Terrifying loss of traction Porsche 718 S

Z4M-2006 · Post by **Z4M-2006** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 4:56 pm

Greasy road and trying to prod it way to early..

Its not uncommon and you have got away with it really... Doubt anything wrong more than tyres and wheel paint.

Steep learning curve

VRSteve · Post by **VRSteve** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 5:00 pm

Can't think TC was on for that to happen.

As others have said, driver error without a doubt.

Your music is appalling too.

Havard · Post by **Havard** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 5:24 pm

Terrible bit of parking from what I could see....

WTF were you listening to, too?

Brave man driving a new "low down torque" car in those conditions. Lifting off has made that incident a lot worse that it should have been.

H.

VRSteve · Post by **VRSteve** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 5:35 pm

Maniac wrote:That was music?

But seriously, RWD and the engine in the back can be fun but when it goes it's trickier to recover.

Mid engined.

Maniac · Post by **Maniac** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 5:48 pm

IMO it's still in the back, it might not be on the bumper but it's in the last 1/3 of the car which is going to have some effect on this type of control loss.

Wildfire · Post by **Wildfire** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 6:44 pm

As others have said, looks like driver error and potentially a slippy patch on the road.

As others have asked did you have TC on? If you did I'm surprised it went.

Bit too much throttle at a slippy point in the road, bit of overcorrection in to lift off over steer and the resulting fish tailing. When I had an Elise once it started it was tough to catch, the Z4 and Griffith being Front Engined is much more predictable and easy to catch.

paulgs1000 · Post by **paulgs1000** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 7:35 pm

Done the same thing 8 years ago - very similar outcome with me overcorrecting one way and then the other and ending up side on to a ditch in a bush and covered in nettle thistles. You were unlucky to have the kerb but at least you managed to keep it from the wall.

Put it down to experience - don't think it was anything wrong with your 718, just one of those things to watch for in the future. Plenty of advice above.

Hope you haven't too much damage to put right and as already said, could have been much worse so well done keeping it to the left and facing forward!

All happens very fast doesn't it

Stark · Post by **Stark** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 8:27 pm

Well I haven't told anyone on here but NY's day I was on the M42 and travelling at about 80 and I hit a massive bank of water and my car veered to the left and then to the right and then spun three times. I was lucky not to hit a truck or the central reservation.

I ended up 90 degrees on the middle lane and a few cars pulled up behind me to make sure I was ok.

The car was ok too.

This was worse than my accident I had two years ago breaking my arms and shoulders and 3 months in hospital.

extrablatt · Post by **extrablatt** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 8:33 pm

Yeowch, that totally sucks to hear about your tyre and wheels

Hoping the resulting repair doesn't deflate you even further

You got flipping lucky the pedestrian was further away. But then again, he/she was walking towards you, so they would have seen you coming.

Thanks for sharing the footage, it's a good reminder and and easy happens if you get caught on black ice or diesel as others have already noted.

It's a flashback to when I was 18 and was driving my parents' front wheel drive pick up truck with nothing in the back. It fishtailed on an icy overpass with concrete walls either side. Luckily I corrected it without any damage, but I was terrified. Others have ended up going right over the edge onto the carriageway below, but they only recently changed the road!

NickDE · Post by **NickDE** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:08 pm

There seems to be some pretty harsh 'driver error' comments here.

I see someone driving at 30-something in a 50 zone, on a reasonably good condition road, following other cars who have no problems at all. I suspect technical issues here combined with a bit of overconfidence:
Technical issues - like others I suspect traction control was off. Also I remember 04 Jan was a pretty cold day, if the car has wide summer tyres they will have significantly reduced grip compared to a warm day.
Overconfidence - not treating a high power RWD car with cold tyres with extreme respect. However we have all done this. My memorable incidents are spinning a 3 litre Capri 360 degrees almost into Barry docks, 180 degrees coming out of a wet roundabout in a Spitfire, and a 45 degree slide in a Lexus (which would not be too bad apart from the cop car that I missed by about one inch).

Unwanted advice - check your TC controls. Fit premium winter tyres if Daily Driver. Accept that a high powered sports car will be slower than a Austin Maxi in the cold or wet due to traction issues. And when you do have an incident like this and end up in a safe place, put on your hazards on and wait for a few minutes to de-stress before driving on.

Mr Tidy · Post by **Mr Tidy** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:14 pm

Brown trouser moment there OP!

Still as you say it could have been so much worse.

Looks a bit like more grunt than grip and as others have said, I wouldn't expect that to happen with the TC on!

Machine monkey · Post by **Machine monkey** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:54 pm

Get some time on a skid pad or drift day. You did what we all do/did you let off power to quick to suddenly. Nothing wrong in that it's a natural reaction! But you would have been better off keeping your foot in it.

Sorry to hear about this. Hope all is sorted and you learn as I am sure you will.

JustCruzin · Post by **JustCruzin** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:19 pm

LOL

The music! Wet myself laughing about this. Feel so much better! There's a radio station called Rinse FM that I occasionally listen to but, OK what was playing at that moment wasn't my favourite genre

. I am no gangster!

Great advice and comments all round- truly grateful for this. I must take up my complimentary Porsche track day at Silverstone!

I think most of you are correct. Driver error and too heavy on the pedal, but in my defence, traction control was definitely on (drive was set to normal mode). I was a little surprised that this appears to occurred at sub 40 mph but I guess if the surface had ice and or diesel on it then it would have happened at 30 mph. Tyres were probably a little cold as I had only been driving 5 miles to that point.

Well I guess it could have been much worse as many of you have stated. I am hopefully looking at no more than two new tyres and having two rim dents which all in all I think will come in at under £700 hopefully.

My respect for the power of cars of this type with RWD has certainly risen. I would love winter tyres but the funds really cannot stretch that far at the moment.

Once again I am indebted for all the advice which I know is the sum of similar experiences and driving skills far in excess of my own.

Feeling better thanks to you lot.

Cheers Arif

flimper · Post by **flimper** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 11:12 pm

What tyres do you have on the car? I know for a fact the Michelin Super Sports are shocking when cold

JustCruzin · Post by **JustCruzin** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 11:27 pm

flimper wrote:What tyres do you have on the car? I know for a fact the Michelin Super Sports are shocking when cold

Pirelli P Zero N1.There are apparently N1 and N0 tyres. Have no idea what the difference is but of course N1s just happen to be more expensive!!

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