Have you spun your MR2?

[Lauren]

... 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.

avec pomme frite of course.

[inky]

Aw, then they would have thought I parked like that on purpose, and thought "What a knob!"

The more I think of that bit of road the worse it sounds, its like a downhill left bend that turns into a right hand uphill curve. Plays with your car's balance a treat

[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.

avec pomme frite of course.

LOL - That didn't get in to J5's articule either

B.

[jim]

I span my first MR2 (1988 Mk1) on my 8th day of ownership, coming off a roundabout after heavy rain (about 30-40 MPH). It surprised the crap out of me, and I didn't know what to do, so it ended up rather bent and written off, after hitting a lamp post sideways.

Needless to say, I bought another MR2 (an identical 1988 Mk1) and ran that for 4 years, before getting my current MR2 (1994 turbo tbar). I've not spun this one yet, but I still only go 5 miles per hour around any bend since the first incident

Jim

[RyanRs]

nope, not spun mine yet... have come very close, but i fink the fact i used to play way too much GT2 on the PS2 , i got away with it hehe!

altho, i have been in a few carparks , when its chucking it down... Practising

what is the laws of going into a private carpark and spining the car a few times -like if the police drove by and see you??

iv taken my mr2 off the road now as i am rebuilding my engine, fort its the best time to do it realy as me tax runs out this month, so does me insurance, and its dangerous driving in the winter... in general!

[Lauren]

what is the laws of going into a private carpark and spining the car a few times -like if the police drove by and see you??

I think they will take a dim view of it unless its on your own private ground i.e. not somebody else's.

Go on a driver training day and learn to do it there because you'll be able to do it at more realistic speeds.

[Tiamat]

what is the laws of going into a private carpark and spining the car a few times -like if the police drove by and see you??

Could be arrested for causing a disturbance.
If you cause any damage to kerbs etc could be classed as criminal damage.
The proprietor of the estate could sue you for tresspass.
If anyone is around then it could be classed as dangerous driving.

The permuations are endless.

Alot of people do it though and it is an easy and free way to learn abotu handling at low speeds in things like ice and heavy rain.

As Lauren says, the best way to do it is at a handling day - you do then get a variety of speeds. Though there is the drawback of no ice or maybe no rain.

If you do decide to use a car park,make sure there is nothing to hit, no-one around and that you are sensible about how you do it - there is a difference between learning to handle your car and hooning it around like a lunatic. Also make sure you not going to be disturbing any local residents with a loud exhaust or stereo either.

Ultimately though, you may be committing a criminal offence but if you are careful and only do it a few times to learn about your car and then leave sensibly without damage to anything - the chances are you'll not be disturbed or suffer any consequences.

[Si_Crewe]

Managed to get my 2 sideways on loose roads in summer (sharp left turns onto country roads where you can see there's nothing coming) and I'm used to "exciting" handling from other cars.

Several times I have found myself looking toward the exit of a roundabout through the passenger window of my BMW in the wet but, as yet, I have NEVER had my 2 lose traction accidentally. My 911 can be entertaining when slowing down and cornering at the same time too.

Gotta say, I'm probably driving the 2 like an old woman in this weather though.
I've never once had it step out of line accidentally yet.
I really am making an effort to slow down for corners and trail the throttle until I'm right around.
There have been a couple of times when a tight bend has snuck up on me and the feeling has usually been "Oh sh*t, I'm gonna cra.....Oh, that was pretty uneventful. Phew!".

I must say, I'm kind of gun-shy about spinning. My 911 is one of the all-time nasties for spinning. The TR8 I used to have was probably even worse than the 911. My BMW is has a "reputation" for being tail-happy in the wet and it's a really a pussycat.

I'm pretty sure that most of the people who get caught-out by a 2 are people coming from FWD cars, people pushing harder and harder or people who (as we all sometimes do) overcook it and are harsh with the brake or accelerator.

So far my 2 and I are doing a good job of looking after each other in corners though.

[inky]

I had an F-plate 911 CSC a few years ago .... never ever spun that, but thats only cos I drove it so slowly so everyone could see me posing

[raze tekniq]

Spun mine a few times on the track, but never on the road. Got pretty close once, I came round a bend a little too fast and the back stepped out, so the car was 90degrees to where I should have been faceing, after correcting I 180'd faceing the other direction. This happened 4 times but managed to keep it out of the ditch and off the curbs, just about!! I don't mind losing it on track but I try not to on the road!! I don't like walking!!

[Si_Crewe]

I know this is tempting fate but, I gotta say, I find that understeering is more of a problem that oversteering.

Today, for example, I was trundling along a country lane looking for the turn off to the garage where I was getting my 2 fettled and I didn't see the turn until the last second. I hit the brakes and the front slid slightly (this all only happened at about 15-20mph), I collected it up, braked again and made the turn.
I mention that as an example of the sort of slides I'm finding more typical of MR2 ownership.

I don't mean to insult anybody and I know there's always situations which are unexpected (tightening corners, diesel etc) but I always think oversteering is more usually a result of a heavy right foot than adverse road conditions.

Incidentally, on the way back from the garage tonight I was behind a Volvo T5 and a Punto.
On a straight we both overtook the Punto and, honestly, I didn't have a hope in hell of keeping up with the T5.
It was dark, raining, road covered in leaves and I didn't really know the road but, if I'd tried to even keep up with him I would have ended up in a hedge. I was actually catching him on the first couple of straights but he seemed to have a lot more confidence in the cornering of his volvo. I hope he was trying cos, fork me, that thing p1ssed all over my 2 in those conditions!

[Blokey]

I think driving style has an enormous effect on how tight or loose a car is. I was convinced my NA would understeer to oblivion because when I was driving - that's what it did.

I was only when Lauren took me out for a passenger ride at Angers that I realised just how tail happy it could be.

These days on the track in the SC (having sold the NA) I've found how to get the car to move between being tight and loose and learned some of the tricks to do that - but they're kept for the track and not the road because I feel I have to put the car on or slightly beyond the edge to be able to use them - and that's not something for the roads.

Perhaps with time and growing confidence that's something that can be used every day on the roads and perhaps that's what matey in his Volvo was doing.....? ...or perhaps he/she was being lucky....?

B.

[mattcambs]

Incidentally, on the way back from the garage tonight I was behind a Volvo T5 and a Punto.
On a straight we both overtook the Punto and, honestly, I didn't have a hope in hell of keeping up with the T5.
It was dark, raining, road covered in leaves and I didn't really know the road but, if I'd tried to even keep up with him I would have ended up in a hedge. I was actually catching him on the first couple of straights but he seemed to have a lot more confidence in the cornering of his volvo. I hope he was trying cos, fork me, that thing p1ssed all over my 2 in those conditions!

No doubt FWD and softer suspension than the mr2 helped a lot in these conditions. Oh yeah and the fact that the T5s have around 225bhp!

The main reason you couldn't keep up was simply that you didn't know the road (and it was dark). So don't worry mate.

[Si_Crewe]

Incidentally, on the way back from the garage tonight I was behind a Volvo T5 and a Punto.
On a straight we both overtook the Punto and, honestly, I didn't have a hope in hell of keeping up with the T5.
It was dark, raining, road covered in leaves and I didn't really know the road but, if I'd tried to even keep up with him I would have ended up in a hedge. I was actually catching him on the first couple of straights but he seemed to have a lot more confidence in the cornering of his volvo. I hope he was trying cos, fork me, that thing p1ssed all over my 2 in those conditions!

No doubt FWD and softer suspension than the mr2 helped a lot in these conditions. Oh yeah and the fact that the T5s have around 225bhp!

The main reason you couldn't keep up was simply that you didn't know the road (and it was dark). So don't worry mate.

Heh! Thanks for the reassurance.

Don't get me wrong, most of my posts tend to promote safe, careful driving but I don't drive a 911 turbo cos of the amount of shopping I can get in it.

I'd just got the car back from the garage and, as I said, it was an awful night, road covered in leaves etc, so I definately didn't want to push it.
I've been in similar situations before though. It's the worst feeling in the world when the front's sliding on the brakes, the back's sliding under power and the car in front is STILL getting further away. You know you're trying as hard as you can but you're just outgunned.

On a similar note, it was thick fog here last night and I was doing about 30 when I realised the fog was getting much thicker and I was relying more on my knowledge of the road than what I could actually see!
I slowed down to about 15mph and, at the same time, noticed a set of lights in my mirror.
The car behind caught up with me in about 10 seconds. Must've still been doing 60mph.
Then proceeded to sit on my bumper all the way into town. I was headed for the supermarket and the car followed me into the car-park and parked next to me.
Turned out to be some old granny.
Sometimes you think people are driving like lunatics when, in fact, it's just that they're totally oblivious to any danger.

[Mikey P MR2]

I have had two mr2’s over the last 2 yrs and never span either of them on the road (touch wood), I too also used to be fairly sceptical of the oil/diesel on the road story spins too.
However about 2 weeks ago I bought my self a nice silver supra and had it all of a week before I managed to spin it and write it off.
Although only doing about 25mph coming off around about I caught a patch of diesel and span out very quickly tried to catch it, kept it out of the traffic but went into some railings and its now a write off.
I wasn’t used to the car and have to say was shocked at how quickly it all happened defiantly less grip in a Supra than an Mr2. The police who attended and sanded the road, said diesel related accidents are now getting more common and blame all the trucks on the road. Quite gutted but least I still have my mr2 , although when I get the insurance pay out I think I will get a turbo mr2 as I am defiantly more used to them and feel a bit safer with more weight over the back wheels.

[rmarr1980]

I did my tubby not so happy with the outcome tho! (please dont frown on me too much!!)

I took my bravery pills one night in the wet and took my beloved for a night out to Skegness as its not far from me and I love the road. Anyway after setting off for nice gentle drive I found that my mate had cought up with me in his RX8 so things started to get a little bit more paced and thenafter about 10mins it turned into who had the biggest balls and we were doing a nice 120mph.

3 corners later (sideways on most of them) I decided to check out the fuel gauge and that now was a good time to slow down before I run out of fuel or kill myself. I made it to the next corner near Partney roundabout came round the long righthander and followed the RX8 into the unknown he twitched and I span doing around 90-100mph at the time I managed to bounce of the verge a few time then came to a halt and shat myself.

I was still facing forward (cant be bad) drove the car off the verge and across the road to the right side (not so good) started to hear grinding noises and the steering was a bit off I got out and checked the damage and nearly cried my eyes out rang my mate who came flying back in his car and all he could say was "Oh I felt my car twitch so I just turned my traction control back on".

Now after a new rear quater and some suspension mountings she is well again and looks like new (nearly anyway as have sent her back to get the rest of the car painted as couldn't afford it at the time and the engine is out for a re-furb).

[Big Jim]

yea i spun my mr2 rihgt into a hedge and had to rite it off

chech out the WHAT HAPPENED WAS post in DRIVING EXPERENCES [/url]

[Ad Mayo]

I have spun mine 180 on wet roundabout luckily my mate in his crx was behind me he still got a shock when he came round the roundabout and I was facing him. There was a bloke on the path just shaking his head. My girlfriend was white as ghost. I have also done it again chacing a civic sport so as we entered the wet roundabout at 50 I lost traction I did an amazing drift it was perfectly sideways then it mounted the roundabout. I put a dent in an alloy it could have been alot worse. That has definately calmed me down only in the wet.

[Big Jim]

That has definately calmed me down only in the wet.

lol yea right

[krista-mr2]

not spun but the back end lost it last night when doing less than 30 through a roundabout. and i have good tyres. must be my driving.