*Really* sideways in an FWD car?

Lift-off oversteer. HTH.

Maybe with a little help from the handbrake or bad tyres.

It's not difficult /blush/ if you're foolish enough.

Currently, Kermit's wearing worn Continentals on the front, and brand new (well, JOGLEd 2,500 mile) Firestones on the back. When the Firestones were brand spanking new, and they had that 'orrible coating on, they were very sideways in the wet. As in, "slip-road-at-45-mph" slidy wet.

For the Ka, and the Puma too, to get it sideways you barrel into a corner under power. Get it turning under a moderate load to maintain the speed, then either snap up off the power, steer into it and apply power again, or if you're brave and have a delicate left foot, apply a little bit of brake (with the left foot) and nail the power.

You do learn how quick you need to be going to get this behaviour, but the steering and the noise from the tyres does tell you when you're at gooning speed. ;)

For me, the brilliance of the Ka / Fiesta / Puma chassis isn't how much grip it has, but how it is very easy to control when you're gooning. The PSA Group's chassis' may have more grip, but they snap into oversteer rather than drift, at least from the factory.

I've gotten sideways in a 1974 mini and a 1995 Cinquecento.

short cars seem to do it more than longer FWD cars IMO

Hmm. I've noticed the back end slide round a little if you back off the throttle slightly. I think I'll have to find somewhere to have a good mess around...

Tiff favours a bit of handbrake to loosen the back end and high corner entry speed to keep it there.

RWD is much more biddable and controllable IMHO.

naaaah - rover 800, volvo S60, Volvo S80, rover 600,, Vectra (old and new) and mondeo. had them all very sideways. Oh, and a zafira....

My 405 takes a lot of provoking, especially on the 205 tyres to get it to slide anywhere, sideways takes deliberate and excessive intent.

-- Dan

They tend to have more of there mass over the front wheels to begin with and being taller (relative to there length) they have a larger weight transfer forward under braking. You can get almost any car to go if you provoke it hard enough.

I noticed when I had about 5 minutes of driving a Caterham on grass... I doubt I'll be getting a Caterham soon though.

Where exactly could I practice becoming sideways? I imagine they don't take kindly to it on trackdays, and the nearest car park isn't exactly the brightest idea in the world.

pass me the keys....

Skid pan, deserted airfield, M6 in rush hour...

Only cos it's underpowered. With both of mine, if you barreled round on corner on full power (all weight to the back) and lifted off the accelerator, the back came round (all weight to the front).

How progressive the break-away is?

Actually, technically it's not.

Drift is a neutral slide, in which all wheels have the same amount of (or lack of) traction.

Tim, you're sick :-)

Done anymore videos yet?

heh - no, and to be honest I've not managed to shake the back end of the new zafira, not driven it enough - but the old one was drift city!

Volvo S40 understeers so heavy you need handbrake assistance. New MINI is the front drive car if you like a "lively" (or downright dangerous) chassis.

Got a Spacewagon very sidways on the roundabout at the top of J32a on the M1 on the way to Donington Park once. That's seven up.

Pah, easy peasy. Either the lift off mid corner, brake mid corner and yank the change-direction-handle. Please dont try it unless you know how to react to it, or you're in an empty car park!

See my website for photographic evidence :)

Carl

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