Dembo

Neither was I. Bacon sarnies tomorrow?

I used my FWD FTO on a couple of trackdays and at The Ring, and I'd say if anything it was more difficult to drive fast because if you didn't get the entry right you'd be stuck with loads of understeer on the exit without being able to do much about it. Whereas on RWD you can always use the power to make the rear slide.

But then the FTO isn't as good as the like of the Integra, or even my Primera.

"On rails" really doesn't appeal to me, I admit.

MarkB

IME of testing, quite often the 'seat of the pants' test fails the timing test. That is, the laps I think I'm flying end up being slower than ones where I feel I'm not so good.

I've always put that down to being inside and outside my comfort zone, when I'm really on it I'm a little bit scared as I suppose I'm closer to coming a cropper, I'm also working a lot harder.

Only live timing gives you the chance to do a direct comparison, the pit board doesn't lie (unless RichUK is holding it, then he deliberately puts slower times to make you drive faster ) and it's surprising the difference I see being in and out of my comfort zones.

So for me at least, on a trackday the slower laps are more enjoyable as I'm well inside my comfort zone (as you should be on a trackday). I seldom get flustered and rarely get anywhere near being really 'on it' (there really is no point, trackdays are proof of nothing, nor should they be).

But nothing beats the thrills of racing, doesn't matter which wheels are driven or what the car is.

Moggy

for 3 laps

Ultra_Nexus

Hmm, I don't think so.

First of all, I rebuilt it from the ground up and learned loads

Second, it was a blast driving it

Third, I only had it for 4 months completed and it was just time to get rid after I ended up enjoying driving round in the GF's MR2 Roadster with the roof down

Bassoctopus

I drive my FWD DC2 faster than my S2000.

FWD is certainly not boring in this car, but the S2000 takes more concentration.

Both can be good fun

j8mie

Sorry about that matey. Edited my post

Fatbloke

This post is spot on - I had an R26, albeit not the R, and it's the excitement and involvement factor that the Meg lacked. IMO the dull engine and criminally awful gear change were only livened up by the sudden and outrageous torque steer that the LSD could produce without warning (and the thrill of trying a new courtesy car every time it went back to the shop for more warranty work - yes, Renault reliability is every bit as bad as the reputation).

The Megane was massively competent - you could arrive at any corner at pretty much any speed, even if you were in the wrong gear, and it just went round like it was on rails. It made me feel like a driving god at first, but after a while it just got boring and it's not unreasonable to assume that the R version is even more proficient. Pretty much every other car I've owned or driven demands more of my attention, particularly the S, so even though I can't drive it as quickly as the Renault, I have a lot more fun.

Ultimately though, comparing an R26.R to an S2000 is pointless. The Megane is the ultimate evolution of a hot hatch for track use, whereas the S2000 is a late 90's roadster which, if anything, has been watered down over the years to appeal to a wider market, rather than made more hardcore for track enthusiasts.

In my humble opinion, if you want to beat people round a track, you'll need to spend a hell of a lot of money to beat the Megane, but if, like me, you love driving for the sheer bloody hell of it, the S is a gem, so to get back to the OP's point, FWD may well have caught or overtaken RWD for outright pace in compact and reasonably priced cars, but RWD is still a whole heap of fun.