I was following an Audi A4 Cab home, got to a large roundabout leading onto the A52 (to Grantham - some will know) and I decided to take him and a few others round the outside. I am in second, and start to accelerate around them when the backend starts to come round.

I turn into the skid, catch it, but the car straightens at a slightly different angle, so I have to turn in the opposite direction of the corner a little to avoid hitting the car on the inside of me

I had to continue to accelerate hard to make it look like it was intentional , but believe me, it wasn't . That was a bit of a wake up call for with the impending weather / conditions.

The road was dry, but I think that there may have been some oil / gravel on the road and/or I was trying to go a little too fast for the corner. Combined with the fact that I have only 3mm left on the rears, means that the skid was more than likely to happen.

I am noticing a huge difference between new S02's and worn S02's. A difference that I have never noticed on any other car. Or is it that I am probably driving the S much faster now (after 10k) than in the early days of ownership

I really think that my session karting on Tuesday night really helped with my control of the car, as I seem to instinctively turn into the skid and did not seem to panic.

Oh well, no harm done, and I think I will be a little more sensible

 

There's a huuuuge difference between new and worn S02's Moff. I've just got a new set of rears fitted and can't believe the difference.

 

Glad you pulled off the maneouvre

Had a moment with an Audi TT this morning. Waiting at the traffic lights on the M1 J25 island, waiting to go up the slip road onto the A52, a black TT pulls up alongside to the right.

The lights go green and I hear a chirp of tyres from the TT and he's away. I think about it for a second or so, by which time he's about 3 or so car lengths in front. I think why not and accelerate hard VTECing in 1st and 2nd Caught him about 3/4 of the way up the slip road and would have been able to pass comfortably had it not been for the fact that he placed the fat arse of his car over the line into my lane by about a foot!! WTF

I lifted at this point as I like my car the shape it currently is and I was concerned that my laughter might cause me to not to be 100% in full control of my car

I thought whatever and went into cruise mode, and at this point. As I joined the A52 a Vauxhall of some sort that had seen all this was overcome by the adrenalin rush I presume and whooshed by me at about 100mph to try and join in the action. He was bearing down on the TT that was by now about 300m in the distance in the inside lane, at which point the TT pulled out in front of him causing him to wobble under hard braking The TT probably thought it was me coming through as it was just getting light and a pair of headlights probably just looks like another when the adrenalin is flowing.

Ho hum, drive carefully everyone

 

You don't realise how much better the car can grip til you get new rears.

 

Roundabouts are bad news. Too many different cambers and things. Ask the guys at SM3.

 

It was mentioned some time ago (on the US board I think), that the OEM S02's have a variable tread composition, that changes from 'soft' to 'hard' at around 3mm depth. This feature gives you some time to recognise that they're worn (and legal) before changing them.

This unfortunately leads to newer drivers having a progressively more oversteering car as the fronts are only, say, half worn, and are still gripping at 'full power'.

Has any one else experienced this??

 

I had a similar experience a few months after I got my S. I immediately changed the tyres to Eagle F1's and have had no similar experiences since

At this time of year you should seriously consider your tyre choice before changing the rears.

 

Sounds like you may have hit a patch of the dreaded DIESEL!! Nasty breeding places for diesel spilages are roundabouts. Just wait till it gets a bit damper, it will be even more fun!

Well-done for controlling it, and looking cool in the process. It's always a bonus when that happens.

Cheers

Coxy

 

If it is the left hander as you come off the roundabout going up hill at the same time then it is something to do with the tarmac there.
My car goes all wobbly every morning, if I am accelerating hard around that bend but does not do it anywhere else.

Try it in the wet and you will scare yourself something rotten !

 

I did this in the damp on a fast roundabout when the car was new. Similar to StevenM i changed to F1's and had no probs touch hairy wood since