A nice article on the front page. A good reminder for all of us. It is no fun when someone's car gets damaged and it certainly is no fun when someone gets damaged or worse.

Keep the shiney side up and wrinkle free!

Take car out there!

Nice Article on Front Page of S2KI.com

 

Well presented. A cautionary tale for us all.

 

I am glad it has been oficially brought up. I was reading a thread earlier today in S2000 talk where a poster stated that he was 16. My parentr would have said "You can want in one hand......". I don't know about you, but right after I got my license... there is no way I would have known how to drive as well as I do now, or how NOT to keep my foot on the floor, or know how to correct snap oversteer that we are all too familiar with.

Not to mention that I receved my insurance statement which said that due to increased accedents with vehicles of my type, my premium had risen!

I don't want to seem like a hawk, but lets get real here... damn kids don't need S2000s... it is beyond thier driving skill. Anyone here that frequents the "S2000 Talk" forum can attest to this and know what I am talking about.

 

I concur -- meaning I agree with your conclusion , but I diasgree with your logic.

I am an old fart in relation to most S2000 owners. I grew up in the days before FWD in the US. The first FWD car I ever drove was my roomate's DKW (Das Klein Wunder) made by Auto Union - DKW. It even sported the four rings now so famous with Audi. My S is the first RWD car I have driven regularly in 20 years.

In high school I drove my parents' Pontiac GTO -- way too much hp in a horrible chassis with hopeless brakes. After that I drove a Fiat 124 Sport Coupe through the winters of Upstate NY -- live axle RWD. Admittedly these were front-heavy cars, not 50/50 like the S, but they still had most of the vile traits of RWD. Somehow I survived those days where testosterone ruled my right foot, among other things. No VSA back then.

Mulder, you are right that immature drivers have no place in the S2000 and cause the rest of us woe on our insurance premiums. Inexperienced drivers need to take it easy and learn how to handle a balanced RWD car. Inexpereience AND immaturity is a really bad mix. But I also think that not all of these drivers are 16-year old high school kids. Just recall the sad tale we read on this site two weeks ago. Too may of us drive too hard on the street.

I hate it when people talk about "snap" oversteer in the S2000. What do they expect when there is a 50/50 weight distribution, abundant hp, and a limited slip differential? In a car with an open differential, when you break loose a real wheel, the other wheel delivers zero torque, maintains some lateral adherence, and helps keep the south end in the southern quadrant. Put in a LSD and when the rear axle spins -- no adherence, and then that nice low polar moment of inertial is a gotcha. Not "snap" oversteer, just simple physics.

I am glad to see the article in the forum -- maybe it will make a positive difference.

Sorry for the soapbox, have at me.

 

I am speaking in generalities, my experiance here and on the boards backs me up. I know that if I had had this car when I was under 20, I sure as heck wouldn't be here to debate it.

Snap oversteer... ok fine. Unpredictable oversteer.

I can't count how many threads have I waisted my time reading about some kid taking a curve at "5 mph" and spinning 3 times into a guard rail or curb.

There is a guy here in Florence who was a kid when it happened that was out JDMYO drifting his S his mommy bought him and destroyed it.

Grey, you know who I am talking about.

 

And one of my Ph.D degreed co-workers wrapped his 05 around a fire hydrant when he Vtec'd on a merge ramp in the rain. He's 38.

My point in the words of Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does."

 

nope, I still don't buy into this. Never once has the rear come out in the S when I didn't expect it to or was actually trying to. I know when I am at the limits of traction, so if I loose the rear no big surprise, and therefore no big deal. I simply correct and move on.

Snap oversteer is a term coined by the inexperienced drivers, young or otherwise. The S is a glorious car in the hands of the right driver and most likely a train wreck for the inexperienced, but it is still the fault of the driver, not the car...

</soapbox>

 

Yes it has... you have a set of OEM rims to prove it.

 

The single biggest problem I have with inexperienced/irresponsible S2000 owners, of all ages, is what they have done to the insurance rating on this car. I can insure a C6 Vette, Porsche Cayman, Etc., Etc. for less than the S2000. All because of the people out tearing them up on a daily basis. Thank you for the opportunity to rant.

 

Here is the quote from my insurance bill I recieved this month...

" The claim experience on your make and model of vehicle has resulted in an increase to your vehicle rating group for comprehensive and/or collision coverages."