Left foot braking: Chris on camera

[Ianeire]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/VideosWallpapers/Videos.aspx?AR=224464&Page=5&CT=V&FLT=34 

Not a new clip by any means, but one that I watched again recently. I am familiar with the use of left foot braking as a means of a quicker transitioning between going and slowing but had never heard of left foot braking through and out of a corner as a means of getting the power down in a hot FWD car.

My question isn't one of understanding what he's doing and why he's doing it but rather one of the need to have an LSD to avail of the benefits of the technique. He says that it is very usefull in both the Focus RS and the RenaultSport Megane, both of which have Torsen LSDs. The Clio 172 on the other hand only has an open differential. Will it help me?

Ian

[GreenV8S]

It's a way to overcome terminal power-on understeer, but I think the net trade-off would only work in your favour with the right weight distribution. For example autograss racers do this sort of thing, but they can afford to because they have such a huge front weight bias that the amount of braking required on the rear is negligible.

[Ianeire]

Hmmm, something to try so in that case and see how it goes. I'm unsure of its road application in the Clio as understeer isn't very intruding the vast majority of the time. There are a few corners on Mondello International though that sound like I could get more time from with this technique mastered!