macr88

I wish that was the case

btw all these posts were from the iPhone

punchdrunk

Very interestin Macr

In the first vid you turn in, the car oversteers, you turn in to the skid it then swings the other way - the pendulum starts then you're history.

In the second vid, you turn in, the car oversteers but then somehow you don't get the same snap oversteer. Is that all down to throttle input?

Please explain, I'm very interested.

macr88

Keeping weight on the rear helps greatly.
I wish I could tell you more but that's really all I know. I have lots of ideas but that's about it.

cenix

watching the original posted vid about the snap oversteer, it seems like a bunch of items at play in my opinion:

--throttle lift
--slight down hill transitioning to turn
--drafting from cars ahead to lessen downforce on front/rear end (?)

the last one is just speculation since it's hard to see what kind of aerodynamic parts are installed on the car. just my thoughts...

i've experienced this for higher speed turns as well (lift-throttle oversteer). of course, i'm not one to offer absolutes, but just observation, because it seems like when i encounter this i am asking the front tires to do too many things--steering and scrubbing off speed all at the same time which doesn't seem to bode well. in the future i would try to get off the throttle easier and brake, then transition into accelerating while steering through because the s2000 shines at accelerating out of turns well.

bgoetz

I agree 100% . Assuming you have good tires the S2k is a pretty simple car to drive, provided that you keep the traction on the rear tires (the need to have good reat tires). With the S2k you will be hard pressed to brake traction with the throttle, atleast to the point where you will cause a spin. What this means is that most of the time in an oversteer situation the answer is to counter steer, then apply more throttle. Problem is that everyone's 1st instinct is to go "oh shit" and lift throttle. With the S2k being setup the way it is this reaction really causes a sudden and drastic weight transfer off of the rear tires and thus, an over steer situation.

As far as induced oversteer I find that the S2k is very similar to my track ready K20 civic was, only it has a much sharper edge. I can honestly hone my line by modulating throttle, I don't even really need to trail brake to get some rotation. You just need to be gental and make sure the car is settled before you start screwing with the balance, an unbalanced car is an unpredictable car.

When it comes to wet weather, everything needs to be that much more gentle and thought out. If it is really wet I try to really limit what I am asking the car to do at one time. Think of it this way, you only have 100% to turn, brake, or gas, if you are using 80% of the traction to turn you cannot use even 21% to brake, without some sort of negative consequence. For the most part even in the dry I try to take one thing to 100% to the apex. I will use 100% of the traction to brake, off brake then use 100% to turn, once I hit the apex that 100% is dropping so I can feed it throttle accordingly until I exit the corner and am at full throttle. With the S2k I can feed it throttle a bit sooner than other cars I have driven, so I can brake later, apex later, and still be on the gas with the other guy, if the car starts to push I can modulate the throttle to induce a bit of oversteer to exit the corner online. This type of "on throttle control" is much easier than a car that is the other way around.

Moral of the story is in the wet be easy with ANYTHING YOU DO. It is ok to have fun, but start off pushing the limits of one thing at a time (steering, braking, throttle), it is much easier to learn a car this way.

datdude1119

So if you make the mistake of lifting off the throttle, can you fix it with counter steering and getting back on the throttle?

bgoetz

^^^^At this point you are starting to become a passenger, it really just depends on how unbalance the car is (remember an unbalanced car is an unpredictable car). At some point it will be best to nail the brake and clutch and hang on for the ride. If you can still kind of feel the car under you then MAYBE you can save it, although I have been there an lost before. If it is sudden and catches you sleeping, you should just go to plan B (clutch and brake).

Eeyore

GREAT post.

Its not the car; its the driver. Where the S2000 is concerned the driver is probably the determining factor 99.9% of the time, the remaining percentage blamed on mechanical failure or other unavoidable circumstances. Sorry to be so blunt about it but the S2000 requires skill, caution, or most commonly both when approaching its limits. Drive below its limits or obtain the skill. Or do otherwise at your own peril.

spook

If this thread continues to deliver, I think it should be stickied. Some really good information in here so far

jguerdat

One thing that needs to remain in mind is that the OP doesn't mention tracking the car - this is apparently on normal roads at normal speeds. I agree that track/autocross helps get the most out of the car and teaches you what you can and can't get away with on the street but the forces at work _should_ be much lower than those encountered when balls to the wall. Still, you can't overcome physics - you only have just so much traction. The cracked tires mentioned by the OP should be a huge red flag - hopefully, they're long gone...