Tarmac, roundabouts and lesson learnt!
06-03-2007 | 12:18 AM
#31
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Was thinking that a day on a skid pan may be a good place to learn what the car can and can't do without the risk of damaging it or me!!
Any recommendations where you can actually use your own car? (preferably south or midlands)
Any recommendations where you can actually use your own car? (preferably south or midlands)
06-03-2007 | 01:27 AM
#32
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From: Lincolnshire Wolds
Originally Posted by Nick Graves,Jun 1 2007, 07:54 PM
Why DO EU roads appear to have smart, grippy wearing courses, whereas ours are tar patches & glass beads, with a soupcon of gravel?
Have you been on an Autobahn in rain? Its standing water and spray territory. ANY car is like a duck on snot and everyone slows down.
06-04-2007 | 06:09 AM
#33
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Originally Posted by joshua1,Jun 3 2007, 09:18 AM
Was thinking that a day on a skid pan may be a good place to learn what the car can and can't do without the risk of damaging it or me!!
Any recommendations where you can actually use your own car? (preferably south or midlands)
Any recommendations where you can actually use your own car? (preferably south or midlands)
This was hellishly difficult, drive onto the wet/low grip tarmac at around 15-20mph in 2nd, turn in, blip the throttle (to knock the back out) and then try and catch the slide.
I must have been on there for 50 minutes and didn't manage to catch it once, looking back I wish there had been a little more to the instruction, or possibly use of the kick plates as I was tentative to get the back out and by the time I'd plucked up enough courage to do that it was too late to catch the slide.
There's some posts on here about peoples' experiences, even the instructors had trouble "holding" a drift in the various S's.
06-04-2007 | 06:43 AM
#34
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Heart of England
Originally Posted by Heinz '57,Jun 3 2007, 09:27 AM
Have you been on an Autobahn in rain? Its standing water and spray territory. ANY car is like a duck on snot and everyone slows down.
I had a moment in 3rd on a French motorway last week. Too much right foot 
There's some posts on here about peoples' experiences, even the instructors had trouble "holding" a drift in the various S's.
06-04-2007 | 06:55 AM
#35
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From: Leeds
Originally Posted by Dembo,Jun 1 2007, 09:38 PM
Of course it's about driving skill. Knowing your car and what it's like is part of driving skill.
The thing with the S is that it's so responsive. Everything you do has an immediate effect, and if you're used to driving a big sloppy family car your reactions probably aren't sharp enough to deal with it. Add on the weight distribution, the wide tyres, and the LSD, and it's a lot worse than what most are used to.
On the plus side, there's bugger all torque so it actually takes quite a lot to get it to the point where there's a problem. And with the weight being front and rear, unlike a mid engined car, it spins relatively slowly so gives you more time to react.
But it's true that in heavy rain, I'd rather drive my Primera.
The thing with the S is that it's so responsive. Everything you do has an immediate effect, and if you're used to driving a big sloppy family car your reactions probably aren't sharp enough to deal with it. Add on the weight distribution, the wide tyres, and the LSD, and it's a lot worse than what most are used to.
On the plus side, there's bugger all torque so it actually takes quite a lot to get it to the point where there's a problem. And with the weight being front and rear, unlike a mid engined car, it spins relatively slowly so gives you more time to react.
But it's true that in heavy rain, I'd rather drive my Primera.
S02's are better, comparitavely, for dry weather driving although that's been debabated to death already.
The trick to wet weather handiling in the S is to see what the car does up to, and over the limit.
Easyest way to do that is to get yourself along to a track day or airfied day(less things to hit when you lose it)
Practice in a safe environment for a bit then it becomes second nature when you're on the road!
Oh........ S02's do work well in the wet when balenced
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