[DeTomaso] NPC: Oversteer

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/17/11 12 51 18, spkorb at gmail.com writes:


> I'm having trouble tying to verbalize or understand why a front wheel
> drive car (my Honda Del Sol) feels so wrong in oversteer. It's very
> controllable, though not really with the throttle in the usual way.
> If you lift, the rear tucks right back in.  But it feels... unnatural.
> 
>>>Are you confusing understeer with oversteer?   If you are already 
oversteering and you lift, you're going to oversteer even more--perhaps to the 
point of turning around.

What you describe sounds more like understeer--under heavy throttle in a 
corner, the front of the car pushes wide; when you lift, the front starts 
tracking around the corner again and/or the back end steps out and the car 
rotates more through the corner.
> 
> >With a mid engine car (okay, some Pantera content) or even a rear
> engine car, it feels nimble, even if you only have as much or even
> less control than with a FWD car.  Even a front engine RWD car feels
> more natural.  Is it just that the rear wheels are active in the
> situation that gives me comfort?  It's the difference between going
> "wheeeee!" and "eeeeek"! but I can't really tell what the difference
> is.
> 
> >>>Clarify for us exactly what you're feeling?

> >Mike, with your Scirocco, do you just get used to it or is it always
> unnerving?  I'm about ready to turn in the Honda and grab an old MR2
> for daily driver service, but it's a really great car otherwise.
> 
>>>Stock, my Sciroccos understeered like crazy.   Putting a front sway bar 
on made them worse.   But putting front AND rear bars on (with the rear bars 
substantialy bigger) utterly transforms them.   They become incredibly 
balanced and controllable.   Yes, they will still understeer (push) if you are 
clumsy with a bunch of throttle in a turn.   And similarly, if you clumsily 
lift mid-corner you can get the back end to step out (oversteer).   However, 
rarely does it progress to the point where the car wants to turn all the way 
around.   I've learned to manage it and use it to my advantage, especially 
in decreasing radius corners.   Freeway onramps are a particular favorite, 
when they tighten up right at the end of a 270-degree cloverleaf (incredibly 
bad design).   I'll go max velocity through the first part of the corner, 
sliding both ends all the way, then at the bottom, I'll lift and flick the 
wheel to the right at the same time, which causes the back end to step out and 
the car to rotate suddenly.   A bit of opposite lock and a stab at the 
throttle stops the rear-end step-out and pulls the car straight forward onto the 
freeway.

Enormous fun! :>)

Mike