[QUOTE]Originally posted by bguernsey
[B]hmm interesting...the stats sheets I've read in the past for various AutoCross clubs in the area always have the S2000 at the top of its class.

 

I found that the air pressure in the tires is very critical with this car and it worth the time to try to deflate one of the rear tire by only 5psi to feel the difference in grip those SO2 will provide.

 

Well I hope no-one thinks I'm rock throwing here because hand on heart it it really isn't my intention. I do detect an excellent thread in danger of being somewhat marred by a lack of cilvility and in fairness to all concerned, I don't see it as coming from any particular quarter.

Let's try not to reach a position where there is no common ground, or willingness to listen to the other guys point of view. The whole thread becomes futile from that point on, and I for one would rather just be out of here.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GTRPower
[B]

Byron-

If you delve more closely you would probably see that the common denominator over the years is not the S2000, but rather the drivers.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Cedric Tomkinson
[B]

Well I don't race or otherwise track my car,

 

Posted by Jimmy325
This thread has sometimes gotten extremely hot, so I type this with trepidation. Completely leaving alone the issue of "Is it the Car" or "Is it the Driver" would it be possible to attempt an answer to Jimmy's original question? Would it be possible to propose options to those who would like to dial out some of the potential sudden oversteer characteristics? I'm not going to go with the "dumb it down" terminology because that is a bit haughty, instead I will go with the following terminology - "safer and more progressive at the limit."

I'm thinking for those who are interested, would be to dial-in more of a tendency to understeer, maybe a larger swaybar on the front, maybe wider tires on the rear.

I await the flames, but am only trying to answer Jimmy's question...

 

Triple-H,

I think you are about the only one who actually knows what my question was in the original post in this thread. Maybe it's an upstate NY trend? However, I think the majority here would like to say that this car is flawless and why dumb it down. I mean, afterall, who would like to admit to any negative comments of a car that they love so much and that they actually own.

I actually have given up on someone truely knowledgable to come up with something. So, let's just rely on ourselves.. (neither 1 of us have the S2000.. hahaha) and conclude...

1. Put on thicker front sway bars to stiffen up the front a bit to dial in a bit more understeer.

2. Put on wider rear tires to increase rear traction.

Jimmy

 

LOL...No flames. I think the addition of understeer would make the car safer at the limit however it's achieved. It's probably the biggest single factor IMHO contributing to some of the calamaties experienced. The car holds a line through a bend but you twitch the wheel and there's an instant reponse.

Mmmm how many times do I see reviews of new cars by Tiff Needell and others where the first thing they say after driving off is Ugghh!! Understeer!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jimmy325
[B]Triple-H,

....I mean, afterall, who would like to admit to any negative comments of a car that they love so much and that they actually own.

 

I'm thinking there has to be a balance between massive understeer and snap oversteer. If someone wanted to just dial in a bit more predictability at the limit and they got massive understeer I'm thinking they would not be happy at all.

I guess I have read so much about this sudden snap oversteer "characteristic" that it is making me a bit nervous. Now I have had a couple of S2000 owners tell me not to worry, but now that I have read the stories the info is stuck in my head. I'm buying the S2000 as a replacement to my 10-year-old track car - CRX-Si that has been seriously tricked out. I have dialed out some of the understeer in the CRX-Si and with just a bit of trailing throttle oversteer the backend will rotate very nicely, I like this, I have worked to create this and it has worked well. However the S2000 is an entirely different beast completely, this I know!!!

I have actually considered the following things as a preparation for the track:
(this list only pertains to the oversteer/understeer issue)
Increase front sway bar dramatically
Increase rear sway bar slightly
Dial in 1-degree negative camber in the front (just to make tires live longer)
Dial in 2-degrees negative camber in the rear (to counteract the front change)

Because the S2000 is new I will most likely do my first couple of schools on the stock street tires so I can begin to appreciate their characteristics before switching to Kumho r-compound tires. And before I resume my track events I will be doing several AutoX events.

Reactions anybody?