RWD is not difficult, but it requires a subtle shift in driving style to get the best from it.
Get a non-turbo RWD first (MX-5, MG TF160, Capri 2.8i, etc). That way you can get used to progresive oversteer control and correction without a sudden dose of boost trying to kill you.
The best place to play, any large open space (supermarket carpark/truck park) at 2am. Choose one away from peoples homes please. But watch out for lamposts etc. Try and find one with the enormous tower lights about 100m apart to give you room for error.
Originally posted by baldboy: RWD is not difficult, but it requires a subtle shift in driving style to get the best from it.
Get a non-turbo RWD first (MX-5, MG TF160, Capri 2.8i, etc). That way you can get used to progresive oversteer control and correction without a sudden dose of boost trying to kill you.
The best place to play, any large open space (supermarket carpark/truck park) at 2am. Choose one away from peoples homes please. But watch out for lamposts etc. Try and find one with the enormous tower lights about 100m apart to give you room for error.
I saw someone driving a rear wheel drive turbo car make a right turn a little too quickly and apply a bit too much power on a damp surface. He ended up doing 1.5 full spins and stopped facing the oncoming traffic.
The car in question was a smart fortwo with 70 bhp!
Just don't go crazy in the wet, especially on turbo cars. The MR2's and 200sx are the most renowned of all for being on the dangerous side of things, especially in the wet on roundabouts!
The bloke who sold the AX 16v to me bought an MR2 Turbo to replace it. He said it wasn't any faster, but obviously had more street cred however the most shocking thing of all was the handling.. it could get totally out of shape without him expecting it or trying it. Tesco car park at 10mph in the damp driving to get some shopping... sideways action.
Get a BMW 318i first, then move up to things after 6 months or so when you have some experience. Just a few months ago it was drizzling and I saw a 200sx literally wrapped around a tree on an easy sweeping left hander.
Originally posted by Noxide: ... The MR2's and 200sx are the most renowned of all for being on the dangerous side of things, especially in the wet on roundabouts!
The bloke who sold the AX 16v to me bought an MR2 Turbo to replace it. He said it wasn't any faster, but obviously had more street cred however the most shocking thing of all was the handling.. it could get totally out of shape without him expecting it or trying it. Tesco car park at 10mph in the damp driving to get some shopping... sideways action.
Get a BMW 318i first, then move up to things after 6 months or so when you have some experience. Just a few months ago it was drizzling and I saw a 200sx literally wrapped around a tree on an easy sweeping left hander.
MR2 MK1 and MK2s are mid engined rear wheel drive and slightly different handling from front engined rear wheel drive such as 200sx. I can vouch for MR2 MK1 handling in the wet on a roundabout - I spun it - but that was because I used FWD instincts which are to back off if you think you are too fast. You will be safe if you drive it at the speed for the conditions and if you think you are too fast not to abruptly come off the gas or brake.
MR2 MK1s are not at all a problem for handling in either wet or dry. They are renowned for the purity of their handling. I have a lot of fun and no problems in mine. MR2 MK2s apparently do not have the same good handling of the MK1 and a turbo that suddenly comes on boost will not help matters.
If you want some cheap(ish) oversteer practice buy an original VW Beetle. I used to look forward to rainy days and roundabouts.
When I were a lad, learning to drive, nearly all cars were RWD, except Minis and Citroens, so the skills came naturally. Mind you, I don't remember ever getting sideways in Vivas, Rapiers and Heralds my father used to drive.
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Yes Panather, I read an article by a very well know suspension/handling guru and he said that BMW actually dial in understeer to their cars to make them handle more like FWD cars.
I suppose it will be easier to handle a case of terminal understeer than terminal oversteer for most people.
RWD is the choice of champions, but with freeddom comes reponsibility
you steer the front of the car with the hands, and the rear with the feet.
The best way to learn how is to drive tound is a circle, slowly building up the speed until the back starts tp slip out, ypou will need to unwinmd the steering and see how far you get.
Obviously you will lose it at some point so choose your venue carefully, with nothing to hit in a hundred yards preferably.
If you do it on gravel or snow, you can learn at a much lower speed.
I will reiterate the warning about turbos.
you will put your foot down, and little will happen, so you put a bit more down, and then maybe a bit more.
Then when the revs reach the critical point, a backlog of power will be like satan nailing your foot to the floor.
Learn slow.
The car in the video btw is a capri with a 230bhp cosworth 2.9 24v in it, feeding a limited slip diff - this spins BOTH rear wheels and is twice as dangerous when you overdo it.
Originally posted by Bioethanol: RWD is the choice of champions, but with freeddom comes reponsibility
you steer the front of the car with the hands, and the rear with the feet.
The best way to learn how is to drive tound is a circle, slowly building up the speed until the back starts tp slip out, ypou will need to unwinmd the steering and see how far you get.
Obviously you will lose it at some point so choose your venue carefully, with nothing to hit in a hundred yards preferably.
If you do it on gravel or snow, you can learn at a much lower speed.
I will reiterate the warning about turbos.
you will put your foot down, and little will happen, so you put a bit more down, and then maybe a bit more.
Then when the revs reach the critical point, a backlog of power will be like satan nailing your foot to the floor.
Learn slow.
The car in the video btw is a capri with a 230bhp cosworth 2.9 24v in it, feeding a limited slip diff - this spins BOTH rear wheels and is twice as dangerous when you overdo it.
Originally posted by RX7: Hi, im 21 and i have never owned a rear wheel drive (turbo car)....although im looking to buy A NISSAN 200sx Turbo
my question is how difficult (1-10) is it? How long does it take to master? best illegal places to practise? (Car park, island)
I actually own a 1991 Nissan S13 180SX turbo and it's my first rear driver too, only had it a few weeks. 180sx same car as the 200sx, just the japanese designation. The Silvia is also the same car, just a saloon shape rather than fastback (confusingly, in the UK, later Silvias were badged 200sx)
Difficulty: um, 3/10 to 8/10 depending on the circumstances. Driven normally, in the dry or even the wet, it really isn't that difficult as you try and remember to only accelerate and brake in a straight line initirally (you can master the fancy stuff later). My car is really scary and twitchy in the wet or bumpy roads, but that is more to do with the fact that it has a set of fully adjustable coilovers that are currently set to "drift nutter" mode than simply down to being RWD. They are too hard, I will be getting them adjusted. I've had three very sideways moments so far, only two of them unintentional, only the first one was actually scary. It's actually a very well balanced, controllable and predictable it's handling, hence it's popularity for drifting.
Yes the turbo can catch you off guard, but ignore all the people here telling you to start on a N/A car. I reckon most of them haven't drivn one of these cars. I have the later SR20DETT engine and it pulls nicely off boost and there isn't huge scary turbo lag on an unmodified car either. It is progressive and controllable power. The SR20DETT (2 litre turbo) is the engine to have, don't go for the earlier 1.8
If you want to practice drifting or just getting the tail out and doing donuts, a flat open space is good but only somewhere you won't attract attention or the owner won't mind. Try and do it in your local supermarket car park and the fuzz will be round in five minutes.
Regular trackdays are NOT a good place for practising going sideways either. Not all track days are "drift friendly". Too much mucking about and the Marshals will pull you in. Much better to go to drift oriented track day or get into amateur drifting. Drifting is one of the cheapest motorsports to get into at the moment, you don't even need anything as posh as 200sx either, an old sierra or volvo will do.
how long does it take to master RWD? How long is a piece of string really? You can drive a RWD car proficiently in a matter of weeks, the art of going very fast and/or sideways, well, you know the way some people play golf all their life constantly trying to improve their handicap...
..also as mentioned Front engined RWD is different to Mid engined. Front engined is better if you want to get sideways and drift round corners. It's very hard to attempt to do this in a mid engined car apparently. I've never driven mid-engined cars, but apparently the driving style you adopt is different. With front-RWD you turn slightly after the apex of a corner and apply throttle to adjust the rear. Mid engined is more accurate style in theory, turn in bang on the apex, harder to master.
Also no one has mentioned the different differentials used in RWD cars. Not all RWD cars behave the same. A lot has to do with the differential fillted. A low end BMW 3-series or sierra will have an open differntial which means you can get wheel spin on one wheel but not the other if that one wheel doesn't get traction, sportier RWD cars often have an LSD (optional on the Silvia/180sx) that prevents one rear wheel from spinning too quickly in comparison to the other. This as you can imagine has a noticeable effect on handling and the limits of the car.
