200: Well.. I almost died.

[Kazumz]

Headed in to a left hander, hit the brakes and the rears locked (Sport Contacts 3) and the Potenzas didn't, the result of which was half braking power and me tapping a grass bank on the wrong side of the road.

Feel free to call me a **** but if you have something serious to contribute like how I can avoid this in the future (apart from "Not going fast") then feel free. Tell me how to drive properly and why the backs locked up like that...

LINK REMOVED - Out of respect for my insurers.

Excuse the chav accent at the end. Adrenaline and all. I knew they had locked up half way down the strip so went in to total concentration mode.

Yeah, I've learnt my lesson. Damn...

 

[JB40k]

I can't 100% tell from the video, but did you brake mid-corner?

 

[Kazumz]

I can't 100% tell from the video, but did you brake mid-corner?

I cant remember to be honest, was hell of a rush. Clearly I didn't do too bad. I don't think I braked mid corner though. I stepped back on it when I knew I was going far too wide.

You can hear the thump before the corner where the backs locked up.

 

[Chris]

By the looks of it you realised you were too fast into the corner and then broke mid corner, as above.

Did you know the road?

 

[Kazumz]

By the looks of it you realised you were too fast into the corner and then broke mid corner, as above.

Did you know the road?

Go down it regularly. I have no idea how it happened. I did brake late but I didn't think the tyres would give up that easily!

 

[Womble]

Easy, never fit different makes or types of tyre to your car. I never have and never will. It is said that you should have the same type and make of tyre on each axle, but personally, I don't believe in chancing my life with tyres that act differently. You have one brand that uses a stiff sidewall and a soft compound at one end of the car, then a soft wall tyre with a harder compound on the rear. You are going to loose the rear before the front. That is why they fit 4 tyres the same when it is new. And before the Porsche argument starts, all the tyres are the same, just different sizes

 

[Merde Francais]

It looks like you hit a kerb on the far side? Hope the car didn't hit it too hard if it was a kerb

 

[Kazumz]

Easy, never fit different makes or types of tyre to your car. I never have and never will. It is said that you should have the same type and make of tyre on each axle, but personally, I don't believe in chancing my life with tyres that act differently. You have one brand that uses a stiff sidewall and a soft compound at one end of the car, then a soft wall tyre with a harder compound on the rear. You are going to loose the rear before the front. That is why they fit 4 tyres the same when it is new. And before the Porsche argument starts, all the tyres are the same, just different sizes

They came with the car when I bought it so I was trying to use them up really. I think that's what happened. You can hear the thump of the rears locking up and it all went from there really. The potenzas did well though to bring me around that corner although I did feel them give up half way around too. I literally slid around it.

 

[Kazumz]

It looks like you hit a kerb on the far side? Hope the car didn't hit it too hard if it was a kerb

It was a tilted curb so the car just slid up it and on to the mud and debris. The alloy is scratched to hell though!

 

[Stephenvenning]

First your entry speed looks to high. The reason the rears locked is the clio is somewhat I find over braked on the rear, mix this with less weight over the rear and hey presto you can lock rear.

With different tyres I don't think this made the difference, as long as you don't have different tyres left to right then you should be fine. I know it's not the same but I always run different tyres on my downhill mountain bike, hard compound on the rear and super tacky on the front for quicker turn in.

 

[Kazumz]

Think the worst thing about it all is that there could have been a mother and her kids on the opposite side of the road... Damn, stuff makes you think.

 

[Iain 007]

Entry speed potentially too high.

Braking mid corner hasn't helped if you did.

If you're going to drive fast, find somewhere safe and learn the lift-off oversteer characteristics of your car. It could have saved you there.

 

[Kazumz]

First your entry speed looks to high. The reason the rears locked is the clio is somewhat I find over braked on the rear, mix this with less weight over the rear and hey presto you can lock rear.

With different tyres I don't think this made the difference, as long as you don't have different tyres left to right then you should be fine. I know it's not the same but I always run different tyres on my downhill mountain bike, hard compound on the rear and super tacky on the front for quicker turn in.

Think that's what happened. The rears locked and I powerslid around the corner and in to the mud. Any way to sort this out or is it just the behavior of the car? I'm a massive novice with these higher end cars and it certainly shows.

 

[Kazumz]

Entry speed potentially too high.

Braking mid corner hasn't helped if you did.

If you're going to drive fast, find somewhere safe and learn the lift-off oversteer characteristics of your car. It could have saved you there.

You think I could have saved that? At the time it looked like there was no hope but to slam on. Yeah, I'll have to get some safe practice in.

 

[Dedespo]

Having different type of radials front and rear will hardly produce any unsettled behaviour on its own. Having different wear rates between the two axis and especially more worn rear than front is a much bigger factor so if your contis are screwed up then its no mystery.

 

[Chris]

Think the worst thing about it all is that there could have been a mother and her kids on the opposite side of the road... Damn, stuff makes you think.

Cant think like that, if there was a mother and kids in the way for when everyone makes a mistake in a car, there wouldn't be much of a next generation of kids growing up.

The problem is, as you mentioned you know the road very well, a lot of accidents happen when people know the road, simply cos they get cocky and sure of themselves. I nearly spun my last car cos I had to go into work very early in the morning, I went round the same corner the same speed I normally do, the road was damp cos of the night, and nearly lost the back end. Always respected it since.

 

[Jamz72]

I've never had my rears lock up like that.. seems very strange. I'm not convinced on the whole 'front & rear tyres should have been the same' argument either. Maybe it was just poor/worn tyres on the rear that caused it (if so, having the same on the front would've just made it worse!).

I genuinely lol'd at your "chav accent" at the end though! What do you even say?!

 

[Jimmy]

You make some good points there Chris. I reckon we're all guilty of pushing our luck a bit sometimes, but the important thing is that we learn from our mistakes - it makes us better drivers in the long run.

I can sympathise with you Kazumz in that I'm new to RS ownership too (it's the most powerful car I've owned) so I am still getting used to it's potential and of course it's limitations. It isn't so easy/safe to do that on the public roads, which is why I'm giving serious thought to a trackday and some tuition.

 

[Chris]

I probably wouldn't suggest turning your traction off.

 

[Merde Francais]

You did not powerslide