How is the S2K in the RAIN!!!!!
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: South Brunswick
One word "scarry." I wish I could say otherwise. The car begins to feel very loose as soon as any precipitation hits the road. I make it a habit of checking the weather forecast for possible rain before I drive the car, if there is a chance of rain in the forecast I drive my Explorer.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Tyler, TX
The question shouldn't be "How is the S2000 in the rain", but rather "How is the S2000 DRIVER in the rain"? I know that will piss some people off (usually those that have bent their cars), but the S2000 is an excellent car OF ITS CLASS to drive in the rain. Its a powerful, light, rear-wheel drive car with a large footprint. Drivers who are recent front-wheel converts or don't understand the perils of hydroplaning will certainly have problems.
I drove an entire John Eagle Weekend at Texas World Speedway in a constant drizzle. I never spun and only wagged my tail once. When its raining you cannot cheat and rely on your tires to bail you out. You have to keep the car under you, with momentum and down force over your tires.
With all that said, I rarely drive my S in the rain. Not because I will slide into an embuttment, but rather I will probably get squarshed by a truck (this is Texas after all). In the rain I drive an old F-150 truck. I have been rear-ended twice
, and shutter the think of if I had been driving my S.
Regards,
Al
I drove an entire John Eagle Weekend at Texas World Speedway in a constant drizzle. I never spun and only wagged my tail once. When its raining you cannot cheat and rely on your tires to bail you out. You have to keep the car under you, with momentum and down force over your tires.
With all that said, I rarely drive my S in the rain. Not because I will slide into an embuttment, but rather I will probably get squarshed by a truck (this is Texas after all). In the rain I drive an old F-150 truck. I have been rear-ended twice
, and shutter the think of if I had been driving my S.Regards,
Al
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 756
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From: Rochester
I've never had a problem in the rain. I read with great concern the large number of posts of people whose S2000's become unguided missiles with the slightest precipitation only to find that the car is better in the rain than some FWD cars (88 Grand Prix) I've driven and better than all of the RWD cars I've driven (Mustang GT, Fiero GT, Dakota V8 <-- fun in the wet stuff 
) I may drive a little more cautiously but I've found that it actually takes some effort to get the rear end squirrelly, you have to be in the upper rpm range to do it and why would you be up there in the rain? There will be some exceptions of course, like SR71BB's post. Though his accident was less caused by the car and more the circumstances (big ass puddle in a turn). The same thing was likely to happen with any number of other cars. I drove an 88 Grand Prix for hours on I-90 with a hurricane following me (well, since downgraded to tropical storm) and the roads were more like rivers. That car was a handful. That car would hydroplane hitting a puddle that had any measurable depth to it. I learned very quickly to hit puddles straight on and not make any sudden control inputs. Never had a problem. Not to say that I couldn't, just that I didn't. Keep one thing in mind, when you see a puddle, point the car where you want it to be on the other side of the puddle BEFORE you hit it. This isn't always possible but usually is. Kinda like crossing a frozen bridge, get set up before you get to it.
) I may drive a little more cautiously but I've found that it actually takes some effort to get the rear end squirrelly, you have to be in the upper rpm range to do it and why would you be up there in the rain? There will be some exceptions of course, like SR71BB's post. Though his accident was less caused by the car and more the circumstances (big ass puddle in a turn). The same thing was likely to happen with any number of other cars. I drove an 88 Grand Prix for hours on I-90 with a hurricane following me (well, since downgraded to tropical storm) and the roads were more like rivers. That car was a handful. That car would hydroplane hitting a puddle that had any measurable depth to it. I learned very quickly to hit puddles straight on and not make any sudden control inputs. Never had a problem. Not to say that I couldn't, just that I didn't. Keep one thing in mind, when you see a puddle, point the car where you want it to be on the other side of the puddle BEFORE you hit it. This isn't always possible but usually is. Kinda like crossing a frozen bridge, get set up before you get to it.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Santa Monica, CA
I took my car on a road trip this summer, and had to drive through a very large downpour. My tires had about 8000 miles on them at the time, but I felt the backend slide out a couple of times, and I was going around 60 mph. Just be more cautious when there's a lot of standing water.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Bedford
The key to the answer is: How many miles do you have on your tires? I would say anything over 1,000 miles on the rears BE CAREFUL!!! It will depend on how hard those miles were too. I got 27,000 miles on the front tires with little problem. I could tell a difference in the rain after about 4,000 miles on the rears. Be especially careful going through puddles at high speeds. Turning can be hazardous, especially in the rain, if you are not used to RWD.
I got my car in March 2000. Several people wrecked their cars when the bad weather started around the country. I also agree that you need to know how to drive a RWD car in these conditions. It was found that most of the people that wrecked their cars, had been driving FWD most or all of their lives. There IS a BIG difference in the way they handle on water & ice. I have driven mine in every kind of weather imaginable. No wrecks ....yet. But, then again, I have never had a wreck.
I got my car in March 2000. Several people wrecked their cars when the bad weather started around the country. I also agree that you need to know how to drive a RWD car in these conditions. It was found that most of the people that wrecked their cars, had been driving FWD most or all of their lives. There IS a BIG difference in the way they handle on water & ice. I have driven mine in every kind of weather imaginable. No wrecks ....yet. But, then again, I have never had a wreck.
