Driving in the rain in an S2K is not as big of a deal as many make it out to be. The only time it's sketchy is the initial drizzle/sprinkle when it has been dry for a bit; the water mixes with the oil and other fluids that get left on the roadway and it's much like being in the marbles. Once all that crap has been washed away, it's fine as long as you have a quality set of tires with deep channels to help evacuate the water.

 

"newish Bridgestone S 04 PP tires in great shape"

past 4-5 years since manufacturing date, time to get new tires for me usually.

how many years on these?

 

They are about 6-8 weeks old. Maybe 4K miles.

 

My experience is that the initial problem of greasy crap on the roads changes into hydroplaning with a lot of rain and when you have standing water the s2k is scary. Be forewarned people - if standing water starts to develop - BE CAREFUL and SLOW DOWN. Don't take chances.

 

Eh, I've got many years of experience driving in rain and that stuff washes away pretty fast under heavy rain. Hydroplaning is not caused by the greasy crap.

As long as you are running good condition, performance compound tires, with a tread pattern that promotes water evacuation, you should be fine.

 

I agree greasy crap has little or nothing to do with hydroplaning. I don't agree good tires solve hydroplaning dangers.

 

Hydroplaning is not CURED by rain friendly tyres. But it is helped. Similar to how wheel spin isn't CURED by rain friendly tyres either.

Fokker's point was that the right tyres help. You're looking for things that help. The only cure to car accidents is not driving at all.

Good or bad equipment aside, you're the one driving the vehicle. If you're complete a55milk, then don't drive. Nothing will save you. If you're good at driving (and who on this site isn't parallel to Senna himself?), then you can mitigate a situation.

He was giving you the benefit of the doubt. "you should be fine".

S04's are good tyres. So you're good.

You said yourself that you admittedly went too fast and your advice to yourself and everyone else is to slow down. So you're good there too.

We all agree that the S2000, while not the mythical widow maker that some people make it to be, is a little more of a handful in the rain as compared to a heavier, softer sedan...and especially a heavier, softer sedan that is FWD or AWD.

So. We're good then.

 

Reading this thread will make me take the drive back from Toronto to Cincinnati a little less aggressively. With rain in the forecast for the rest of the week in the East, it will be an interesting and log 8 hours to get home with my new MY 2007 Berlina.

I have driven in the rain in my now defunct MY 05 Berlina, so I know what the car can do with good tires.

 

Yea - I agree with all this.

 

I was going 90 mph when I saw and approached a stream of water on the highway...

WHOA!!! Foot off throttle and I got passed the stream luckily!

I definitely felt the loss of traction while running through it!