Lost control of car...luckily no harm done

A few days ago, I was stopped, about to make a left turn on a wet road. (not sure how much this has to do with things) Shifted at 5.5k around the curve and came out around 30 mph in 2nd. When i was straightening out, (didnt brake might have let off the throttle a bit) I lost control and swerved into oncoming traffic. Luckily there was no traffic in the other lanes so I was able to regain control quickly and safely. Still pretty scary. So here are my questions. When the rear end kicks out and the car swerves, are there any steps that the driver should do to regain control? (more importantly, things a driver SHOULDNT do) Ive slid alot in snow for fun and know what to do, but the weight distribution of this car makes things different. What are other typical situations where a 996 will lose control? I want to drive my car, but this incident has made me a little unwilling to test the limits. Has this ever happened to any of you guys? Any good faq's out there online to read?

never lift in a corner... Do some DEs. It will make you a better driver and learn more about the car.

Actually, a Drivers Skills event will be better. You can get time on the skid pad and get a sense of the car's limits, your limits -- and how to manage both.

Yes...autox (or similar) for a few events before going to the track. Autox will teach you car control skills at city speeds and you will learn a ton. Experiments at the race track (or street) can be costly.

me so scared! so RE: James's reply about Driver Skills days.. not all regions offer them. AutoX is your next best choice WITH INSTRUCTOR Yes, that "type" of thing happened to me on the slalom course 2nd time out at the track... took a long time for my brain to "get it" and understand why I just missed a 55 gallon barrel while spinning.... by complete LUCK !! NOT the way I want to drive my car!!!! I spent 2 years at the drivers skills days and only missed a couple of them...now on to DE's and a new car I am sure glad I spent so many days (hours) with an instructor. I continue to have instructors every run. Always something to learn. I am fond of saying..... "before I started going to the track, I was a really damn excellent driver! NOW 3 years later, I am not bad.....for a beginner !!" get to the track, get taught by some people that know and can see/tell you what's right and wrong

5500 rpm around a turn, in 2nd gear, in traffic, on a wet road? don't mean to be critical, but imho, sounds like your driving was too aggressive for the local conditions. a bit more restraint would have been more appropriate. as to drivers ed. and auto-x YES and YES the electronics in the car can only do SO much. a time and a place for everything. after 15+ yrs. of de and auto-x, i rarely exceed the speed limit. i get my fix at the track where it is infinitely safer and a controlled venue.

With a rear engine car, you have to be ahead of the car to be able to catch it when the back end gets loose. Anticipation is essential. You're hands (and your mind) have to be quick to catch it. In addition you have to understand why it is loose. Typically, it's caused by lifting off the gas. In that case, getting back on the gas is your only hope. But particularly in wet conditions, it could be due to throttle induced oversteer. I.E. getting on the gas too hard and breaking the rear tires loose due to torque. That's why when driving (and racing) in the rain, it's a good idea to run at lower RPM's and higher gears than you would typically use in the dry. That limits your torque to the rear wheels and makes the car less prone to spinning. 5500 RPM in the wet is not a good idea. I would highly recommend that you do either some DE's, autocross, or a skills class. Whichever you choose, make sure you do one that offers instruction. By far my preferred way to learn is on the track. You will get much more time driving than at an autocross, you'll get a much better feel for what the car can do, and... you'll be much less prone to driving aggressively on the road. You get your need for speed satisfied on the track like nowhere else.

what they said.... especially 5500 @2nd gear in a turn and wet road. Its physics.

Just drive the car more in wet conditions. In time you will figure it out.

Good advice. I love in the manual where it says specifically that the electronic stability management cannot overcome the laws of physics.

Quotes source post: 7852593

What kind of tires are you running? And when was the last time you checked them? How wet was the road? These things are not difficult to drive on the street, and they just don't break free in corners - even wet ones. At the limit, you shouldn't lift in a corner, but that's track talk - not turning left at a redlight talk. Unless you goosed the gas pedal, hit an extra slick spot or your tires are junk/shot, I would say your encounter was a freak "accident." 911s, especially with traction control, don't typically lose control... -td

Quotes source posts: 7852593, 7852593, 7852593

hehehe Be riding your line with the fact in mind of knowing when the rear is losing traction. Unless pulling the ultimate sin of bike or car using a too high of an entry speed where you do not have any other place than off the track.....manage the suspension so that it is stable, which is what on and off will do. Letting off more so destabilizes the suspensions. First back to too high on an entry speed you can handle. If it gets into you having the rear end breaking loose the first thing you have to think about managing is the hooking back up of the rear tires. That is where your problem arose. Then while managing the rehooking up of the rear you naturally in every second of your life HOW EVER LONG THAT MAY BE had better understand and know by history of inputs to the front wheels you manage to give the car. There is the direction the car is pointed and then there is the direction you pointed the tires to have the least resistance. Rule one is don't hook the tires back up with the cars inputs going where you don't want the car to be. Rule two manage the traction front and rear. At least on a dry road things are more controllable for doing Barney Olfield dead skids but eh. In wet you can break the rear loose easier. This babbling isn't as long as the time while your life was flashing before your eye but it is a lame way of saying in short you lost control. Like flying down to driving, stay ahead of the craft. Too high a speed and you name it. Not all roads are created equal. There are even more suspension and power management tricks you would have to use racing your butt off on the track. Off camber, descending or rising and whatever else the road throws. I've even played hooking a tire on the inside drop of a turn to hold me in at higher than staying on the surface would of let me take the turn at. If I were to compare your present scare to ice I'd say try to remember when on water like ice the throttle inputs have to be gradual unless you are looking for a wild spinning ride. Most important don't play unsafe on the public roads. Statistics from bike races in rain normally have guys that normally don't win doing better times and sometimes winning. It's due to them being used to not pushing as hard in turns or having a set habit of higher power applications that is not the thing to do in the wet. I'd think car races would tend to be about the same. Of course you would of lost that race PS please add to keep it on the raod "keep it in your lane"

These guys are pro's with top of the line rain tires. Sooooo yah rain and power ehhhh take it easy I think what got a lot of these guys was water on the brakes from cooling ducts the gt3's have or just the rain mist doing their brake in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnI758xrcPQ I think this is what happened to you in the turn but you didn't hand around long enough. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z8tI...eature=related

Quotes source post: 7853026

I fully agree that i was being an idiot. I have been driving my car like a gradma in all situations for the 2 months ive owned this car. (was somewhat aggressive in my previous crappy car) A few nights before the incident, I read on one of the threads here to take a turn at 35mph from a stop to really enjoy your car. I take this turn every day and usually am at 2.5k out of it....it wasnt raining at the time...long day at work...kinda a perfect storm of events. Theres a track not to far from me, so i'm going to give them a call and see what stuff they have to offer. I dont know anything about autoX's or DE's so i'll have to do some searching to see if theres any of those around me. Thanks for the advice and help guys! edit: and as for the tires, i had them checked out a few days ago when I took her in for an oil change. They're bridgestones... and actually the owner said they were not good rain tires...not sure what model but they got the green box (not the yellow or red) when i got my PPI in june.

Well I mentioned you could be going 35 before straightening out turning at lights. Sorry about not mentioning you'll play against hell if it's raining I particularly don't like the way the rear end breaks lose but taking into mind it breaks lose after many other cars would of leveled off the throttle its not that bad. There is a good amount of weight back there helping the breaking loose be more drastic and that same weight makes the tires hooking back up seemingly more drastic also. Everything is more drastic taking car repairs into mind. Have fun and play safe Enjoy the drivers education stuff and play safe there also. I'm certain 55gal cans damage more than paint.

Don't stress out or over-analyze it. Most likely hit a patch of oil or coolant and you filled your shorts. Dump 'em out and get back at 'em. Getting the character of a new car takes awhile to dial in I feel at least a solid year. You now know don't lift in a corner, in the rain, at 5.5k. Next lesson. Have fun.

My suggestion to you is think of your car as a balance beam.....the gas applies force to the back and the brakes apply force to the front, that is your vertical balance beam, now apply a second balance beam(horizonatal) which is controlled by the steering wheel left and right, now in your head put those two balance beams together, gives you a bit of a better sense of what the car is doing. Find a wide open parking lot next time it rains...did it last week to see how easy a donut would be...answer: Very easy!!!

Best thing is experience gained. Puts a better sensitivity in the butt for what's going on now doesn't it? I don't see anything for where you live. Here are a few things. Cold tires are slippery tires. Cold weather makes things harder warming the tires up. Fresh light rain is more slippery they say due to its bringing oil up out of the road. Concrete roads have the same grip as wet asphalt....might pay good attention to that one. England guys are real upset about the government going with a cheap asphalt that is slippery. So I'd just watch out for any roads since who knows what contractors put on the road. Even tracks will have good or bad traction spots. I don't advise speeding on roads but if you ever start being prone to venture there you have to always have a way out that does not involve others being hurt. Thanks for reminding all of us to not fool around too much when it comes to driving the 911. First thing I was told when I sat down in a car for a driving lessons was, "a car is a lethal weapon so drive it accordingly". You really got to see just how lethal things could be

Have had a 76 turbo and a 86turbo never lifted the gas on those but an now driving an 01 with all wheel drive, word is that if you lift off the gas the front of the car will gain traction and remove the come around thing of the rwd cars is this true??? I for one have quit worring about lifting off the gas with this car for some 5 years , and am still looking out my front winscreen

are you a pca member? imho, the most bang for the buck when it comes to getting track time/instruction.

Quotes source post: 7854895

Join the PCA...its really the way to go. Make friends and talk with people with all sorts of experience. You will find that most PCA'rs will offer info very freely. Just stay away with guy who says he drives 'Flat Out'.