Placebo Effect | Warmer weather = better overall experience
 

This is just a mere observation of mine, nothing important or scientifically proven, just thought I'd share :)

I've only owned the FRS for about 2 months now, and we've been getting weirdly warm weather down here in the GTA for the past two days (20C and up).

Driving the car in the past 2 days has been way more fun than driving it in colder weather in the past month. I haven't adjusted my clutch height yet, but my shifts have seemed to become more smooth most of the time. The shifter itself glides into each gear buttery smooth, in fact I don't have to warm up the transmission in order to get smooth shifts. The engine also seems so much smoother, I don't know why!

Even the noise of the intake seems more refined, can this all be due to warm weather? I feel like this is just me encountering a serious case of the placebo effect, but I know there are subtle differences, I know I can't be tripping out this much.

For those who drive this car in the cold and warm weather, do you experience the same thing? Or is it just me? :iono:

Yup. When the temps are below 70 it feels like you have to manhandle all the inputs to keep things smooth. Granted I have the stock transmission fluid. Over 70, 1>2 super smooth and the rest of the gears just seem to work so much better. The clutch and gas feel easier to modulate too. I find that is true even after a long drive in cold weather. The car just does not like cold weather.

This also being an invitation to 'hoon-the-shit' out of the car.

Well for one your transmission could be smoother due to the fact that the fluid is warmer which helps guide the trans into gear better and will result in smoother shifts.

Once the car is warmed up I feel no difference in a thing no matter what the temperature is outside.

Bushings, door seals, engine mounts, diff mounts, and really anything with compliance is likely affected by extreme cold. Back during a bad cold snap, my all-seasons would flat spot from sitting overnight and thump for a few blocks. With fluids and rubber closer to operating temperature at ambient, no doubt the cumulative effect makes for a nicer drive.

this sounds like one of the positive effects of global warming.


Assuming you believe the hype, of course.

I had the opposite feeling in 100 degree F Arizona. Summers .... I ran the A/C all the time which robbed some of the power. Winters ... no A/C needed .... car was way more responsive.

I've posted my fastest lap times in the winter...

Not sure some of you know what "winter" means!


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...d07720f28b.jpg

Oh well, everyone hates California.

I'll just enjoy my 60-70F winters. And zero humidity in the summer.

I was debating making a post about exactly this. I've had my car since November, and only recently have we been seeing above 70 here in Chicago. I had zero confidence in the cold because the TC would kick in so often at the slightest input. Above 70, I can actually take turns quicker and power out of them without sliding. This car has so much more grip above 70 with the all-seasons, I can't imagine how sticky it gets with good tires.

"All seasons" should be called 3 seasons. They still get hard in the really cold weather.

Lower temps, like lower altitude improve performance.

At lower temps, air is more dense. Greater air density means an increased intake A/F mass. Its like environmental supercharging. On my MR2 turbo the ECU would lock into low boost mode when intake air temps were below 32F to protect the engine from the combined effects of high boost plus increased air density.

It's the same principle behind lost performance at high altitudes. High altitudes mean lower atmospheric pressure, hence less A/F charge density.