Driving tips
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,209
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From: Derbyshire
Hi jonjoe 
Check your tyre pressures every week, 32 all round, and keep an eye on the tread. The rain channels are quite narrow on the Bridgestone S02 tyres (assuming you have these) so the ability to clear water and prevent the rears from aquaplaning will be pretty poor if you try and eek out the maximum life out of them i.e. down to 1.6mm.
OTOH small channels gives you the maximum amount of rubber on the road ready for those dry days, so you really need to develop two different driving styles i.e. wet and dry.
HTH
Check your tyre pressures every week, 32 all round, and keep an eye on the tread. The rain channels are quite narrow on the Bridgestone S02 tyres (assuming you have these) so the ability to clear water and prevent the rears from aquaplaning will be pretty poor if you try and eek out the maximum life out of them i.e. down to 1.6mm.
OTOH small channels gives you the maximum amount of rubber on the road ready for those dry days, so you really need to develop two different driving styles i.e. wet and dry.
HTH
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,880
Likes: 0
From: The further north, the better
Hi jonjoe
Firstly, well done for being sensible enough to ask this question in the first place
. There's nothing wrong with being a bit scared of the S (I am). If you treat her badly (with regard to driving style) she will bite 
.
All of you inputs need to be smoooooooth
; steering, application and reduction of throttle position, braking and gearchange. A sudden change in any of the above will upset the balance of the car and could cause trouble 
Take your time. There's no need to rush when you look this good
Dave
Firstly, well done for being sensible enough to ask this question in the first place
. There's nothing wrong with being a bit scared of the S (I am). If you treat her badly (with regard to driving style) she will bite .All of you inputs need to be smoooooooth
; steering, application and reduction of throttle position, braking and gearchange. A sudden change in any of the above will upset the balance of the car and could cause trouble Take your time. There's no need to rush when you look this good
Dave
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,979
Likes: 0
From: North Yorks
Read this thread. Read it again. And once more.
Then don't assume you know any better than the people giving advice in it and drive to your own ability, especially when they tyres are cold and/or the road is wet.
Welcome to the widowmaker
Then don't assume you know any better than the people giving advice in it and drive to your own ability, especially when they tyres are cold and/or the road is wet.
Welcome to the widowmaker
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere and nowhere
Jonjoe, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, fairly young, (27 or so I get told by everyone I work with!)
i've driven a few different cars in my time but this one does and has genuinely scared the s**t out of me.
Like the others have said the most important thing is tyres, I nearly made the fatal mistake of beliveing a car sales man (i know, duh) who said it was all sorted out and checked over.
I then proceeded to spin the car on the A64 (nr York) in the wet 6 hours after buying it. Barely managed to keep control of it and was lucky the white van man behind pulled into the middle lane to hold the traffic back while it got myself sorted (see they aren't all that bad eh)
That made me really wind my neck in and take it easy, the cause of the near accident was too much
and not enough pressure in the tyres (22 psi in rears!!!) plus the tyres I have don't match (Michelen front, Yoko's on the rear).
I have decided when I get back to the car to invest in a Drive Ride full day training package, and probably a new set of wheels (17-18" tbc) along with either some Yokohama AVS or Toyo Proxy T1's.
This forum is really in some cases probably a life saver with the excellent advice from the more experienced posters and they are always helpful.
Enjoy the car, Black with red trim looks great as well, one last thing that has stood me in good stead whether it be driving cars or anything else remotley dangerous, is leave you ego behind in the bedroom or wherever else you keep it. As from personal and shared experience this is what makes you screw up.
Oh 22! I thought my insurance would be high but I bet yours is
i've driven a few different cars in my time but this one does and has genuinely scared the s**t out of me.
Like the others have said the most important thing is tyres, I nearly made the fatal mistake of beliveing a car sales man (i know, duh) who said it was all sorted out and checked over.
I then proceeded to spin the car on the A64 (nr York) in the wet 6 hours after buying it. Barely managed to keep control of it and was lucky the white van man behind pulled into the middle lane to hold the traffic back while it got myself sorted (see they aren't all that bad eh)
That made me really wind my neck in and take it easy, the cause of the near accident was too much
and not enough pressure in the tyres (22 psi in rears!!!) plus the tyres I have don't match (Michelen front, Yoko's on the rear).I have decided when I get back to the car to invest in a Drive Ride full day training package, and probably a new set of wheels (17-18" tbc) along with either some Yokohama AVS or Toyo Proxy T1's.
This forum is really in some cases probably a life saver with the excellent advice from the more experienced posters and they are always helpful.
Enjoy the car, Black with red trim looks great as well, one last thing that has stood me in good stead whether it be driving cars or anything else remotley dangerous, is leave you ego behind in the bedroom or wherever else you keep it. As from personal and shared experience this is what makes you screw up.
Oh 22! I thought my insurance would be high but I bet yours is
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I'm new to the forums as well though I have been driving the S for over two years in, Aberdeen of all places. I use the car as my daily driver and I'm fairly experienced in cold and wet conditions (on S02's) and (touch wood) no major moments yet, though plenty of minor ones.
In normal driving most people don't get a chance to test the reactions to oversteer and loss of grip which is probably why airfield and track days are so useful. As well as those though you could do worse than buying (don't laugh).....a PS2, a copy of Gran Turismo and a force feedback steering wheel (the right steering wheel is important) and put in some practice on a 'simulator'. Afterall if it works for airline pilots it could work for you. Although it is not the real thing you can quickly pick up the visual clues for when things are about the go out of shape and also learn to react properly, without thinking. Try the S around the wet Tokyo? track it's great fun.
Cheers,
Hilbert
In normal driving most people don't get a chance to test the reactions to oversteer and loss of grip which is probably why airfield and track days are so useful. As well as those though you could do worse than buying (don't laugh).....a PS2, a copy of Gran Turismo and a force feedback steering wheel (the right steering wheel is important) and put in some practice on a 'simulator'. Afterall if it works for airline pilots it could work for you. Although it is not the real thing you can quickly pick up the visual clues for when things are about the go out of shape and also learn to react properly, without thinking. Try the S around the wet Tokyo? track it's great fun.
Cheers,
Hilbert