James McAuley finally got his first dry laps in on the Vitour Tempesta P1s—and turned a simple shakedown into a serious step forward in performance.
New Setup, New Pace at Sydney Motorsport Park
After being invited to the Porsche Club of NSW Supersprint event, James brought his 1st-gen 86 out for its first dry outing on a new suspension setup and a fresh set of Vitour Tempesta P1s. Until then, the car had only seen wet conditions.
The goal was to get some test laps in and dial things in. Instead, he clocked a new personal best of 1:47.88—just over a tenth off the NA 86/BRZ lap record at Sydney Motorsport Park.
📽️ Watch the full lap on YouTube (April 23, 2025)
Strong Grip and Early Confidence
Even with fresh tires and a brand-new setup, the P1s came alive quickly and stayed consistent lap after lap. James noted a few spots where time was left on the table from pushing too hard—but grip never became an issue.
The car—and the tires—delivered a strong performance right out of the gate.
Build Overview
Here’s a breakdown of James’s setup for the test:
- Chassis: 1st-gen Toyota 86
- Engine: Naturally aspirated FA20 on E85
- Exhaust: PSR UEL headers
- Suspension: Shockworks coilovers
- Tires: Vitour Tempesta P1, 245/40/17
- Brakes: AP Racing front big brake kit
- Aero: Verus Engineering front splitter + Voltex rear wing
- Interior: Half cage by Ministry of Fabrication
Final Thoughts
This test session gave James the dry seat time he’d been waiting for—and the P1s delivered the pace and confidence to back it up. We’re excited to see what’s next as he continues dialing in the car and unlocking the full potential of the P1s!