Driving Your Elio

[bunchathrees]

Still, I can't help wondering what an Elio with the Focus RS drive train might get for MPG when driven responsibly.

 

[Lil4X]

That could be a lot of fun! But the problems begin when you have to start upgrading brakes, suspension, and a whole cascade of other bits to handle seven times the horsepower and get those ponies to the ground. That would probably get complicated and expensive fast.

 

[ImOnabus]

Your Elio will probably have the effect of making us drive more like grown-ups than adolescents. There is a lot to be said for driving a small, lightweight, low-powered vehicle in terms of being able to drive at 9/10ths, extracting almost all of the performance baked into the little beast, than sliding a 600 hp behemoth around a curve, belching fire and tire smoke. The sensation is very similar, but probably won't even get you noticed by the police.

For your consideration: it occurred to me a long time ago that driving on snow (or other lower traction surfaces for you lucky folks who live far from the Great White North) very accurately simulates the vehicle's performance at much higher speeds - neglecting pesky body roll and pitch. Further, it simulates reaction of greater power output as well. Of course it happens somewhat more slowly in a real-time sense but mimics vehicle dynamics rather well - i.e. if you wish to experience an anticipated understeer when exceeding turn limits, a snow covered parking lot is a good place to find out how and when it starts and how to recover.

 

[Elf]

I love speed ,my bumper sticker "they won't take me alive " The ladies down at the nursing home just chuckle

 

[ehwatt]

Your Elio will probably have the effect of making us drive more like grown-ups than adolescents. There is a lot to be said for driving a small, lightweight, low-powered vehicle in terms of being able to drive at 9/10ths, extracting almost all of the performance baked into the little beast, than sliding a 600 hp behemoth around a curve, belching fire and tire smoke. The sensation is very similar, but probably won't even get you noticed by the police.

You are so right. It is much more fun to drive a slow car fast that a fast car slow.

 

[ehwatt]

For your consideration: it occurred to me a long time ago that driving on snow (or other lower traction surfaces for you lucky folks who live far from the Great White North) very accurately simulates the vehicle's performance at much higher speeds - neglecting pesky body roll and pitch. Further, it simulates reaction of greater power output as well. Of course it happens somewhat more slowly in a real-time sense but mimics vehicle dynamics rather well - i.e. if you wish to experience an anticipated understeer when exceeding turn limits, a snow covered parking lot is a good place to find out how and when it starts and how to recover.

You and Lil4x are my kind of people. 30 - 50mph on a gravel road is like 100 on pavement; and yes, figure-eights around snowy parking lot light poles while getting the nose closer and closer in a 40 horse VW really teaches trailing throttle oversteer.

 

[Muzhik]

You and Lil4x are my kind of people. 30 - 50mph on a gravel road is like 100 on pavement; and yes, figure-eights around snowy parking lot light poles while getting the nose closer and closer in a 40 horse VW really teaches trailing throttle oversteer.

Let me guess -- You were the first to make the Kessler run in under 12 parsecs!

 

[Kuda]

I love speed ,my bumper sticker "they won't take me alive " The ladies down at the nursing home just chuckle

 

[Elio Amazed]

<Just an FYI the Group I ride with > <--link

Soooo...
Can we venture a guess that your forum name is derived from the group's name?

 

[Coss]

Soooo...
Can we venture a guess that your forum name is derived from the group's name?

Very Good ......

When I got accepted in 1984 there weren't a lot of geeks around; email? What's that?; BBS? Never heard of that, is it like BBQ?
So when I went online, I used the handle Cossack. Knowing how cruel people can be online, that name got modified a few too many times by others; that's why I shortened it to Coss.
My nickname on the team was Gumby because I could twist, bend, climb and contort (not because I was green). When me and a buddy went out to practice a new stunt, I wiped out and folded my left foot, tearing every ligament on the outside of my ankle; during recovery I was Gumby with a broken wire. The 1942 WLA (45) I rode was Pokey (45's were the smallest displacement of all the bikes of the era).