do *not* lift off the throttle when making a turn. if you do, the rear end can lock up and make you slide uncontrollably. i'm not saying to keep the gas floored during a turn, but have it applied.

 

My past 3 cars have all had wheelbases in the mid 90 range (Z3, '93 MR2, '04 S2000) and short wheelbase is not the only factor and really not even the primary reason. There are a lot of factors that can make a car twitchy or stable, and it's a combination of all of them.

-As mentioned before, the S2000 steering is very quick for a street car, and if you're not used to it big inputs can upset the car.
-The S2000 has more of its mass in the center of the car (small engine far back) compared to BMWs which achieve a similar 50/50 weight dist. by hanging heavy stuff like batteries off the back. Polar moment of inertia affects the cars willingness to turn or go straight, the s2k approaches that of a mid-engine car, but unlike a mid engine car does not have the engine over the drive wheels to aid traction on corner exit.
-Even though the '04 has a stiffer front and softer rear suspension, the overall bias of stiffness toward the rear is still pretty high compared to other sports cars on the market.

As for the feel part, ever since I first drove an S2000 I noticed that the steering always maintains the same effort, regardless of load on the front wheels from cornering, braking, etc. Having driven German cars and a Toyota with unassisted steering, I got used to using the steering as a load sensor, to tell me how close the car was to the limit and what the front tires were doing. The S2k just does not do this, which was confirmed in a back-to-back drive with an NSX last month. So I feel the S2000 steering is very precise, but does not give a lot of feedback.

Good news is it gets better. After only 5 months of driving the S2k, I'm definitely getting used to it and learning to capitalize on its advantages. A good alignment and bigger front sway bar definitely help.

The rest I can't explain. I can only tell you my tiny wheelbase Z3 wouldn't go around corners nearly as fast as the S2000, but was far more progressive and more predictable like the M3s I've driven. And my MR2 was sloppy when completely stock, but a larger front swaybar made it the most predictable, confidence inspiring, and best handling car I have ever (and maybe will ever) drive.

Peter

 

What effect(s) would a larger sway bar in front accomplish? How difficult is it to replace the sway bar on the s2000?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jwocky
What effect(s) would a larger sway bar in front accomplish?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jwocky
What effect(s) would a larger sway bar in front accomplish?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RazorV3
do *not* lift off the throttle when making a turn.

 

there is this 15MPH road i always drive through going to school that is very curvy, i always try to drift, going 50MPH but doesn't seem to break loose, the handling is amazing, it is like glue(tires) attached to sand paper(road)...but whenever i launch at 4-5k RPM, my rear wheels break loose and swerve everywhere...haha

 

Why are you going 50MPH in a 15MPH zone??

 

since i have no time to go to a race course....minus well try a different method...haha

 

Go to the track and learn to drive it. Going fast around curves on public streets is way too dangerous. Why kill or injure someone else?

When taking a curve it is best to have a little throttle in reserve. It is important to keep a constant throttle and never lift off as you are going around the turn. If anything you may need to accelerate a little more to keep the rear planted. If you start to lose it, see if you can make a small straight line on the curve. That will get the car settled down. Small steering adjustements are all that are needed. If you move the wheel in large increments it will only worsen the situation.

If you enter a curve too fast and get scared and lift throttle or break and move the wheel at the same time you will be in for it. The sticky tires suddenly break loose and the rear swings. Try this at the track. You will get it down in a safe environment and not risk harming yourself or others.