MotorTrend video on S2000 handling
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From: Dry Branch
Originally Posted by Hawkstrike,May 7 2007, 08:40 PM
LOL. The video was preceded by a Miata ad.
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From: Westfield, NJ
Nice video! In the week I've had my S2K, I've found it to be one of the most neutral, well balanced cars I've ever owned. It's easy to get the back out if you want it out, but it also slips in a very progressive manner that's easy to control. I haven't done anything really ham-fisted to the car (jumping off the gas going at or above the limit in a corner with a lot of steering angle), but so far, it's responses have been very predictable, and it comunicates them well. The only time I've had any unexpected oversteer is hitting a patch of bad pavement mid-corner, and even then, the car let me know that the back end was going out, and I caught it easily.
The car is also very smooth transitioning from an oversteer state back to a neutral state. It doesn't feel at all upset, and weight doesn't get shifted around in unexpected ways.
Only part of the "package" that has been at all disapointing are the brakes. They aren't bad, they just aren't quite up to the level of the rest of the car. It's the one area where I can see a negative difference between this car and the Boxster. Doesn't really detract from the fun, but definitely makes me think about a BBK at some point.
The car is also very smooth transitioning from an oversteer state back to a neutral state. It doesn't feel at all upset, and weight doesn't get shifted around in unexpected ways.
Only part of the "package" that has been at all disapointing are the brakes. They aren't bad, they just aren't quite up to the level of the rest of the car. It's the one area where I can see a negative difference between this car and the Boxster. Doesn't really detract from the fun, but definitely makes me think about a BBK at some point.
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Nice find! 3k power band is slightly optimistic though ;-). Also Cayman and Exige videos are nice - actually the review on the S2000 sounds better than cayman... and about the Exige he said it handles just like the race car he usually drives...
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From: Dry Branch
Originally Posted by haemmeri,May 7 2007, 09:16 PM
3k power band is slightly optimistic though ;-).
LOL, I probably missed something and you're talking about something totally different ... right.
Sorry if I'm way off base here. Too much activity in too many threads for the last few days.
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From: Dry Branch
[QUOTE=ammo1199,May 7 2007, 11:50 PM]No dispute there.
I personally have had no issues in the dry but in the wet I did lose my rear once. Happened when I was taking an exit which then made a u-turn where the end of the U was not visible(higher elevation and a wall), my mistake was going in a trifle too fast and found out that there was a slow moving car in front of me. I abruptly let go of the throttle and found my rear sliding.
I guess traction control kicked in or friction restored the grip but it scared me real bad as it must have been less than 25 mph. Got me wondering what would happen if I were over 55/65 mph.
I personally have had no issues in the dry but in the wet I did lose my rear once. Happened when I was taking an exit which then made a u-turn where the end of the U was not visible(higher elevation and a wall), my mistake was going in a trifle too fast and found out that there was a slow moving car in front of me. I abruptly let go of the throttle and found my rear sliding.
I guess traction control kicked in or friction restored the grip but it scared me real bad as it must have been less than 25 mph. Got me wondering what would happen if I were over 55/65 mph.
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From: West Los Angeles
Yeah the only time I have experienced the tail wiggle is when the exit near my place gets really wet. I have to make a turn on a slight incline. The tires spin and the back slides a bit if I give it too much gas.
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Originally Posted by RED MX5,May 7 2007, 09:56 PM
LOL, very good. My favorite probably came from Brock Yates, but I'm not sure ...
"Understeer is when the driver gets scared.
Oversteer is when the passenger gets scared."
Maybe it was Satch Carlson.
Anyway, yea, you're absolutely right. Understeer is a stable condition and is safer than oversteer, which is an unstable condition, so a substantial amount of understeer is designed into most cars. Further, it is not necessarily slower, but it is less certainly fun than oversteer. It tends to scare the driver, and that's no fun at all.
Water, cold, and worn summer tires can all lead to nasty behavoir. I've been scared by unexpected water hazards myself. Even when it's dry the S2000 deserves respect, but it's even more true when the environment is less than ideal. It's a hell of a lot better to drive slower than you really need to be driving than to end up in a crash.
LOL, your tree joke reminded me of a true story, but I think I've posted it before, and it's off topic. Oh well, I haven't seen the video yet, just the Mazda ad, so I'm probably off topic anyway.
I was trying to teach my girlfriend how to drive, using my beloved Fiat 850 Spider. We'd covered several blocks, made some stops and starts, and she was doing wonderfully. As we approached a T intersection I told her to signal a left turn, and then to turn left after stopping at the stop sign and looking for oncoming traffic. The street we were turning on to was one lane wide in each direction, but the two lanes were seperated by curbs and an island, and there were huge oak trees planted in the island running down the middle of the street. As she stopped, I pointed out that she was turning on to a divided street and that she should turn into the lane on the right side of the island. As she turned onto the street she turned a little too much, so she ended up heading for the island, and a HUGE oak tree, but new drivers make that kind of mistake all the time, so I just sat there for a bit waiting for her to correct her mistake. To my surprise, rather than steering over to the right a little more so she'd hit the street rather than the curb and tree, she just kept heading for the tree. I waited as long as I could stand it, to give her a chance to see her mistake and correct it herself, but it just wasn't happening; So I said, calmly, "Watch out for that tree." From where I was sitting it looked like she hadn't heard me, because she did nothing to correct her problem and avoid the tree. I spoke a little louder, "Watch out for that tree." Still nothing, and the tree was coming up pretty quick. I panicked. "WATCH THE TREE! WATCH THE TREE!" Still nothing. I kept saying it louder and louder as the tree got closer and closer, until the last second. Of course I grabbed the wheel soon enough to steer the car around the curb and tree myself, but I was freaking out, because she'd just about crashed my car, and it appeared that she was totally ignoring what I was telling her to do. OK, I'll admit it. I was thoroughly pissed because she had ignored my instructions and scared the crap out of me. I made her stop the car and I took the wheel, and before I pulled off I yelled at her. "Are you DEAF, or WHAT!" Now at this point the poor girl was crying, and she just looked at me with a blank stare. This only upset me more, so I yelled, "Didn't you hear me telling you to watch that damn tree?"
Without missing a beat she responded
"Yea, I heard you.
You told me to watch the tree, and I did.
The closer it got, the more I watched it."
I couldn't help laughing even though I felt stupid for not having given her better instructons. My bad.
My favorite probably came from Brock Yates, but I'm not sure ..."Understeer is when the driver gets scared.
Oversteer is when the passenger gets scared."
Maybe it was Satch Carlson.
Anyway, yea, you're absolutely right. Understeer is a stable condition and is safer than oversteer, which is an unstable condition, so a substantial amount of understeer is designed into most cars. Further, it is not necessarily slower, but it is less certainly fun than oversteer. It tends to scare the driver, and that's no fun at all.
Water, cold, and worn summer tires can all lead to nasty behavoir. I've been scared by unexpected water hazards myself.
Even when it's dry the S2000 deserves respect, but it's even more true when the environment is less than ideal. It's a hell of a lot better to drive slower than you really need to be driving than to end up in a crash.LOL, your tree joke reminded me of a true story, but I think I've posted it before, and it's off topic. Oh well, I haven't seen the video yet, just the Mazda ad, so I'm probably off topic anyway.
I was trying to teach my girlfriend how to drive, using my beloved Fiat 850 Spider. We'd covered several blocks, made some stops and starts, and she was doing wonderfully. As we approached a T intersection I told her to signal a left turn, and then to turn left after stopping at the stop sign and looking for oncoming traffic. The street we were turning on to was one lane wide in each direction, but the two lanes were seperated by curbs and an island, and there were huge oak trees planted in the island running down the middle of the street. As she stopped, I pointed out that she was turning on to a divided street and that she should turn into the lane on the right side of the island. As she turned onto the street she turned a little too much, so she ended up heading for the island, and a HUGE oak tree, but new drivers make that kind of mistake all the time, so I just sat there for a bit waiting for her to correct her mistake. To my surprise, rather than steering over to the right a little more so she'd hit the street rather than the curb and tree, she just kept heading for the tree. I waited as long as I could stand it, to give her a chance to see her mistake and correct it herself, but it just wasn't happening; So I said, calmly, "Watch out for that tree." From where I was sitting it looked like she hadn't heard me, because she did nothing to correct her problem and avoid the tree. I spoke a little louder, "Watch out for that tree." Still nothing, and the tree was coming up pretty quick. I panicked. "WATCH THE TREE! WATCH THE TREE!" Still nothing. I kept saying it louder and louder as the tree got closer and closer, until the last second. Of course I grabbed the wheel soon enough to steer the car around the curb and tree myself, but I was freaking out, because she'd just about crashed my car, and it appeared that she was totally ignoring what I was telling her to do. OK, I'll admit it. I was thoroughly pissed because she had ignored my instructions and scared the crap out of me. I made her stop the car and I took the wheel, and before I pulled off I yelled at her. "Are you DEAF, or WHAT!" Now at this point the poor girl was crying, and she just looked at me with a blank stare. This only upset me more, so I yelled, "Didn't you hear me telling you to watch that damn tree?"
Without missing a beat she responded
"Yea, I heard you.
You told me to watch the tree, and I did.
The closer it got, the more I watched it."
I couldn't help laughing even though I felt stupid for not having given her better instructons. My bad.
Teaching someone how to drive definitely requires some major cojones.
