Cornering Balance - Rear Engine Car
Discussion
I’ve just watched this Reg Local video on Cornering Balance (thanks Reg).
https://youtu.be/NGJLNKQxZ98
He recommends using the accelerator early through a corner to keep the car balanced, as this will shift weight to the back giving more grip to the rear tires. However, he mentions the car he’s in is front engined, and thus, accelerating helps balance the car.
My question is, how does this technique relate to a rear engined car? I’ve read that rear engined cars tend to oversteer if you lift off the accelerator while cornering. Which makes sense, with the sudden weight shift to the front end and tires losing grip at the rear. But I assume there is a tendency to understeer in a rear engined car if you accelerate while cornering, as the lighter front end will lift?
So, in relation to this video, does the same technique apply to rear engined cars?
Any advice would be much appreciated, or if you can suggest similar videos specific to rear engined cars. Thanks.
https://youtu.be/NGJLNKQxZ98
He recommends using the accelerator early through a corner to keep the car balanced, as this will shift weight to the back giving more grip to the rear tires. However, he mentions the car he’s in is front engined, and thus, accelerating helps balance the car.
My question is, how does this technique relate to a rear engined car? I’ve read that rear engined cars tend to oversteer if you lift off the accelerator while cornering. Which makes sense, with the sudden weight shift to the front end and tires losing grip at the rear. But I assume there is a tendency to understeer in a rear engined car if you accelerate while cornering, as the lighter front end will lift?
So, in relation to this video, does the same technique apply to rear engined cars?
Any advice would be much appreciated, or if you can suggest similar videos specific to rear engined cars. Thanks.
Yes, it applies to any engine/drive configuration being driven on the road & in my experience is especially good for 911s of any vintage.
It requires a systematic approach, setting position, speed & gear before reaching the turn-in point and then accompanying the first turn of the steering wheel with a small application of gas to settle the rear of the car at the start of the corner. Gas pedal pressure can then be increased as the corner develops (the amount of pressure is dependant on tightness & length of the corner), and increased further as the corner opens up. The result is a car which is settled right from the start of the corner, remains settled through the corner & exits positively under firm acceleration.
The important bit is that, once you’ve started to press the accelerator, the car should continue to accelerate (even if just by a very small amount) all the way round the corner. Lifting off mid-corner will unbalance the car & it will immediately feel “uncertain” & require additional steering inputs to stay on line. Keeping the gas applied, even just a bit, ensures that the rear tyres will accurately follow the front tyres & the car will feel planted through the corner.
Going back to the approach to the corner, when you’re setting the cars speed, if the speed of the corner is properly assessed (i.e. reduced to a speed which allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear), then understeer shouldn’t be an issue. It only becomes a problem at speeds which approach the cars limits of grip, which isn’t appropriate on the road.
Track techniques with these cars are different, with later braking encouraging a sharper turn-in under brakes, but your priorities on the track are very different to those on the road.
It requires a systematic approach, setting position, speed & gear before reaching the turn-in point and then accompanying the first turn of the steering wheel with a small application of gas to settle the rear of the car at the start of the corner. Gas pedal pressure can then be increased as the corner develops (the amount of pressure is dependant on tightness & length of the corner), and increased further as the corner opens up. The result is a car which is settled right from the start of the corner, remains settled through the corner & exits positively under firm acceleration.
The important bit is that, once you’ve started to press the accelerator, the car should continue to accelerate (even if just by a very small amount) all the way round the corner. Lifting off mid-corner will unbalance the car & it will immediately feel “uncertain” & require additional steering inputs to stay on line. Keeping the gas applied, even just a bit, ensures that the rear tyres will accurately follow the front tyres & the car will feel planted through the corner.
Going back to the approach to the corner, when you’re setting the cars speed, if the speed of the corner is properly assessed (i.e. reduced to a speed which allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear), then understeer shouldn’t be an issue. It only becomes a problem at speeds which approach the cars limits of grip, which isn’t appropriate on the road.
Track techniques with these cars are different, with later braking encouraging a sharper turn-in under brakes, but your priorities on the track are very different to those on the road.
Reg Local said:
Yes, it applies to any engine/drive configuration being driven on the road & in my experience is especially good for 911s of any vintage.
It requires a systematic approach, setting position, speed & gear before reaching the turn-in point and then accompanying the first turn of the steering wheel with a small application of gas to settle the rear of the car at the start of the corner. Gas pedal pressure can then be increased as the corner develops (the amount of pressure is dependant on tightness & length of the corner), and increased further as the corner opens up. The result is a car which is settled right from the start of the corner, remains settled through the corner & exits positively under firm acceleration.
The important bit is that, once you’ve started to press the accelerator, the car should continue to accelerate (even if just by a very small amount) all the way round the corner. Lifting off mid-corner will unbalance the car & it will immediately feel “uncertain” & require additional steering inputs to stay on line. Keeping the gas applied, even just a bit, ensures that the rear tyres will accurately follow the front tyres & the car will feel planted through the corner.
Going back to the approach to the corner, when you’re setting the cars speed, if the speed of the corner is properly assessed (i.e. reduced to a speed which allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear), then understeer shouldn’t be an issue. It only becomes a problem at speeds which approach the cars limits of grip, which isn’t appropriate on the road.
Track techniques with these cars are different, with later braking encouraging a sharper turn-in under brakes, but your priorities on the track are very different to those on the road.
Thanks Reg, that's very much appreciated. I'm slowly working my way through your videos, and hopefully I'll be able to put some of this into practice quite soon.It requires a systematic approach, setting position, speed & gear before reaching the turn-in point and then accompanying the first turn of the steering wheel with a small application of gas to settle the rear of the car at the start of the corner. Gas pedal pressure can then be increased as the corner develops (the amount of pressure is dependant on tightness & length of the corner), and increased further as the corner opens up. The result is a car which is settled right from the start of the corner, remains settled through the corner & exits positively under firm acceleration.
The important bit is that, once you’ve started to press the accelerator, the car should continue to accelerate (even if just by a very small amount) all the way round the corner. Lifting off mid-corner will unbalance the car & it will immediately feel “uncertain” & require additional steering inputs to stay on line. Keeping the gas applied, even just a bit, ensures that the rear tyres will accurately follow the front tyres & the car will feel planted through the corner.
Going back to the approach to the corner, when you’re setting the cars speed, if the speed of the corner is properly assessed (i.e. reduced to a speed which allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear), then understeer shouldn’t be an issue. It only becomes a problem at speeds which approach the cars limits of grip, which isn’t appropriate on the road.
Track techniques with these cars are different, with later braking encouraging a sharper turn-in under brakes, but your priorities on the track are very different to those on the road.
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