Don
very very well, never driven such a car which inspire's confidence due to it's high level's of grip. Just is very very planted
How does you car handle? Your honest opinion.
- Thread starter Styles
- Start date
Interesting how many people automatically associate handling with grip.
Mechanical grip is a measure of where a car will start to breakaway and is NOT a measure of handling ability.
Handling is all about what happens to the car when it starts to get close to the limit, it's ability to deal with rapidly changing roads and also road surfaces.
For example, it's possible to stuff really wide high quality tyres on say a Renault 5GTT and have plenty of grip on a dry smooth surface. The problem is that the car may not have any compliance for poor surfaces and may still suffer from understeer on the limit and lots of torque steer.
As for my MX5, well it doesn't have that much grip (only has 185s), but it has a low centre of gravity, doesn't roll much, plenty of compliance (not sports suspension), is nimble and very predictable.
Mechanical grip is a measure of where a car will start to breakaway and is NOT a measure of handling ability.
Handling is all about what happens to the car when it starts to get close to the limit, it's ability to deal with rapidly changing roads and also road surfaces.
For example, it's possible to stuff really wide high quality tyres on say a Renault 5GTT and have plenty of grip on a dry smooth surface. The problem is that the car may not have any compliance for poor surfaces and may still suffer from understeer on the limit and lots of torque steer.
As for my MX5, well it doesn't have that much grip (only has 185s), but it has a low centre of gravity, doesn't roll much, plenty of compliance (not sports suspension), is nimble and very predictable.
Associate
Bit too much roll on my Bora V5 for aggressive driving 
Awesome TBH. Bugger all to do with the grip IMO, more to do with the fact that the ITR tells you everything about where the limits are and how far you can push them via steering wheel and backside feel 
Something I have yet to find in any other car I have driven, most others seem to disjoint you from that sense IMO. Will need to find something special to replace her should the day come.
Something I have yet to find in any other car I have driven, most others seem to disjoint you from that sense IMO. Will need to find something special to replace her should the day come.
The Shuv is great. Sorted geometry and a well located axle means that if you push it, the back steps out slightly and then just sits there...lift off and it pulls back in...floor it and it just steps out a bit more.
I have to REALLY provoke it in the wet to spin it.
It will turn on a sixpence and once I get the Koni dampers on the rear it should quell the tendancy to step out slightly when accelerating (one of the stock dampers sticks a bit).
*n
I have to REALLY provoke it in the wet to spin it.
It will turn on a sixpence and once I get the Koni dampers on the rear it should quell the tendancy to step out slightly when accelerating (one of the stock dampers sticks a bit).
*n
Man of Honour
Mr_Sukebe said:
Indeed - yet you could be mistaken into believe it does have lots of grip owing to the dynamics of the car.
I hear what you're saying, to elaborate...Mr_Sukebe said:
As I said, mine is very nose heavy (FWD diesel) and understeers hugely if you push it. When cornering on the limit, lifting off even slightly is a very very bad idea, as the back end gets very skittish. This happened on what was probably my scariest moment on the 'ring.
Basically, you cane it through Flugplatz, topping 100mph by the time you come to the fairly quick left-hander at Schwedenkreuz, which requires a firm dab of the brakes to shed some speed. On one lap I came into this bend far too quickly, and the car started to understeer wide. If I'd kept my foot in or even balanced the throttle I'd have run out of tarmac and been onto the grass and shortly thereafter, the armco, so I had no choice but to lift off to shed some speed. At this point the weight transfer caused the back end to go very light and twitchy and I had to tiptoe around the corner, with the car feeling like it would spin off at any moment. I only just made it round.
Simon said:
You know, I'll probably get flamed for this... but saying my car has got the standard 15" wheels with crap tyres and standard suspension, it has suprised the hell out of me so many times!
In the dry it just grips and grips and grips. Not once have I ever had tyre squeal or loss of traction.
I was on my way home from my mums tonight, and joined a dual carriageway leading to a roundabout which then joins the motorway. Lucky for me, the lights were on green at each junction and I just kept my foot down.
Tight corners, and then a pretty sharp turn in the opposite direction... all of this at 50+ mph... I ******* love this car!
In the wet however... well, let's just say I take it very easy going round bends.
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LMAO, I knew that was coming! I always thought I pushed the car pretty hard. Maybe I'm not pushing it to its absolute limit, but I don't have the balls (is that swearing?) to do that. When I do push it though, I don't hang around. (No 1.4 jokes either... it's not that bad)
But I'm being absolutely serious! This car just keeps me grinning!
But I'm being absolutely serious! This car just keeps me grinning!
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
I used to think my Xantia handled well until I actually drove something else. I suspect you are having the same issue here agw. The Rover 214 is NOT a good handling car as standard, well if my mates is anything to go by. It was bodyroll central but not as bad as the Xantia 
Were you a passenger in the 214 Fox?
The 214 does have quite a bit of bodyroll, but the grip is somewhat impressive.
I can get videos if needed
Oh, I know what you mean about thinking the grip is good until you drive something else. At the last Manc Meet, I had several passenger rides. Gilly's Clio and thebrasso's Civic were very very impressive! Eagle F1's F.TW!
The 214 does have quite a bit of bodyroll, but the grip is somewhat impressive.
I can get videos if needed
Oh, I know what you mean about thinking the grip is good until you drive something else. At the last Manc Meet, I had several passenger rides. Gilly's Clio and thebrasso's Civic were very very impressive! Eagle F1's F.TW!
Soldato
BMW 328 coupe - Handles far better than a car half its size. Much better than the megane I had and when you find the limit you can go a bit over and the car helps you get it back.
I have gone round corners at completely insane speeds and also learned to drift in my car because it feels really safe. Touch wood as badly as I've driven, even in snow, the car hasn't ended up 180 degrees to where I was going. Thats more to do with the car than driver skill.
Oh and I drove my mums old shape 214 rover and oh my god, you people who have one must either drive at 10mph or be driving gods to cope with it. She only had it 3 months thankfully.
I have gone round corners at completely insane speeds and also learned to drift in my car because it feels really safe. Touch wood as badly as I've driven, even in snow, the car hasn't ended up 180 degrees to where I was going. Thats more to do with the car than driver skill.
Oh and I drove my mums old shape 214 rover and oh my god, you people who have one must either drive at 10mph or be driving gods to cope with it. She only had it 3 months thankfully.
agw_01 said:You should try driving one then. Bit pointless saying the handling is crap when you've only been in one as a passenger
If a car navigating a roundabout at about 25mph feels like it's on the ragged edge and is about to tip over from the passenger seat, I doubt that from the driving seat it feels like a handling god and perfectly balanced.
K reg 1.8 na diesel ford escort - handles like a brick, to get any kind of enjoyment/satisfaction out of driving it is like pulling teeth, though I do appreciate the finer points of the double de clutch, it's really just a way to get from one place to another, without getting too wet or cold