My first RWD and turbo car

pcoltrane · 15 Sep 2011 at 15:34

DRZ said:
Sorry but I disagree with you here.

The mx-5 isn't exactly tail happy (compare reputation with my old mr2!) and yet the forums are full of n00bs that have left the road backwards. You basically never hear about this from most FWD hot-hatch types bar the odd few with strange suspension setups like the 306 which tended to be pretty oversteery thanks to the rear suspension setup.

RWD is a lot easier to get wrong, both in my experience from trying to provoke these things and also from looking around at how many powerful lightweight RWD cars end up broken due to oversteer...

But an Mx-5 isn't a VX220. If you were comparing the Mx-5 with a 182 I might agree with you.

Firestar_3x · 15 Sep 2011 at 15:37

pcoltrane said:
The ham fisted prune would probably crash either way The only difference being one car would be in the bus shelter forwards and the other backwards.

Don't agree, it's much easier to crash a light RWD car with no TCS or ESP in the wet than it is a FWD Golf which will have TCS and perhaps ESP.

Even taking these two driving aids out of the equasion in an emergency situation most people are going to let off the throttle, if the car is understeering then this is great sucess, in RWD it's not always the best thing to do.

I'm interested to read why the VX220 is magically different to anyother RWD car ever built, i've only ever driven a 2.2 in the dry so please enlighten me.

hurfdurf · 15 Sep 2011 at 15:40

pcoltrane said:
But an Mx-5 isn't a VX220. If you were comparing the Mx-5 with a 182 I might agree with you.

I am so confused

Firestar_3x said:
I'm interested to read why the VX220 is magically different to anyother RWD car ever built, i've only ever driven a 2.2 in the dry so please enlighten me.

Same

PiKe · 15 Sep 2011 at 15:45

hurfdurf said:
I am so confused

Same

Can only think that because of it's short wheelbase it's hard to catch it if the back end does come out?

Muncher · 15 Sep 2011 at 15:55

pcoltrane said:
I think you are underestimating how much easier controlling a lightweight, well balanced car like the VX is compared to your typical 1200kg+ RWD road car.
Powersliding a VX220 out of a corner within 30seconds of stepping the car comes completely naturally ... yet trying to do the same in most other RWD cars would be a heart in mouth moment.

Have you driven a VX or Elise? They really aren't setup for powersliding or drifting, even after 7 years of ownership I wouldn't try it on the road.

The speed at which things happen is immense, even when you are expecting it.

pcoltrane · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:00

Firestar_3x said:
Don't agree, it's much easier to crash a light RWD car with no TCS or ESP in the wet than it is a FWD Golf which will have TCS and perhaps ESP.

Even taking these two driving aids out of the equasion in an emergency situation most people are going to let off the throttle, if the car is understeering then this is great sucess, in RWD it's not always the best thing to do.

I'm interested to read why the VX220 is magically different to anyother RWD car ever built, i've only ever driven a 2.2 in the dry so please enlighten me.

It's not magic, it's the lighter weight and the work of the lotus chassis engineers.

I consider the Vx220 to be the best balanced, most forgiving road car I have driven period, by some margin. That's from a relatively long list of cars too.

This is what makes it easier to drive fast than most other performance cars, not which end of the car that is driven. Certainly I am of the opinion that the VX is no more difficult to drive fast than the OPs old 182 as was alluded to many times earlier in the thread.

A big deal is being made about it being RWD an therefore easy to throw at the scenery backwards. When a car gives you as good feedback as the Vx220 does, you get plenty of time to react if the car reaches it's limit, and if you do exceed the limit, it's easier to bring back. This isn't always the case in other cars. That doesn't of course mean it's impossible to crash - far from it! There are plenty of muppets out there who could crash anything!

pcoltrane · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:04

Muncher said:
Have you driven a VX or Elise? They really aren't setup for powersliding or drifting, even after 7 years of ownership I wouldn't try it on the road.

The speed at which things happen is immense, even when you are expecting it.

Yes I have driven a VX220 (N/A) on a track. I found it the easiest most progressive road car I have driven on the limits. The car always gave you plenty of time to react, and would happily sit with the tail out at big angles even at higher speed.
Powersliding or drifting isn't somethign I'd avocate on the road! Should it get away from you, I'd expect it to be more controllable than most other cars however.

Firestar_3x · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:07

So i've either got to take the word of someone who's used one quickly on a track or Muncher who is the biggest VX220 nut i know who's owned one for 7 years day in day out.

Hmm.

Rear and mid engine cars are notoriously perilous on the limits, this is due to the location of weight and the momentum which builds up once traction is lost, i just can't agree with your opinion.

pcoltrane · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:13

Firestar_3x said:
So i've either got to take the word of someone who's used one quickly on a track or Muncher who is the biggest VX220 nut i know who's owned one for 7 years day in day out.

Hmm.

Take your pick

Firestar_3x said:
Rear and mid engine cars are notoriously perilous on the limits, this is due to the location of weight and the momentum which builds up once traction is lost, i just can't agree with your opinion.

Have you driven one or are you generalising?

Firestar_3x · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:14

Yes a 2.2 N/A but only in the dry.

godinman · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:19

Awesome car OP

That colour and that amount of polishing makes the bottom half almost invisible in those pictures.

Simon · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:21

Wierd, I drive an S2000 and yet people seem to think the VX220 is some sort of handful?

The driver was at fault in that video, he was under power whilst going through a puddle - he should learn to look at the road rather than his mate's car in front

alchemistkevin · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:21

Nice motor and the right choice between house deposit & living once

Will Gill · 15 Sep 2011 at 16:32

yep the v5 will come in very handy for keeping the rain off your TV

Siliconslave · 15 Sep 2011 at 17:01

very nice, and a great colour - i love these in black!

L0rdMike · 15 Sep 2011 at 17:02

Have you hit the horn yet when cornering?

robj20 · 15 Sep 2011 at 17:04

Simon said:
Wierd, I drive an S2000 and yet people seem to think the VX220 is some sort of handful?

The driver was at fault in that video, he was under power whilst going through a puddle - he should learn to look at the road rather than his mate's car in front

Got to agree with you there, RWD takes a few different skills and certainly a different approach in the wet and cornering.

I have nearly lost it a few times round Trafford Park where the round abouts can get very slippy.

Siliconslave · 15 Sep 2011 at 17:04

L0rdMike said:
Have you hit the horn yet when cornering?

read that as...

L0rdMike said:
Have you had the horn yet when cornering?

dwarf · 15 Sep 2011 at 17:07

Firestar_3x said:
Rear and mid engine cars are notoriously perilous on the limits, this is due to the location of weight and the momentum which builds up once traction is lost, i just can't agree with your opinion.

Quoted for truth.

Hugely general statement:

Front engined RWD cars = Progressive oversteer. Easier to recover from and control.

Mid/rear engined RWD cars = Snap oversteer. Harder to recover from and control.

Muncher · 15 Sep 2011 at 17:14

dwarf said:
Quoted for truth.

Hugely general statement:

Front engined RWD cars = Progressive oversteer. Easier to recover from and control.

Mid/read engined RWD cars = Snap oversteer. Harder to recover from and control.

I'd agree with that.

It depends how the car is setup and how much of a rhythm you get into and whether they tyres are hot.

In my experience power through a corner won't lead to oversteer, but understeer.