Bada Bing!

And I finally discovered what it is. I've always struggled to carry speed through corners with any kind of confidence with the S, and always felt cheated. Even roads I drive on every day, I just don't corner as quickly as I did in the VTS.

Trouble was I could never pin-point why I didn't have the confidence. Was it the lack of feedback? Maybe, but that can be overcome. Was it the lack of squealing from the S02's when on the limit? Again, maybe but that's not the real issue.

Today after actually contemplating crashing the car in frustration, I found the culprit. It's the lack of body-roll. I've come to some high speed bends where things like A4 diesels and Land Rover Discovery's have taken them quicker! Hell even in my VTS I'd have destroyed myself in the S2000 as I corner at the moment.

The cars I've mentioned above all have one thing in common though - major body roll. It's always looked upon as a sign of a poor chassis but in actual fact, it helps you load the car up for a corner, and also gives you an extra bit of information to feel out the grip you have in the corner.

With the S not having much in the way of body roll, I'm finding it tough to load the car up for corners. Any ideas how I can rectify, and corner quicker?

GTFCTIM

I also have got zero bottle when cornering my car at any great speed.

People on here keep saying how well it handles, and I didn't believe it.

Until yesterday.

Now we all know how well an Elise handles, and I had a play with one yesterday afternoon. It was a road I know very well, and i'm guessing the Elise driver knew it too, as i've seen him on it a couple of times recently, and he knew where you could overtake safely.

I was behind, and he was really trying to get away, but he could not get me off his bumper, even through the twisties.

This was in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears. When in 3rd, I really had to hold back, as I didn't want to overtake him.

What this made me think, was that maybe I don't realise how fast I am taking the corners, and it was only following a car that out-handles the S that showed me this.


And what a fecking great smile I had on my face at the end of it!!!

Beardie

Practice more?

euan

I wasn't cornering properly at all when I first got the car - having never driven a performance car before I was always backing off corners.

On-road performance course at Knockhill solved that - ex-polis instructor explained theory of balancing the car, showed my how fast you could drive it, and then encouraged me to do it.

I still (with stupid regularity) carry too much speed into corners sometimes and manage to come out the other side in one piece - on a decent surface, with smooth throttle on SO2s you'd really have to be going some to get unstuck. I always wimp out well before the car does.

I good indication of when you are close to the limit I find is when your buttocks clench together so tight you think you'll need surgery to ever take a dump again.

MrV

Have you tried a don palmer/acadamy day yet ,theres nothing like an airfield or track to really try to push yourself and the car to the limits

Beardie

A classic quotation Euan.

moff

Nearly spat my tea out

On a <03 at speed in a corner, I tend to find that its the bump steer that usually indicates that I am going a 'tad' too fast in the corner! Then again I only go fast on corners I know unless I am following someone who knows the road.

C7BLE

Another "Cableism"

It's like French Kissing a Bear.... it looks really dangerous but once you start it's actually alright, as long as you don't do anything sudden.

Paging Dr Choong

Bada Bing!

I was talking more about technique!

I think now I've identified one of the problems (certainly with high-speed corners) then I should be able to make a conscious effort to adapt. The thing is after yesterdays meet on my dash from Abington to Ayr on the A70, the car felt glued to the road, and I doubt there would be many things that could have caught me.

But tonight on dark and what looked like slippy roads I was back to mr cautious, not using all of the road and not loading the car up properly.

Beardie

The trick is to drive like a pussy in the wet/damp anyway Gaz.
I'm always amazed at how the car handles corners in the dry.

A Knockhill driving tuition day wouldn't do you any harm if you feel the need.