traction

[GregorJP]

A little story for everyone about traction and the winter.

Before I got my CSL, I had a 997 911. Before the 911, I had an E46 M3 that I loved more than life itself. Bought it at 20,000, ran it 'til 110,000. So why did I get the 911 in between and not stick with M3s?

Well...

One fine winter Saturday I was on my way with my wife and children to Homebase in Hatfield. By this time, I was very comfortable with my E46 M3 and, as a matter of course, switched off the traction before any journey. I always felt the traction control was too restrictive and the car was nice and predictable anyway. So, we come to the Welwyn Garden City roundabout (Shimmy will know it well) and I turn right to hit the dual carriageway to Hatfield.

At this point, my wife told me not to do my usual favourite trick, which is to attempt a nice drift round the roundabout. There was no traffic, but I listened anyway, and pottered around. I then hit the dual carriageway, a very straight stretch. Accelerate gently, second, third gear.

At about 60mph while accelerating, the revs rose very suddenly, the rear wheels spun up and the car jinked left towards the barrier. I tried to correct it. We then fishtailed right, left again, hard right and hit full lock and then we hit the barrier backwards on the rear driver's side. The car then slid a good 6 car lengths along the barrier, scraping the whole side of the car. £8k of damage. Most embarrassing.

After that, I thought I'd try the 911 given that I wasn't competent enough to handle the M3. I never drive CSL without the traction on in the winter and in fact have now tucked him up to hibernate.

[shimmy]

A little story for everyone about traction and the winter.

Before I got my CSL, I had a 997 911. Before the 911, I had an E46 M3 that I loved more than life itself. Bought it at 20,000, ran it 'til 110,000. So why did I get the 911 in between and not stick with M3s?

Well...

One fine winter Saturday I was on my way with my wife and children to Homebase in Hatfield. By this time, I was very comfortable with my E46 M3 and, as a matter of course, switched off the traction before any journey. I always felt the traction control was too restrictive and the car was nice and predictable anyway. So, we come to the Welwyn Garden City roundabout (Shimmy will know it well) and I turn right to hit the dual carriageway to Hatfield.

At this point, my wife told me not to do my usual favourite trick, which is to attempt a nice drift round the roundabout. There was no traffic, but I listened anyway, and pottered around. I then hit the dual carriageway, a very straight stretch. Accelerate gently, second, third gear.

At about 60mph while accelerating, the revs rose very suddenly, the rear wheels spun up and the car jinked left towards the barrier. I tried to correct it. We then fishtailed right, left again, hard right and hit full lock and then we hit the barrier backwards on the rear driver's side. The car then slid a good 6 car lengths along the barrier, scraping the whole side of the car. £8k of damage. Most embarrassing.

After that, I thought I'd try the 911 given that I wasn't competent enough to handle the M3. I never drive CSL without the traction on in the winter and in fact have now tucked him up to hibernate.

Oooooooopps

Lucky the boys in blue didn't see, they are always toddling between the A1M and station at that roundabout.

:thumbs:

[GregorJP]

On the contrary, the boys in blue did see - they were heading in the opposite direction on the dual carriageway when it happened. They put the lights on, whizzed round and blocked the road. They then greeted me as I emerged from the car, red-faced, holding what remained of my rear bumper which was 50 yards down the road.

In fairness, they were cool. They wrote an accident report up, but the most I ever heard about it was the council telling me my insurance company having to pay for damage to the barrier.
:beer:

[mattCSLnut]

A little story for everyone about traction and the winter.

One fine winter Saturday I was on my way with my wife and children to Homebase in Hatfield. By this time, I was very comfortable with my E46 M3 and, as a matter of course, switched off the traction before any journey. I always felt the traction control was too restrictive and the car was nice and predictable anyway. So, we come to the Welwyn Garden City roundabout (Shimmy will know it well) and I turn right to hit the dual carriageway to Hatfield.

At this point, my wife told me not to do my usual favourite trick, which is to attempt a nice drift round the roundabout. There was no traffic, but I listened anyway, and pottered around. I then hit the dual carriageway, a very straight stretch. Accelerate gently, second, third gear.

At about 60mph while accelerating, the revs rose very suddenly, the rear wheels spun up and the car jinked left towards the barrier. I tried to correct it. We then fishtailed right, left again, hard right and hit full lock and then we hit the barrier backwards on the rear driver's side. The car then slid a good 6 car lengths along the barrier, scraping the whole side of the car. £8k of damage. Most embarrassing.

After that, I thought I'd try the 911 given that I wasn't competent enough to handle the M3. I never drive CSL without the traction on in the winter and in fact have now tucked him up to hibernate.

I presume you were on normal summer tyres and ambient temps were near or below 7 deg C ? Sounds like you hit a stretch of black ice or diesel spill and got a tank slapper on.

[GregorJP]

Correct. It was a chilly day and I had my summer shoes on. But the killer issue was - I had the traction control off. :119:

[0836whimper]

Not good.

A friend of mine totalled his S2000 whilst driving back from a test drive he was giving a prospective buyer, who had just agreed to buy it :smt087

Apparently the VTEC kicked in....and that was that.

The cops were great with him too apparently, they gave the impression it wasn't the first time they had seen an S2000 speared into a barrier.

[Trawler]

A little story for everyone about traction and the winter.

Before I got my CSL, I had a 997 911. Before the 911, I had an E46 M3 that I loved more than life itself. Bought it at 20,000, ran it 'til 110,000. So why did I get the 911 in between and not stick with M3s?

Well...

One fine winter Saturday I was on my way with my wife and children to Homebase in Hatfield. By this time, I was very comfortable with my E46 M3 and, as a matter of course, switched off the traction before any journey. I always felt the traction control was too restrictive and the car was nice and predictable anyway. So, we come to the Welwyn Garden City roundabout (Shimmy will know it well) and I turn right to hit the dual carriageway to Hatfield.

At this point, my wife told me not to do my usual favourite trick, which is to attempt a nice drift round the roundabout. There was no traffic, but I listened anyway, and pottered around. I then hit the dual carriageway, a very straight stretch. Accelerate gently, second, third gear.

At about 60mph while accelerating, the revs rose very suddenly, the rear wheels spun up and the car jinked left towards the barrier. I tried to correct it. We then fishtailed right, left again, hard right and hit full lock and then we hit the barrier backwards on the rear driver's side. The car then slid a good 6 car lengths along the barrier, scraping the whole side of the car. £8k of damage. Most embarrassing.

After that, I thought I'd try the 911 given that I wasn't competent enough to handle the M3. I never drive CSL without the traction on in the winter and in fact have now tucked him up to hibernate.

Not nice to hear. Three times on different occasions on the M11 while accelerating after having to slow down I have had the wheels spin up. Frightened the life out of me. No rain & warm. Can only put it down to diesel or something similar.

[mattCSLnut]

Correct. It was a chilly day and I had my summer shoes on. But the killer issue was - I had the traction control off. :119:

Agreed that didn't help.

[shane@mbtech]

I had my Gtr breaking traction at 100mph on the motorway

Ass clenching moment. :whistle:

Cold weather, cold 888's and 600+BHP has this effect

[Bounce]

I had my Gtr breaking traction at 100mph on the motorway

Ass clenching moment. :whistle:

Cold weather, cold 888's and 600+BHP has this effect

Do many people have ass clenching moments in your cars then Shane.:wink:

[shane@mbtech]

Do many people have ass clenching moments in your cars then Shane.:wink:

Depends if I whip it out or not!

The tail of the car that is :finga:

[73CSL]

Another CSL Alpine Adventure pic :smt055

The Furka :supz:

Done that in my 1973 911