i'm only writing about it 3 days after the fact because i've been thinking about it a lot. i had a visit to prolene's place up in the mountains (or so it seems). in case you don't know, the way to his house is the perfect testing ground for our car: twists, u shaped turns, fast corners, etc.

anyway, i wanted to check out his Mugen equipped S2K (wanted to see how loud it is), and to see how his tires work (Dunlop SP8000). Prolene took me in his car for a ride, and i was extremely impressed with:

1. Prolene's driving skills - the car was very stable in his hands, no twitches whatsoever. every turn was executed with surgical precision (no pun intended Al )

2. Dunlop SP8000 - the tires gave the right amount of warning at its limits, and it took the turns VERY well at high speeds

3. Mugen setup - the car is markedly quicker than mine, i can feel it.

if you ever get a chance to take a drive in Prolene's "backyard", i highly recommend that you bring gloves and plenty of tire treads.

did i mention that i was scared to death as his passenger? i never knew our car can take certain corners so fast!!! (maybe that explains why, after 17K miles, i still have 45% of the treads left on my rears). i told Prolene "yeah, i'm a little bit nervous..." (i was actually quite terrified ) so Prolene slowed down, but honestly, i was both very impressed with his driving skills and the car's attitudes in corners with the SP8000s.

i don't think i would dare to ever drive that fast though, but i think Prolene could've taken the corners blindfolded, that's how smooth he was with the throttle and steering.

 

It certainly helps for him to be in his own "backyard" as well, I would imagine.

 

WOW! can I have a "test-sit" too?

 

I have a set of SP8000's on my Miata R - its actually the second set I've had on that car - they are great! But do they stick as well or comparable to the S02's? Its doubtful, but I'd like to know more information on this. I guess I'll ask a lot of questions at the Bridgestone S03 presentation coming up in the next few weeks.

 

my experiences with my set of S02s haven't been the greatest: i've almost lost it a few times in turns without warning, and though i rarely push it (that's why i still have so much tread left), i'd like to know when the tires are going to lose grip.

 

Wow, Mingster; who is this "Prolene"?

Really, I think anyone who takes these turns as many years and times as I have in many different cars will seem equally as "impressive". Thanks for making it sound so interesting!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Prolene
[B]Wow, Mingster; who is this "Prolene"?

Really, I think anyone who takes these turns as many years and times as I have in many different cars will seem equally as "impressive".

 

Mingster, the S02s are the best tyres you are going to put on your S2K - bar none. The harder you push them the less likely you are to lose grip - if I had to guess I would say your grip problems are caused by taking it too easy and backing off when you think you are getting in too deep. Doing this will unsettle any car with just about any type of tyre.

Again, this is where my motorcycling experience comes in invaluable - if you feel like you are losing it then push harder. Application of power in a turn is a stabilising force whereas backing off is inherently destabilising. The S2K can be pushed harder in turns than any vehicle I have driven before (29 years of driving experience talking here including a number of years as an amateur motorcycle roadracer) and will understeer on turns (telling you you cannot push harder) before going into a 4 wheel drift (after you still push harder) and ultimately losing the back end (after you continue to push harder again).

From your description of your tyre wear it sounds like you have plenty to go in terms of pushing your Stook harder.

Don't be afraid - and more importantly - even if you do feel afraid don't back off. Once you have done this, and experienced the fact that the Stook will not let go, you wil gain a level of confidence that will encourage you to try harder again. This upward spiral of confidence and capability will continue for many years before you reach your, and the Stook's, limits.

[Edited by 2kturkey on 03-21-2001 at 02:59 AM]

 

Mingster's just a wuss! I wasn't scared at all when i went for a ride with Prolene! haha, j/k. I was actually a little scared at first by how fast he took some of those turns but after i realized he's probably driven those roads thousands of times, i just sat back and had some fun.

I also had the chance to drive Prolene's car and it was definitely a lot quicker, the car felt a lot stronger in the midrange with the increased torque and HP. throttle response is better and the car just feels so much smoooother. i didn't the road even close to as fast as Prolene did but i could still feel that the car was faster than mine.

As for the tires, when i drove Prolene's car with the Dunlop SP8000 and compared to the S02s and the Dunlop SP9000 on my car, they aren't as "sticky" but they are definitely a lot safer. They gradually lose traction vs. the "twitchy" feeling of the S02s. Although, i like the SP8000s, after driving my car again with the SP9000 which are characteristically close to the S02s, i would still prefer the S02s or SP9000 because they grip a lot better and you can push the car harder but you have to make sure you can almost feel it before the car loses it and not chicken out or back off but also not give it too much. when it comes down to it, it's all based on personal preferences of what type of feeling you want to get from the tires.