My first RWD and turbo car

Muncher said:
In my experience power through a corner won't lead to oversteer, but understeer.
Click to expand...

This is my experience.

Too much speed into a corner leads to a 4 wheel drift style of over steer. (Not sure if there is a name for it?)

Loss of traction on the rear (too much power) and the rear steps out very quickly. If you are quick at catching it, the back end tends to step out the other way with a pendulum effect.

L0rdMike said:
Have you hit the horn yet when cornering?
Click to expand...

You'll probably do that a few times early on. I've not done it for a while now, must have adjusted my hand position or something.
 
Muncher said:
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.
Click to expand...

I personally find understeer in a RWD car to be a particularly horrible experience. Also, in my early days of driving RWD cars I'd find that understeer moments rapidly became oversteer moments...

I only had a few oversteer moments in the MR2 - the first time I ended up doing a 180 the other way to the way the back originally stepped out and almost knocked myself out on the A pillar. The second time was the first time I ever drove it in the wet (again ended up facing the other way). After that I learned that I needed to be MUCH faster to catch things but also much smoother with everything generally and everything improved.
 
My BMW understeers on hard cornering with no throttle or even on held throttle. Go round a bend with full throttle and it just sticks - lovely feeling. I very rarely get oversteer.

That's just how I like it - on the throttle around a bend and it grabs the road - awesome. Potent rwd cars that oversteer on the throttle scare the bejesus out of me, not my cup of tea at all, I go all homosexual.
 
Try driving a club100 go kart in the rain. That is pure understeer, you have to use the throttle to get it to turn in. Then you have to make sure you don't use too much as it will spin.

The joys of a solid rear axle with no differential
 
Simon said:
Try driving a club100 go kart in the rain. That is pure understeer, you have to use the throttle to get it to turn in. Then you have to make sure you don't use too much as it will spin.
Click to expand...

Try shifting your bodyweight to the outside front wheel as you turn in. I realise you probably know this already, but it's amazing how few drivers actually do it effectively. Even those who do get this part right, then forget to shift their weight back *before* they get back on the power, hence the snap oversteer.

This is a big part of why in the dry less than 1second will separate the field yet in the wet you could be looking at 6secs+ difference. Also, actively and aggressively hunt out grippy patches of tarmac to get the kart turned in. If you get this and the weight shifting right, you'll be absolutely amazed how well the kart will turn in. It's a night and day difference as you suddenly get the point of generating enough grip to lift the inside rear. I raced at the sharp end of club100 for many years and always looked forwards to wet rounds :)
 
Last edited:
pcoltrane said:
I've only driven the N/A Vx220 but it was the best balanced, most easy to control road car I have had to pleasure of driving. It was extremely forgiving in all situations. As I understand the Turbo is essentially the same in this respect.
Click to expand...

Completely different cars from my experience. The NA has a reasonably light engine in the back with a pretty linear power delivery whereas the turbo has a big hunk of iron in the back with laaag, wham power delivery - not great mid corner.

If you think the VX is the best balanced car you've driven, try and Elise/Exige and prepare to question the laws of physics. The VX handles well but it's no Lotus. Whoever thought that fitting 17s all round with 175 tyres wants shooting. (unless it was somebody at Lotus having a laugh at Vauxhall's expense)
 
pcoltrane said:
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.
Click to expand...

If you're not up to anything tomorrow please pop along to North Weald and show me how it's done. There will be a lot of people who will be happy to be shown how to sit with big tail out angles in an Elise/Exige/VX through a high speed lefthander.




Muncher said:
In my experience power through a corner won't lead to oversteer, but understeer.
Click to expand...

The only times I've come close to binning my Elise on the road have been through understeer. I think Mr Walsh explains why so many cars are binned through 'oversteer' very well, the understeer is (not) corrected by added more and more lock, eventually the front end grips and has far more steering lock than is needed causing the back end to break away which is interpreted by the amateur driver as oversteer.
 
Del Lardo said:
The only times I've come close to binning my Elise on the road have been through understeer. I think Mr Walsh explains why so many cars are binned through 'oversteer' very well, the understeer is (not) corrected by added more and more lock, eventually the front end grips and has far more steering lock than is needed causing the back end to break away which is interpreted by the amateur driver as oversteer.
Click to expand...

I simply can't believe anyone could be this stupid :confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom