Originally Posted by
Buller_Scott
yet the last couple of days have had me thinking "man, the same tyres, and the same suspension on the micra, and all things being equal, it'd kill my car for mid corner speed"
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the micra does have good suspension balance right out of the box (although too softly sprung when pushing it in corners - mine rolls over its front outside tyre, but that's nothing that coilovers and lower profile tyres wouldnt fix)... just goes to show that good driving fun comes in all forms.
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my new found fondness for tiny engined cars with little weight up front, i've got the biggest chubby for the VW gt UP!!!... it's just been given the go ahead, and im going to bash some VWA people if they dont bring it here. no, it wont be the fastest car on the road, but im guessing that (so long as the feel/feedback is good) it'll have you laughing with glee around every single corner you throw at it.
One thing to consider is that as well as being easier to make a light vehicle handle well than a heavier one, it is also easier to make it handle well if it has less power. And part of the equation is narrow tyres as the lower scrub radius improves steering response and the tyre is less affected by camber changes.
As an example, the original Ford Ka (don't laugh) is gutless and has tiny tyres but is also one of the best handling FWD cars ever made and just about any attempt to modify its suspension or adding more power upsets the fine balance of the car. Even playing with tyre pressures can quite noticably adversely alter its handling. The Sports variant (wider tyres, stiffer suspension, more power) is faster but the handling is not as sharp.
Last edited by kaanage; 17-02-2012 at 08:53 AM.
Reason: corrections
Resident grumpy old fart
VW - Metallic Paint, Radial Tyres, Laminated Windscreen, Electric Windows, VW Alloy Wheels, Variable Geometry Exhaust Driven Supercharger, Direct Unit Fuel Injection, Adiabatic Ignition, MacPherson Struts front, Torsion Beam rear, Coil Springs, Hydraulic Dampers, Front Anti-Roll Bar, Disc Brakes, Bosch ECU, ABS
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