Miata Mailing List: January 1995, Message #173
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   From: dquara@encore.com (Doug Quara)
Subject: Re: Miatas - where is the edge?
   Date: Thu, 5 Jan 1995 15:24:38 -0500

Jim Andreas, On Jan 5,  3:02pm, writes:
> Subject: Miatas - where is the edge?
> 
> I have been holding onto this question for a bit.  Now that we
> have a good number of new Miata owners on the list, it seems
> a good time to ask.
> 
> The question is:  How to you "feel" the edge of the handling
> envelope in the Miata?   When will the car actually start
> to spin out on you?  How close to the "edge" do folks actually
> drive their cars?
> 

OK, I'll bite.

It definitely is a "feel" thing.  I've been to the "edge", where
*any* change would send the car off in another direction.

SMOOTH, SMOOTH, SMOOTH.  Or, thought of another way, BALANCED,
BALANCED, BALANCED.  To keep the car right on that "edge", it requires
a very delicate touch.  I don't necessarily mean delicate as in
dainty or subtle (steering, braking, and acceleration inputs
being subtle does help, though), but more in keeping the weight transfer
of the car progressive and once balanced, keeping it there.  Side-to-side
and front-to-back weight transfer are both important.

In general, in steady state cornering, the Miata is pretty neutral,
or will push *slightly* (of course, depending on alignment, tire
pressure, model of tire, etc.).  It's when entering or exiting a 
corner that the Miata will demonstrate some tendency to oversteer
(the tail comes out).

> Here is an example:
> 
> ----------
> I was putting Juliet through her paces before Christmas,
> still getting used to the excellent stock handling.  I came
> up to a nice flat country intersection, and turned a 90
> degree left turn with probably too much power.  The back end
> started to slip out (the car eventually turned about an
> extra 45 degrees left into the turn :-) and I corrected
> probably too much, the car grabbed and whipped back too far
> right.  You get the idea.  The classic teen-ager fishtail
> dance in the car.  Anyhow after that I didn't push the car
> quite that much. :-)
> -----------
> 

I suspect you subconsciously lifted or even braked entering the
turn.  The trick with the Miata (I learned after numerous autocrosses
with nelli, after a few years with a very different Mustang 5.0)
is to keep the weight on the rear wheels.  Do most of your braking
in a straight line, or all of your lifting to scrub off speed in
a straight line, and on turn-in, use slow hands to progressively
load the front tires.  Assuming you haven't lifted or done anything
else abruptly, the rear will follow.

> I realize that is something that you get too "feel" through
> practice, but perhaps somebody out there can give us newbies
> a talk-through on Miata driving tips.
> 
> Also, anybody know about a driving school in the Pacific Northwest?
> Is a driving school useful even for folks who don't (currently) have
> plans to drive in competition?
> 
> Jim Andreas
> Red 93A "Juliet"
> 
> 
> 
>-- End of excerpt from Jim Andreas

ABSOLUTELY!!  I can't say enough for autocrossing.  Most local clubs
offer very inexpensive autocross schools where one can explore the limits
of one's skill and a car's envelope.  In South Florida, there are two
clubs, and each offer an autocross school, and neither is more expensive
that $20.  Check your local SCCA chapter.

A formal driving school is more money, but again, probably worth it.
Even in the absence of ambitions to race in the Indy 500, schools can
teach life-saving techniques when faced with an obstacle.  Wouldn't
you like to know how to avoid hitting something?

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