Have you spun your MR2?

[Lauren]

I wonder how many peeps have learnt on FWD and have little or no prior experience with RWD? The mid engine configuration of the MR2 makes it doubly difficult because most such cars demand a higher degree of driving skill.

Don't know any driving schools which have such vehicles so you have teach yourself off road. Or learn the hard way.

I would say that 99% of cars used by driving schools are FWD. I saw a BMW 1 series being used for instructing recently, but can't recall seeing any others. I learnt to drive 18 years ago and that was in a fiesta, so unless someone is taught by their parents in a RWD car its nearly always going to be a FWD car. Also don't forget that learners don't hoon around as a rule and the limit of car control offered is the knowledge that you 'turn into a skid', so its no wonder no-one knows how to control a car unless they have gone and learnt off-road.

[Polypedates]

I've never spun on the road. Had a moment when a BMW pulled out on me in a fast sweeper and the heavy braking unloaded the back end but I managed to keep it on the road (needed all the road mind you )but since oncoming traffic had been forced to emergency stop by same BMW there was nothing to hit.

Skid pan training paid off!

I've never experienced this mythical 'diesel on road' scenario in 18 years behind the wheel....

[robbie_742003]

I've never experienced this mythical 'diesel on road' scenario in 18 years behind the wheel....

Not experienced whilst driving but did see 2 cars within 10 seconds lose their back end going around a simple slow bend due to diesel ( one of them is a local nutcase so i did allow myself a smile to myself watching his panicking face!! ), amazing how slippery it is though!

[Gordy]

I've never spun a car in my life, and in fact I've never had a crash.
I simply drive within the limits of the car and the prevailing road conditions at all times, and never ever push the limits of safe common-sense. I am also 6'9" tall, look like Tom Cuise, have £10 million in cash in my back pocket, and smell of fresh roses. Oh, hang on... I seem to be talking poo...

[Gordy]

I've never experienced this mythical 'diesel on road' scenario in 18 years behind the wheel....

Pompus, arrogant attitude.

I'm no hero on a motorcycle, however I've had two very disturbing slides whilst riding motorcycles at normal speeds in the dry, only to go back to the roundabouts and find diesel on both occasions.

Maybe it was mythical diesel.

[Polypedates]

I know it is an issue on bikes but I've yet to be convinced that it is as big a problem to cars as some people make out.

I knew a guy once who had a 205 GTI and kept stacking it into ditches and the like (needless to say it was one tatty Pug) and always blamed diesel on the road. On one occasion I rode with him and he nearly lost it on a downhill bend and I can categorically state it was his driving but he refused to admit it!

Oh, and lift off oversteer is no fun from the passenger seat IMO.

Just keep safe people

[Bobby (aka Shaggar)]

I know it is an issue on bikes but I've yet to be convinced that it is as big a problem to cars as some people make out.

I knew a guy once who had a 205 GTI and kept stacking it into ditches and the like (needless to say it was one tatty Pug) and always blamed diesel on the road. On one occasion I rode with him and he nearly lost it on a downhill bend and I can categorically state it was his driving but he refused to admit it!

Oh, and lift off oversteer is no fun from the passenger seat IMO.

Just keep safe people

Sorry mate but I am living proof that this IS a problem. Coming round a roundabout in milton Keynes at about 20 mph (just started off from some 'on-roundabout' light and the back that carried on straight on! Correcting the car in tank slapped in slo-mo go the other way and so on till I got it smooth agin just in time to not hit the kerb. Stunned, I went back round the roundabout and parking short of the patch, checked it over mate. As i did so a Rover couldnt pull away properly, sliding the front wheels. Closer inspection showed a reat big stinky puddle of Diesel. Phoned the police telling them it was a deathtrap. Latr on that day it was sanded over.

NOT mythical.





Bobby

[Lauren]

I know it is an issue on bikes but I've yet to be convinced that it is as big a problem to cars as some people make out.

I knew a guy once who had a 205 GTI and kept stacking it into ditches and the like (needless to say it was one tatty Pug) and always blamed diesel on the road. On one occasion I rode with him and he nearly lost it on a downhill bend and I can categorically state it was his driving but he refused to admit it!

Oh, and lift off oversteer is no fun from the passenger seat IMO.

Just keep safe people

I don't doubt that occasionally diesel does find its way onto the road, however, what gets me (and i should state that this isn't the case 100% of the time) is that people blame their accidents on the diesel rather than their driving. A high proportion of the time the accident is down to driver error rather than anything else. Otherwise every driver that went round said corner with diesel on the road would have the same accident wouldn't they?

[Blokey]

I don't doubt it's often used as an excuse, but from my own experience diesel on wet roads is more slippery than ice. If you're lucky you'll either see the film or see the car in front go, if not then it'll be a complete surprise so I would tend to agree that there should be a collection of cars that do the same thing...

I was pulling in to PetSmart carpark in Harlow, there's an uphill climb and a 90deg right turn. I was in a Tubby doing walking speed because I was following a pedestrian who had used the car entrance to walk into the carpark. Diesel on a wet road and not even doing walking speed it went 90deg turning the car a full 180 by the time you add in the 90deg turn I was doing anyway. I went back and could see the film at the top of the hill... I understood why the pedestrian I followed was walking in to the carpark - the same way I did when I went back to check.

Apart from that I span the Tubby on the exit of Druids at Brands almost exactly six years ago to the day (Sat 25th Nov 2000) and backed it in to the armco.

Haven't spun since Druids on the road or the track (although I've had to catch it a few times on track) so I'm probably not trying hard enough

B.

[zak_godsell]

i still have not spun it yet but last week i nearly lost it.i was overtaking in 3rd gear at about 60mph when it span up and started to snake .i had a bit of a brown trouser moment but luckily i got away with it.i did not expect it to do that in a straigh line

[fizz]

i still have not spun it yet but last week i nearly lost it.i was overtaking in 3rd gear at about 60mph when it span up and started to snake .i had a bit of a brown trouser moment but luckily i got away with it.i did not expect it to do that in a straigh line

Welcome to MR2 tubby land...

[Bobby (aka Shaggar)]

i still have not spun it yet but last week i nearly lost it.i was overtaking in 3rd gear at about 60mph when it span up and started to snake .i had a bit of a brown trouser moment but luckily i got away with it.i did not expect it to do that in a straigh line

Welcome to MR2 tubby land...

Oi! watch it 4x4-boy!!!!!

[Greddy-Matt]

Ive only ever spun once, in the wet, on a long sweeping off-camber corner on a slope, Ive driven it thousands of times on my route to work through the New Forest.

I was driving on auto pilot and took the corner too fast for the conditions (although only about 30) and the back just went mid corner, I over corrected and the back end snapped back the other way, ended up about fiftyyards down the road facing the wrong way.

Totaly my fault, and have since adjusted my driving to suit but I guess it's complacency not curiosity that kills the cat.

[lower]

i span my old mr2 turbo within 3 weeks of ownership, which must be about 7 years ago now. I was 24 years old and had some experience of rear wheel drive cars, but had no experience of anything mid engined or anything anywhere near as powerful as an mr2 turbo.

roundabout by a petrol station, pouring rain, crappy tyres, me accelerating too hard for the conditions lead to a big slide, over correction, lots of fish tailing followed by a 180 degree spin. result was one damaged rear wheel bearing (which needed replacing 3k miles later, luckily the warranty covered it) and damage to my pride.

But i learnt my lesson and despite many spins on the track, i've never spun since on the road.

[shadowninja]

Still not spun my MR2. Must try harder.

[Bobby (aka Shaggar)]

Still not spun my MR2. Must try harder.

Go as fast as you can round a roundabout mate, you'll soon discover it!

[Blokey]

Still not spun my MR2. Must try harder.

Go as fast as you can round a roundabout mate, you'll soon discover it!

<Shudders> Reminds me of my first ever sideways moment as a driver. I went around the roundabout ok but accelerated too sharply too early whilst steering left to come off the roundabout and the tail stepped out.

B.

[Vindezal]

Ive had a few slips when I first got it like putting foot down on round about and seeing railings getting closer! lol

Since then Ive had good drifts on em

[inky]

If there's any members here from Coventry you might know the junction and lights in Radford. Coming from Four Pounds Avenue and heading to Radford there's a downhill slope with a bit of a right hand turn, that goes uphill again just after the lights.

I was coming home on a wet night and the lights were on green, admittedly must be my own fault in this case. As it hit the bottom of the slope as I went round, the back end went and I ended up spinning in a complete 180 and parked up very close against the kerb outside the chinese takeaway.... little chinese woman staring out the glass at me and shouting didn't do me any help either.

Now every time I go down there I'm careful... learning from mistakes.

[Blokey]

... I ended up spinning in a complete 180 and parked up very close against the kerb outside the chinese takeaway....

...even if you didn't want any - you really should have gone in and ordered something just for the hell of it!

B.