Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 12:05:12 -0400 From: "Tex" <texnospamm101.org> Subject: Re: Maintain Your Identity - Saab
"Malt_Hound" <Malt_Houndnospamm*yahoo.com> wrote in message news:SJqdnbTg_rtFYiLfRVn-3wnospamphia.com... > Tex wrote: > > >> For cornering, I give the edge to the Saab. The 9-3 tracks any corner >> you give it w/o so much as a flinch. >> > You apparently did not push them very hard. OK..._you_ tell me if I pushed the 9-3 hard enough. On several runs I got it up to 60-65 mph (100 km/h) then, at short distance (less than 40 ft...about 1/2 sec of drive time) and w/o braking (and other runs w/braking but f/higher speeds / & w/& w/o esp), steered it around an object directly in the line of travel. Now, I can't say it was easy doing this maneuvre, but the car definitely followed my command unhesitantly. > The BMW, with its RWD and 50/50 weight distribution, Actually, under hard braking (typical of an emergency accident avoidance situation or simply coming into a curve/corner at high speed w/brakes applied) a car will naturally lurch forward, shifting its weight distribution directly onto the front tires. This is good because this is exactly where the car needs the best traction (both for steering control and braking). So whilst from a topical viewpoint, a car with a 50/50 weight distribution _sounds_ good, in reality a car which has a slight weight bias towards the front wheels will indeed provide the driver better control in both steering and braking. > is relatively neutral with only a touch of understeer, which can be > modulated with varying the input to the (rear) drive wheels. The SAAB > being a FWD wants to plow through corners with incredible amount of > understeer and pressing the accelerator only makes the situation worse. And you've experienced this firsthand? While this may be true for other fwd cars, it's definitely, not true for the 9-3. You're bringing this topic up with the right person. Having driven the 9-3, 9-5 and 9-2x under conditions which should have lead all three to illustrate severe understeer, I found neither of them to display severe understeer. I actually did find the 9-2x a bit unruly in the slalom (w/late apex turns) but eventually managed to get it to perform well. The 9-3's and 9-5's both performed very well. Despite its fwd platform, the 9-3 displayed no understeer at all. It gripped amazingly well through the turns w/o even having to tap the brakes once for additional downforce (which I had to do numerous times with the awd 9-2x). I had an accompaying professional race car driver whilst doing these maneuvres and he walked away saying the same things about the car (yes, he was driving it as well). - tex
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
