New Corvette makes Supra and others a dud.
05-15-2019, 11:59 AM
#101
Mid engine? (Yawn) Ain't nothing special. Calling these cars (including our S2000s) mid-engined is a stretch. "Real" mid-engine cars have the engine not only between the axles but behind the driver. 
The Ford Model T is a mid-engine car, note the position of the engine and front axle in the photo below. This is what gives the Model T it's legendary road handling. All 2.9 liters of 4-cylinder road handling madness with 20 hp at 2000 rpm!!!
-- Chuck
The Ford Model T is a mid-engine car, note the position of the engine and front axle in the photo below. This is what gives the Model T it's legendary road handling. All 2.9 liters of 4-cylinder road handling madness with 20 hp at 2000 rpm!!!
-- Chuck
05-15-2019, 12:04 PM
#102
Moderator
A mid-engined vette? now I've seen everything
05-15-2019, 04:22 PM
#103
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HawkeyeGeoff (05-16-2019)
05-15-2019, 08:17 PM
#104
Heck, it's not even that some manufacturers engineer around a non 50/50 weight distribution to make a car handle as well as it would if it had a 50/50 weight distribution. Rather, a 50/50 weight distribution isn't actually the most ideal weight distribution. A 50/50 weight distribution allows for predictability and ease of engineering, but a rear-biased weight distribution will yield higher handling limits. There's a reason that mid-engined race cars have rear-biased weight distribution. There's an old article wherein someone interviewed Jim Hall on the subject, and he disspells the myth of the 50/50 weight distribution. I'll see if I can dig it up.
05-15-2019, 08:53 PM
#105
Heck, it's not even that some manufacturers engineer around a non 50/50 weight distribution to make a car handle as well as it would if it had a 50/50 weight distribution. Rather, a 50/50 weight distribution isn't actually the most ideal weight distribution. A 50/50 weight distribution allows for predictability and ease of engineering, but a rear-biased weight distribution will yield higher handling limits. There's a reason that mid-engined race cars have rear-biased weight distribution. There's an old article wherein someone interviewed Jim Hall on the subject, and he disspells the myth of the 50/50 weight distribution. I'll see if I can dig it up.
Last edited by s2000Junky; 05-15-2019 at 09:05 PM.
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HawkeyeGeoff (05-16-2019)
05-16-2019, 08:02 PM
#106
05-26-2019, 12:58 PM
#108
I drove 991.2 GTS manual and PDK back-to-back on the track at Barber Motorsports Park. I hate to admit it, but I liked the PDK better. I was slightly quicker in the manual, but had twice as many laps in it at the end of the day. I’m sure one more session in the PDK would have put it on top. PDK is just so intuitive and competent on the track. It also wins for daily driving.
For weekend mountain road driving, I’d still take manual.
For weekend mountain road driving, I’d still take manual.
05-26-2019, 02:30 PM
#109
I don't fault people for wanting paddle shifters, especially in high powered cars. Most of us won't get a track day a year let alone become track rats, it's a very expensive hobby that can't really be practiced for free without breaking laws. Slowing down from 110mph on a track with cars all around and then having to worry about nailing a heel toe downshift while concentrating on your brake zones, entry, apex, the jackass in the 3 series passing you on the inside then going way wide during a no pass track session, hitting the paddles and focusing on your zones and line makes it alot of fun.
But for a fun car when just driving around, can't beat a stick.
But for a fun car when just driving around, can't beat a stick.
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WolfpackS2k (05-29-2019)
05-26-2019, 02:58 PM
#110
Not sure how well I can adapt to paddle shifters. Tried it in my wife's car several times and found it annoying and so much easier to just put the lever back in D. I suppose if D wasn't available I'd have to adapt but D is there.
-- Chuck
-- Chuck