Numpties in sportscars

[tailslider]

Loads of rwd numpties were sliding about on the roads last night due to conditions. My usual 20 minute trip took over an hour ffs. 4WD is the way forward!

[trackdemon]

From someone called 'Tailslider'?

[agent006]

Nobody south of Dundee knows how to drive in snow.

[Eric Mc]

A lot of 20 somethings in their MX-5s had real trouble in the snow yesterday. Nearly every slow moving column of traffic I ended up in had an MX-5 at it's head. No one learns how to handle RWD anymore.

[pdavison]

Funny - I saw lots of 40 somethings in their BMW's having problems too !

[GreenV8S]

Eric Mc said: A lot of 20 somethings in their MX-5s had real trouble in the snow yesterday. Nearly every slow moving column of traffic I ended up in had an MX-5 at it's head. No one learns how to handle RWD anymore.

Presumably I count as one of the RWD numpties then, since I was struggling to get over 30 mph on the M1 last night. Every time a gust of wind hit the car the rear wheels broke traction on the ice, the car went sideways and started to slow down, it took 50 / 100 yards (and LOTS of space sideways) to get it straightened up and in lane again. The faster I went the more space I needed to control the slide, and 30 mph was about my personal limit. I've been sliding this particular car on road and race tracks daily for the last several years and I'm completely comfortable ragging it around, but I was definitely NOT HAPPY about it last night. At one point I didn't think I'd make it up one of the 'hills' (maybe 3% slope?) and was down to 10 mph at the top, fighting for every little bit of grip I could get. In lanes two and three cars and trucks were blasting along at 50/60 mph without a care in the world. It's the difference between a wide, lightly loaded tyre that skims over the ice/snow and a car that is unstable when it starts to slide, versus a front wheel drive rep-mobile on narrow tyres that will keep going where you point it unless you do something *really* stupid.

[danhay]

It's a lot harder to drive a rear wheel drive car on snow/ice because you haven't got the traction of FWD.

When it's dry RWD get's more traction due to weight transfer when accelerating, but this only works if you've got some grip to begin with.

So don't be too hard on us poor RWDers

[woodster]

RWD is better than FWD for getting up snowy hills, just because you need the weight on the drive wheels.
I lived on a hill for 7 years and when it got really bad had to go up it in reverse.

[NikB]

I have to agree, 190 happy power through 225 tyres onto snow is quite a handful!

I would have enjoyed it, but the numpties did not seem to understand that when trying to start of the back of my car moves by 2 foot either way. Must have scared the hell out of some of them.
One real numpty saw me coming round a roundabout and tried to pull out. He soon stopped when he saw me pointing at him shaking my head, oh and the natty angle my car was at .
I got 1 mile in 45 mins then turned around and went home before a fwd eurobox ended up embedded in the side of my motor.

Nik

[hertsbiker]

don't understand: weight over drive wheels? what's the very heavy diesel lump doing under the bonnet of my car then? surely providing the 50/50 weight distribution that Pug built it to have... so atleast my "shopping trolley" can move up hill, and steer without major embarrassment. And those unfashionably high profile (65 section) tyres do a fab job bearing in mind they aren't off-road pattern. Maybe there is good reason why rally cars stopped being RWD in favour of FWD (or AWD which is better yet).

[rjo]

And just to be boring, don't forget that FWD cars have all the mass of the engine over the driving wheels. I think the theory is that best FWD stability is to have the c of g as far forward as possible. Exact opposite of porka!!
FWD also good in gravel but WTF??? I like RWD. Heaps more fun.
GreenV8S I envy you. I wish I had been out there sliding around in the snow.
In your car of course

[Pierscoe1]

I take offence !!!! :->

I drive an MX5, and I was definately not creating a queue!!! In fact much fun was had drifting with opposite lock around corners at 30, where you'd have to be doing over double that in the dry to get the back to break away..

this was on a deserted country lane with no traffic on private property where I could see the road in both directions for 3.5 light-years and there were large inflatable crash-barriers on both sides of the road... :-)

[incorrigible]

NikB said: I got 1 mile in 45 mins then turned around and went home before a fwd eurobox ended up embedded in the side of my motor.

Did it embed itself or did you slide sideways into it.

Bad luck anyway

[NikB]

Don't worry mate, I did not hit anything! After a couple of misses I decided to head home - took me a couple of attempts to get up the drive though!

If it snows again I'll be stright down tescos car park for a bit of drifting.


Nik

[deltaf]

Oh the joys of driving in the snow....
While all around me are slipping and stuck i just go merrily on my way at warp 9....4wd gotta love it!
Larst year when it snowed, i went to a local estate where the carparks are large and open and free, picture the scene, virgin snow, bright sunny morning not a soul about cept me, did some one shout DOUGHNUTS!!???
Oh yeah..er it was me... and then the fun starts...long controlled slides, flick of the wheel left then right and round she goes, hanging it out at 50 before coming to a graceful stop....ten minutes later finishing off my vandalism of the deserted carpark with an on the spot pirouet 10 or 15 rotations and im dizzy,......whos that? Oh kak its the security guard coming!!...but wait! His astra van is stuck and i exit the park sliding and blatting it down the empty estate roads....
Ahh the memory.

[icamm]

incorrigible said:

NikB said: I got 1 mile in 45 mins then turned around and went home before a fwd eurobox ended up embedded in the side of my motor.

Did it embed itself or did you slide sideways into it.

Bad luck anyway

I think NiK said he went home before that happened. Not that it actually had.

[peas_star]

My bug can always be a handful in the ice and snow - and that has definately not got perfect 50/50 weight distribution!! then again it was dry the day i stuffed it into a sign post?!? oh well!!

sorry for not making much sence - recovering from nasty hangover. last night was a bit

[incorrigible]

icamm said:

incorrigible said:

NikB said: I got 1 mile in 45 mins then turned around and went home before a fwd eurobox ended up embedded in the side of my motor.

Did it embed itself or did you slide sideways into it.

Bad luck anyway

I think NiK said he went home before that happened. Not that it actually had.

D'oh, reading glasses required, see you Sunday then Nik

[NikB]

Yep, see you on Sunday Ben.

I really need to give my motor a wash, but it's a bit hard with 2 inches of snow still covering it!

Nik

[peas_star]

Pierscoe1 said: I take offence !!!! :->

I drive an MX5, and I was definately not creating a queue!!! In fact much fun was had drifting with opposite lock around corners at 30, where you'd have to be doing over double that in the dry to get the back to break away..

this was on a deserted country lane with no traffic on private property where I could see the road in both directions for 3.5 light-years and there were large inflatable crash-barriers on both sides of the road... :-)

good to see that I'm not the only Piers in existance - i was beginning to think i was alone!!