1998.02_chicane.jpg

... how you drive an AW-11 variant MR2 depends on velocity. Low velocity (e.g., < 3rd gear), you hustle your AW-11, constantly changing position moving around in the seat. Oh, no-no-no-you don't. Not at speed. Short wheelbase, changing position at speed could upset the car. In the sweet-spot between maximum tyre adhesion and incipient torsional side-slip, north of 3rd gear, the prerequisite changes, where premium on fluidity, patience, calm, stillness becomes paramount. Anything over 90 MPH, ex ante apex, nothing in the contact patch of the seat should move. Only thing moving should be neck, and lower paired appendages. Far more difficult a chore to control, this prerequisite applies moreso, to your passenger. Ex post apex, this prerequisite is relaxed. On rally, back in the early days of IMOC, I'd use my wife as a weight jacker. Just 90 pounds, I'd put her seat upright, and push her all the way back. Me, about 170, I'd move my seat as far forward as possible, and recline somewhat. On the faster drives I'd admonish her, don't move a muscle, keep her elbow off the console, don't reach to the dashboard, no matter what, and upon impact, in anticipation of the wheel intrusion through the wheel-whel, recoil her legs from the foot-whel, to her chest. And, she's good. Highly disciplined. I gave her some track-time early in our marriage, so she knows the score. Going 10/10ths, her riding shotgun, not once has she ever upset the car. With a 90 pound girl riding shotgun, so long as she stays still, balances out an AW11 very nicely. Even still, the AW-11's so good, I don't have to change much, whether or not she's in the car. Fast runs I do (e.g., Cerro Noroeste), 4th and 5th gear stuff, I don't put her in the car. Most important shift in an AW11, is your 5th to 4th. Miss that shift in an AW-11, you just bought the farm. AW-11 has a high femur rating. Loop it missing your 5th to 4th, you could lose lower extremities. The gearbox is good enough, but the linkage isn't. Probability always looms I could miss that shift. So, I always run front tyres slightly overinflated, with my softest shock setting. The tighter, more technical the canyon I'm driving, the softer I dial my front shock setting. The faster the canyon, the more I'll stiffen up the front end, and come down on my tyre pressures. Hill climbs, I up my tyre pressures; down hills, I'll bleed some off. Hill climbs 10/10ths in an AW-11, you're free to move around, fidget a little; downhills, you can't. Any serious racing in an AW-11 variant MR2, the entire car requires completely disassembly, it's monocoque lightened 500 pounds, and reinforced, then reassembled. I'm not a race car fabricator; I'm not going to do that. My own cars, I never put more than 8 hours track time. I retired this one, after 6 --