do's and don'ts of RWD in the FRS
 

seems like a good topic to have around here as this will be a lot of people's first RWD car. lets get into some of the do's and dont's while driving the car. and the proper way to recover if you do something wrong while on the road.

If you're new to RWD, do NOT turn the VSC and Traction Control completely off.

Don't chop off the throttle suddenly if you are turning or you are traveling at a high rate of speed.

Don't mash the throttle in snowy or wet conditions unless you are prepared for what can happen.

Don't start a sentence with "Hey guys, watch this!" and proceed to do something stupid...:D

Try to master heel & toe if you downshift a lot, it will save you the headache of spinning out in the rain or even dry.

This, im assuming, is the most easily overlooked thing when it comes to RWD...





Im not super experienced with RWD, just curious if you could elaborate on this?

How about, dont "slam" it into 2nd going around a turn from a dead stop... idk how it is for all cars, but i did it in my aunts camaro ss, all i have to say is good thing the road was wide and no cars were around haha.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift-off_oversteer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_oversteer

So true! Even worse if it's followed by "Hold my beer!"

Also do go to the track or auto X. A great way to learn about your car and driving dynamics is to take the car to the limits, and going over them in a controlled environment.

That's why I was going to disagree with the earlier poster about not turning off the VSC/ traction control. I'd urge you to DO turn those off, so you can get a feel for how a RWD vehicle responds to certain conditions and driver's inputs; just make sure you do it somewhere safe, and take it slow. Learn how to reliably and instinctually flick the ass of the car around while doing a tight U-turn before trying to become the next Ken Gushi.

Agree. Deserted parking lots can be your friend in this regard. Understanding to turn into the skid when your ass gets loose in a turn is something that people need to learn how to do. Get to know the sensation of fishtailing when you've got time to learn and no innocent third parties at risk.

Might also help to bring an experienced friend along.

Like most racing, you want to do your shifting before entering the turn. That way, when you are in the turn, you are already at your ideal powerband.
Your focus durning the turn should be throttle and steering. Shifting even when its done right will upset the balance.

only place to take off trac and vsc off is during autox and maybe the track! Drive safe!

This is easy.

DO be careful and take the time to learn how to properly drive the car.


DON'T be a tool and drive the car outside of your or its ability. If you do then people will just point and laugh in the best case scenario or cry and mourn in the worst.

I'm glad to see this thread made, truth be told I almost made it myself. I'm going from FWD to RWD with the FR-S so this is good advice to have. Thanks!

Disagree.

The first time you want someone spinning out is not when they could be eating a cone or hitting a wall. Both of those environments put a premium on running very fast.

Again, I think deserted, flat parking lot with an experienced teacher is the best first place to learn.

Of course, none of this would be an issue if driving schools in the US actually taught people how to drive in adverse conditions, like how driving schools in Finland do it.