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Re: EuroSunday July 5th!!!
Posted: Jul Wed 08, 2009 9:59 pm
by Roadhog
Ramrod wrote:My $0.02
The Lotus is an exceptional car. Don't make the mistake of comparing it with many of the sports cars that were on the cruise, or anything built by volkswagon. Lotus makes street legal track cars. It's purpose built to be an unforgiving drivers car with minimal electronic interference. It's little more than a grown up go kart with turn signals and head lights. There extremely agile and their power to weight ratio is excellent allowing them to maintain speed in corners and accelerate quickly out of them. I've seen a lotus paired with a good drive make fools out of much more expensive sports cars on track day.
The danger is making the assumption that it's a street car, and treating it as one. I won't speculate about Glenn. I don't know him, and I wasn't there. But with any car of this nature, knowing it's limits and the subsequent consequences of reaching them is the best protection you have. No ESP can top that. I'd advise anyone prone to testing the limits of their car to invest in a few track days. Give yourself a chance to test your skills at their limit in a safe enviroment. I promise you'll have a different perspective next time you hit that mountain road, and you'll make yourself and everyone else safer.
Truth.
Re: EuroSunday July 5th!!!
Posted: Jul Thu 09, 2009 8:24 am
by ValveFloat
Interesting...
Having driven, and spun an Elise myself (on a track) I can see how that accident happened. The little rise and drop in the road combined with a decreasing radius turn was prime opportunity to spin just about any car, but one with the engine in the arse is more prone to come around in a situation like that.
I dont see how a rear/mid engine rear wheel drive car can have a light ass end
Light in the rear is not really an accurate description, but like Spencer said, weight transfer to the front tires gives them more grip. Combine that with a car that is rear weight biased, tightening the line late in a corner off the throttle, and if you are already near the limit, your going to spin.
Driving that close to the limit on an open, public, narrow two lane road is bad idea, but I think we all realize that.
Re: EuroSunday July 5th!!!
Posted: Jul Thu 09, 2009 8:37 am
by Rennwagen1
Ramrod wrote: I'd advise anyone prone to testing the limits of their car to invest in a few track days. Give yourself a chance to test your skills at their limit in a safe enviroment. I promise you'll have a different perspective next time you hit that mountain road, and you'll make yourself and everyone else safer.
100% True. Anyone who has ever autocrossed can attest to that. Everyone who fancies themselves a "driver" should have many many hours of "track" enviroment driving, no matter what. I have spun my fiar share of vehicles on the track, BMWs, Fieros(rear engine, rear drive! Oh my!), VWs, etc. They all handle different at the limits. Practice, practice, practice!