Yesterday I experienced my first four-wheel drift! On my drive home from work I exit Rt. 301 East via a cloverleaf-type ramp onto Rt. 213 North. When there are no other cars around and road conditions are good I like to take the ramp at a pretty good clip. Yesterday I braked late and entered the curve at about 60 MPH. About halfway around the curve I had this sensation that I was not only moving around the curve, but also had a lateral component to the motion. The car seems to have broken a little bit loose. The drift was so smooth and balanced that I almost didn't notice. I'm sure a passenger would not have noticed. It made me a bit nervous, but I was very impressed with how well the car handled the situation. Perhaps if I were in a 911 I would have found myself with the rear end pointed the wrong way???

Perhaps the fact that I've had the car for six years and this is the first time I broke the wheels loose means I'm a wuss. Granted I don't always follow posted speed limits <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> , but I do try to exercise some level of responsibility on public roads. I don't think I will intentionally try the drift again on a public road, but it sure was an interesting feeling.

Now I think I have truly experienced why people say the 944 is such a fantastic car.

 

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" title="" src="graemlins/bigok.gif" />

 

Mark:
It's time for autox and DE for you!!!! Now you know what you're missing. hehehe...

-Z.

 

When I had my '86 N/A, I use to love that feeling yet it was hard in normal conditions to get that to happen. Then I bought a turbo, all I have to say is that it doesn't take much to send her in that direction.

 

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

 

It's definately a different story in the turbo.. you can get the wheels loose pretty much any time you want.

It's raining right now, but I'm not gonna drive because its just not safe. She'll spin the tires while on the move in 3rd. Still, its VERY predictable and you still feel like you've got a great feeling of control.

 

It's all about the rain. I'll probably get slammed for this, but I've always found the rain to be the best weather for playing with the limits of the car. You have lower grip, and consequently lower speeds, which add a margin of safety. The trade off is visibility. IMHO, it's great for practicing your new discovery.

Congrats!
-Jon
'88 951

 

Mark, you want 4 wheel drift? check out the GPL movie thread I'm about to post...

 

Yeah i'm going with Z on this one, time for some track time / auto-x time, both will allow you to explore that feeling over and over again in a "controled" eneviroment.

But the balance of the 44 series of cars is incredible, very easy to balance the car, and guide it with the throttle, and quite enjoyable to do so as wel....

 

Jon M - nah, you won't get slammed, you're absolutely right. This is why manufacturer test tracks and some driving schools have wet courses (or use outrigger wheels to reduce the traction of the main tires).

Take away your grip and it's much easier to get to 10/10ths - as well as get into trouble if you get a little carried away, don't ask me how I know..(should have saved my pics of a tire on Fuchs with a bunch of gravel jammed into the space at the edge, yet the tires held air)...YMMV Al

 

Al,
One of my instructors mentioned that he had a guy at a tire shop pull a handful of gravel out of the inside of the tire, after an "off." I've got no doubts about your experience. ;-)

Like anything, you have to leave yourself the margin for error. Sometimes you don't leave enough. :-(
-J

 

There's a HUGE abandoned parking lot near me, and I always wind up there when it snows a lot. After experiencing multiple slides at pretty low speeds, I know how to react better.

I had to drive the 944 for the first time in the rain the other day, and it was HEAVY rain. Halfway through a nice, long curve, my tires hit a puddle and I started to slide. Having been through it before, I kinda knew what I was doing and was able to keep everything under control.

 

Thanks for the uplifting feedback!

I actually did a PCA-sponsored high performance driving clinic at Summit Point last November. I got loose on the skidpad, but I never got to the point of cutting the wheels loose on the track. I am already signed up for my first DE: with Metro NY region at Summit Point at the end of July. Any Rennlisters planning to be there?

 

Congratulations. Let's keep it to the large empty parkinglots and Auto-X's. Drifting, I think, is a great way to learn car control.

 

Don't go for the 4 wheel drifts if you don't have nice safe runoffs. Curbs, other cars, etc. make for a bad experience... Go to the track where you can really let it hang out.

I bought my first 944 NA just so I could go to the track and drive ***** to the wall in the corners. My wish was fulfilled. The 944 NA drifts plenty easy if you have enough speed into the corner. Floats like a dream. Occasionally goes off track, too, but no harm done. I got the turbo last summer cuz the NA just didn't get from corner to corner fast enough. Still haven't been to the track with turbo power, but after this weekend I'll have completed the major work to meet tech inspection and I'll be ready to go!

Summit Point, hmmmmm...