Well, at least that's one most of the critics are saying about the Variable Gear Ratio Steering model. In cicruit testing, it did worse than the MR2 spyder, wow I am glad we have, or I guess, us Americans have, the better version. No dangerous steering guessing for us!

 

Hmm.. this is a link that explains VGS:
http://www.honda.co.nz/h.nsf/w/NT00005B5E?opendocument

From what I can tell the ONLY thing VGS does is allow the car to go from normal (like we have now) to a tigher ratio for low speeds... (I may have read it wrong), but my take on it what the ability to reduce the amount of wheel turn to get to full lock at lower speeds only, and that it didn't increase the ratio beyond stock. Sounds cool to me.

-- Aaron

 

Having driven a VGS at Twin Ring Motegi a couple of months ago around a gymkhana course they set up for us, I can say that I really liked it. So did most everyone else. I would, however, say that this is exactly the kind of scenario that the VGS is more suited for - tight, relatively lower speed courses. I wouldn't think, and we didn't drive it on one, that it would be that advantageous or suited for a wide open road circuit. I don't think that was what they designed VGS for.

 

So it sounds kinda pointless, huh?

 

No, it's not pointless ... VGS provides a less steering turn required for cornering or twisting bends and 90 degree angle slow in fast out approaches with heel toe, it's quite a good combination. Convention steering requires double the turn lengths and is sometimes hard to recover back to straight or next steer turning quickly, VGS thus reduces such issues. Only after you have driven it frequently then you can comment what it does to help the driver, the only thing I found hard to adapt is to steer the Accord after driving the VGS and vice-versa.

 

It sounds like this would be very handy when trying to drift.. I admit that I don't know much about the subject but I often wondered how you could be so quick with the steering wheel when flipping the front wheels back and forth...

 

Now that is one disadvantage factor on the VGS ... You cannot drift the VGS car in anyway, form, or style. That the non-VGS version is better.

 

Hmm... That sucks... why is that, anyway?
-- Aaron

 

The VGS was specifically designed not for drifting, rather for quick steering slow in and fast out of the corner ... More like a track race car. In turn that has caused even professional drivers with lack of exposure to the VGS to comment that it's hard to adapt in driving conditions and high speeds but once used to ... It will be definitely more ideal in track race performance.

 

why do you think Honda limited the production of VGS to Japan? road conditions or attitude of the drivers?

The dealer put me off getting VGS since he said it was difficult to drive a non-VGS afterwards, I have a Nissan too and that already drives like a boat - so since no test car to see the benefit- too much of a risk for the $2000 extra.