Spinning isn't the same thing as "snap oversteer."

These days if I spin autocrossing, it's usually a slow initial rotation past the point of grip. Not a "snap" like when someone goes muscling past all hope of salvage.

 

I have an 08 and experienced "gentle" oversteer with vsa off. all it took was very little countersteer and keeping my foot down on the gas

vsa on is just understeer.

 

while those were the "commonly accepted" numbers on s2ki, they do not appear to be correct.

when Sport Compact Car did their S2000 suspension comparison, along with shock dynos they gave the tested spring rates of a stock 02-03 AP1, 06-07 AP2, and CR:

AP1 249 lb/in (4.45 kg/mm) 306 lb/in (5.42 kg/mm)
AP2 266 lb/in (4.75 kg/mm) 273 lb/in (4.88 kg/mm)
CR 392 lb/in (7.00 kg/mm) 342 lb/in (6.22 kg/mm)

also see this thread that sought to reconcile the % changes in Honda press releases with the SCC test and arrived at the following:

AP1 [00-01]: 218 (3.9 kg/mm) 291 (5.2 kg/mm) ( Published )
AP1 [02-03]: 249 (4.4 kg/mm) 306 (5.46 kg/mm) (From SCC, also note that the UK Press release stated firmer springs )
AP2 [04-07]: 266 (4.75 kg/mm) 275 (4.91 kg/mm) ( 7% stiffer Fr, 10% lower Rr, compared to prev)
AP2 [08 --]: 284 (5.07 kg/mm) 299 (5.33 kg/mm) ( 7% stiffer Fr, 9% Stiffer Rr, compared to prev)
CR [08 --]: 389 (7 kg/mm) 349 (6.25 kg/mm) ( 37% Stiffer Fr, 17% Stiffer Rr, compared to prev)

The pre-08 AP2 is still the most "softly sprung" in the rear, but not to the degree previously reported, and it still maintained a slightly stiffer rear bias. The biggest difference in stability improvement seems to have been the adjustments to counter bump steer.

 

and I agree with Elistan and Patinum on the topic of VSA - leave it on for the street, off for track and especially autocross.

 

snap oversteer is (usually) just another way of saying you lifted when the car was accelerating laterally, very close to the limit. cars dont just magically swap ends. either the driver changes the balance of the car using the inputs or the surface/camber changes. drive the car in a circle (on a skid), gradually build up speed, hold the steering wheel and see if anything "snaps" before you change the balance (lift, brake, or abruptly add throttle). it will actually understeer...bc it's a street car.

 

Often in track it's someone muscling and "throwing" into a curve and then being to aggressive on-throttle or in VTEC and the rears break free.

 

hmmm actually the s2k and any other rwd will snap oversteer regardless of how godly the driver is..in a turn hit water..or dust,sand, or a bump..and guess what your swapping ends most likely

 

Snap oversteer is driver error, proper finesse and throttling and this should never occur, EXCEPT in the sudden change of road conditions (grip/off camber).

 

Not if you know how to drive it at the limits, which probably 90% of S2k owners I would bet do not.

The "shap oversteer" phenomenon on the AP1 is partially due to rear roll stiffness bias, but IMO it is mostly down to the rear bumpsteer issue. Car gets twitchy, driver lifts, outside rear toes relatively OUTward and what might have been a manageable *driver error* becomes a spin.

The rear bumpsteer causes the car to behave a bit nonlinearly, initially giving a little oversteer at turn in, then settling into neutrality. If the driver senses the initial oversteer and LIFTS, or worse, stabs the brakes, it's all over.

It's a rookie mistake that happens all the time. But not very often to people who have seat time at the limits of adhesion at autoX or the track.

 

I drive an ap1 ...smart enough to know not to lift , basically your just unloading the rear and starting a pendulum...but theres definately times when you have no control...puddles,ice 2 main suspects