It is a well established fact that a great driver with a mediocre car can do magic. So before you worry too much about how fast your chosen chariot can accelerate or corner, you might want to focus your efforts elsewhere. In an area that will generate the most return for your automotive investment. That's right, Y-O-U.
What’s that you say? You know how to drive, and you think you're more than capable of putting the pedal to the medal?
Well, guess what, I sympathize. But I have a solution. There is no substitute for hands-on instruction on a closed track. Having said that, there are some concepts that can be put on paper, and you might as well have the benefit of them. I know they have changed my driving completely.
Check this out: Even my wife - on one or two occasions - has said something flattering about my driving. You can’t make that kind of stuff up.
Let’s start with the big picture. Many of us drive as if we were only looking at the next 20 feet of road, if that. Now I am not just talking about the old defensive driving concept of looking several cars ahead, although that is crucial if you want to avoid an accident.
No, I mean looking at the road, especially at turns, as a whole instead of just a collection of parts. It is kind of like billiards. The pros know that setting up the next shot or two is just as important as making the first one.
Similarly, if you have several curves, or even just one sharp one, you must look at it as more than just the one corner. If you don't, you will not place your car correctly.
Not only does that make for greater true speed through the corner, but it will keep you from missing it completely. Most people will instinctively steer too sharply into a corner.
The ideal line is one has you coming out of the turn pointing the right way. Think of a ninety degree left handed corner. Now picture a smooth arc as opposed to sharp angles.
The larger and wider the circle you have described the smoother and faster you can go.
Basically, the less you have to crank the wheel, the closer you are to an ideal line. That doesn't mean you can actually go straight through most turns quite the opposite. It means your ideal line never involves more steering input than necessary it slows you down and can cause you to spin out.
And then of course there is the braking. How much and when is the key.
You want to use the brakes to allow the car weight to load up in such a way as to squirt it through the turn. Some drivers brake very late, depending on brake strength, speed and the angle of the curve. When you then take your foot off the brakes and gas, the car will pick up some over-steer which you want.
Usually you will want to brake hard enough to scrub off enough speed to cause the car to rotate, which causes mild over-steer at the beginning and middle of the turn where you need it. The crucial thing is to come out of the turn with a neutral attitude or even mild under-steer so that you don't spin the car or head towards the opposite shoulder.