Since the S2k is sleeping in the garage until March, I'm driving my Nissan Sunny beater with 75hp and FWD right now.

I've taken the Nissan on the Nurburgring and have been utilising the left foot braking technique on a dry track with great success. On high speed long corners, I can really feel that the car remains more stable throughout the curve.

However, it was raining the past weekend and I noticed some rather interesting behaviour. I entered a wet corner with the LFB technique and actually got rather quick oversteer! I was expecting understeer if at all and a wider path, but the car actually wanted to swap ends! I had to release pressure off the brake before the rear caught and I could continue on my trajectory.

I'm guessing that too much brake pressure gave the front end more grip than the rear, and the lateral forces were enough to actually break it loose. Perhaps the rear drums locked up as well.

Interesting find. Do you fellows notice this behaviour as well?

///Robin

 

Yes. LFB is a common trick with FWD guys to get the car to rotate. When you're on the brakes, the rear end gets light since the weight shifts forward. That means the rear can move around much more easily than normal.

 

Also consider that left-foot braking in a FWD car is functionally equivalent to shifting your brake bias rearwards. Applying gas and brake at the same time means the front wheels are braked less than they would be otherwise, while the rear wheels are still braked normally.

Steve

 

I haven't ever needed left foot braking in the s2000 because it rotates so well on throttle. It's always faster to rotate the car with the throttle.