface. This can be particularly detrimental during braking events
and during the initial turn-in phase, though an increase in rebound stiffness
can help to `slow down’ the change in pitch of the car as the brakes are
applied, potentially increasing braking stability.
CAMBER
Camber is the vertical angle of the wheel relative to the center of the
chassis. Negative camber is when the top of the wheel is closer to the chassis
centerline than the bottom of the wheel, positive camber is when the top of
the tire is farther out than the bottom. Due to suspension geometry and corner
loads, negative camber is desired on all four wheels. Similar to the front of
the car it is desirable to run significant amounts of negative camber in order
to increase the lateral grip capability; however it is typical to run slightly
reduced rear camber relative to the front. This is primarily because rear
tires must also perform the duty of driving the car forwards where benefits of
camber to lateral grip become a tradeoff against reduced longitudinal
(traction) performance.
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GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP | ADVANCED SETUP OPTIONS | CHASSIS
REAR
FUEL LEVEL
The amount of fuel in the fuel tank.
TOE-IN
Toe is the angle of the wheels, when viewed from above, relative to the
centerline of the chassis. Toe-in is when the front of the wheels are closer
to the centerline than the rear of the wheels, and Toeout is the opposite. At
the rear of the car it is typical to run toe-in. Increases in toe-in will
result in improved straight line stability and a reduction in response during
direction changes. Large values of toe-in should be avoided if possible as
this will increase rolling drag and reduce straight line speeds.
ANTI-ROLL BAR
The rear Anti-Roll Bar can be run one of two ways: “OEM” and “Unhooked”. When
“OEM” is selected, the stock rear Anti-Roll Bar is attached, increasing rear
suspension stiffness and inducing oversteer while cornering. When “Unhooked”
is selected, the rear Anti-Roll Bar is detached, dramatically reducing rear
roll stiffness, which will induce understeer.
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