DropHole

How does the Z06 handle to you?

Dreamin

Overall very neutral. Slight Understeer at the limit. On demand, Power oversteer.

VetNutJim

I haven't taken mine to the limits of traction but I would hope it would oversteer to a slight degree.
I just can't drive an understeering car.
With understeer if there's enough power to reverse the understeer it seems the vehicle just tries to "out reflex" me and goes QUICKLY from under to oversteer. Shorter the wheelbase the quicker you're looking at your own tag.
Maybe that's why they say "slow in" and "fast out".
Understeering vehicles HATE fast in.

2001 Red Coupe Bandit

What exactly is Understeer. I think I know, but am not sure.
Also, what is over steer?

Thanks

vette6799

Cattle: A castrated male (within the first 6 months after birth);

Nah! Better let someone else give you the right answer.

VetNutJim

Understeer is a condition where you turn the steering wheel and the vehicle trys to keep going in its original direction.
Very disconcerting. The car seems to attracted to the wall.
A really bad case will result on the car hitting the wall with the right front if the driver doesn't compensate correctly.
The NASCAR drivers call this "tight".
Dirt track drivers call it "pushing".
Technical term is "understeering".
There's not much you can do except slow down or try to break the rear tires loose with power to try and end the understeer.
What causes it is the rear of the car has more traction than the front or the rear has more "bite" than the front.
This can be caused by a multitude of reasons from incorrect tire pressure to incorrect spring rates to incorrect weight distribution, etc.

Oversteer is when the rear of the vehicle trys to pass the front.
The rear of the vehicle wants to "spin out" on you.
Adding power usually agravates the situation as the rear tires are "overloaded" in the first place and breaking traction.
On asphalt this usually results in the car backing into the wall with the left rear of the car hitting first.
Same on dirt except you usually hit with the RIGHT rear first.
Again about the only thing to do is slow down until you can get some chassis/suspension adjustments made.
Nascar boys call this "loose", ditto for the dirt track racers.
Technical term is "oversteering".

So in either case the driver has to slow down as a result of the understeer or oversteer condition.
No driver likes to go slower. "It just ain't a good thing."

JoeClams9

understeer.....turn wheels, car wants to go straight
oversteer.....turn wheels, and car wants to turn even more than u want to
understeer....front wheels losing grip(corrected by more gas to slip rear
oversteer....rear wheels losing grip and wanting to come around (corrected by less gas)

Dreamin

Most cars dont come from the factory with oversteer dialed in... they almost always understeer.

It's much harder for an average driver to recover from oversteer... the natural reflex of hitting the brakes can make the problem worse... lifting or hitting the brakes will transfer weight to the front, unloading the rear, which already doesn't have traction and you spin out faster.

With understeer you can always slow down to save yourself.

Z06-Nomad

[QUOTE]. lifting will transfer weight to the front, unloading the rear, which already doesn't have traction and you spin out faster. [QUOTE]

This is called "Trailing throttle oversteer"... which is the other side of the coin of "Power induced oversteer" i.e. if the back end starts coming around, let off a little and correct for the slide, while keeping a "neutral throttle" If you let off completely you could end up in the above predicament .

Not that I am a driving instructor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

MD