RE: Porsche spin-out (with no Alfa content)

["Tony Sims" <simstony@domain.elided>]

One thing no one ever seems to mention during the "evil Porsche handling"
discussions is that there's a much larger group of cars (driven by a much
larger and likely less skilled group of drivers) that will show you a bad time
if you get off the gas in the middle of a fast corner -- front wheel drive
cars. A shunt is a shunt, which end went in the weeds first is academic once
you're there.

The first front wheel drive car I ever drove was an early 80's Audi 4000.  I
was hustling it over a very twisty local road that I drove regularly in my
wanna-Bimmer Datsun 510 and my 2.8 Capri.  I went into a decreasing radius
turn a little too hot and the front was drifting wide.  My instinct, honed in
front engine, rear drive cars on often unpaved country roads, said "lift, let
the nose tuck and the tail come out a bit, and then get back on the throttle
and drift out clean".  My instincts learned a quick, expensive, and never
forgotten lesson in physics and front-wheel car control, and I learned that
Audi builds a pretty stout car.

The 911 is certainly a more likely candidate to generate enthusiast folklore
than most front drive cars (rally fans please start your angry responses now),
so I understand why the legend of trailing-throttle oversteer is known far and
wide.  Still, it's an unkind blemish on the record of a truly remarkable car.
I saw an article in EC or C&D recently where they drove a new Porsche and a
vintage 911 back to back.  The tester commented specifically on how the older
car was much more stable and easy to drive than he expected, given the
"legend".

Tony
Portland, OR
74 GTV

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided