HOW TO DRIVE!

Author
Discussion

harrysnoble

Original Poster:

32 posts

245 months

Wednesday 7th January 2004
quotequote all
could do with abit more help here please! as im new to this type of car can u tell me how best to drive it i.e should or can you brake in to corners that sort of thing just so i try not to crash again! lol

>>> Edited by harrysnoble on Wednesday 7th January 16:34

m12_nathan

5,138 posts

260 months

Wednesday 7th January 2004
quotequote all
www.1stlotus.co.uk comes highly recommended for this kind of stuff - I plan on going a few more times yet!

By the end of the day andrew will show you how you can go round a corner at 95 mph whilst full on the brakes and not spin! Well worth the money (but going once is not enough to make it instinct)

>> Edited by m12_nathan on Wednesday 7th January 16:48

nildram

293 posts

262 months

Wednesday 7th January 2004
quotequote all
Bearing in mind your recent crash, I suggest back to basics to start with. i.e. Brake in a straight line, accelerate in a straight line etc.

More importantly, be smooth at all times. Also, given the mid-engine layout, best to enter the corners too slow and squeeze on the power through them so the car is well balanced and you don't panic yourself into a lift-off oversteer situation.

HTH!

GT03 NOB

4,481 posts

250 months

Wednesday 7th January 2004
quotequote all
Each and every time you get into your car always remember RESPECT,never think you have it licked or it will bite you in the arse,this car has more power than any of us when on the road.I race on a very regular basis and when it goes wrong on the track you are usually all going the same way with loads of run off etc so the outcome is not too bad.In a road car with this type of performance if it does go wrong it will all happen very quickly and only then will it be apparent how quickly you were going.My advice always brake in a straight line,slow in quick out,squeeezzzzee on the power and while its cold or slippery short shift which is great fun.Dont boot it in 2nd or 3rd or it may well boot you back!!!

>> Edited by GT03 NOB on Wednesday 7th January 23:00

micknall

826 posts

250 months

Thursday 8th January 2004
quotequote all
Good advice from GTO3NOB. We've recently had a spate of pranged cars in the factory, all of which have succumbed to over exuberance on icey/wet roads.

Short shifting is a good technique to use and there's little drawback given that the Noble's power curve is far from being peaky. I have the unenviable task (I'm not a good passenger!) of being driven by some prospective owners and journalists on test drives. Some get the hang of the car immediately, but many insist on running the engine to its 7k+ limit thru the gears: unnecessary in the dry and bloody scary in the wet.
Personally, I seldom rev a 3.0-litre Noble beyond 5500, unless I'm on a track. This maximises the max torque (which fades after 5k), keeps engine wear to a minimum and, on a twisty road, makes the car feel more composed. On tight and twisty British roads, I'd guarantee that it's still as fast (or faster) as the Gung-ho, Balls-out technique.
And in the wet, half to 2/3 throttle is as much as you need, depending on the surface. If you start to spin or slide, you're going slower anyway. The enjoyable bit is finding that magical point where you're using as much throttle as you can WITHOUT breaking traction and reigning in the revs by changing up slightly earlier than you would in the dry. It can be done with a little sensitivity and it's very, very rewarding.

3rtt

943 posts

253 months

Friday 9th January 2004
quotequote all
I remember once a racing driver, who also insructed, said that you should treat the throttle pedal as though there was an egg beneath the pedal.

The idea being that you didn't mash the pedal and break the egg.

Erf Erf Erf

Have a good weekend


>> Edited by 3rtt on Friday 9th January 13:12

amg merc

11,954 posts

254 months

Friday 9th January 2004
quotequote all
[quote=3rtt]I remember once a racing driver, who also insructed, said that you should treat the throttle pedal as though there was an egg beneath the pedal.

The idea being that you didn't mash the pedal and break the egg.

Erf Erf Erf

Have a good weekend

... and I bet we've all been quilty of preparing the content for a few plain omlettes, eh! :-)

JimNoble

410 posts

283 months

Saturday 10th January 2004
quotequote all
amg merc said:

Erf Erf Erf


Should that be "Oeuf Ouef Ouef"?

Jim

3rtt

943 posts

253 months

Sunday 11th January 2004
quotequote all
JimNoble said:

amg merc said:

Erf Erf Erf



Should that be "Oeuf Ouef Ouef"?

Jim


That's the Geordie spelling alreeet.