I have a dream...

[threep]

...that one day I'll be able to drive my yet to be built Stratos like the one at 28 secs in this video...





Serious question, what do I need (apart from developing some talent ) to power slide a Stratos out of a corner? I'm talking about power/ torque, LSD etc


Will a bog standard 2.5 Alfa V6 have enough grunt? Do I need a 3.0, a 3.2? Will it need to be breathed on (different cams, bottom end etc)?

Does a Stratos have too much traction in dry conditions to power slide?


The Stratos has a reputation for swapping ends quite quickly, is that deserved when talking about driving on dry Tarmac? I defer to my learned Forum friends.

I'm building a Stratos to have some fun and what could be more fun than power sliding a Stratos ?

[john]

Probably a good start would be to not shoot yourself in the foot by opting for a tyre and wheel combination which puts over 300mm of modern rubber on the road at the back.
This why I like the idea of Craig's wheels so much. You can choose a rim and tyre width.
My theory is yet to be tested though......
For my money a 2.5 V6 is plenty power enough provided the car is set up properly.

[threep]

Probably a good start would be to not shoot yourself in the foot by opting for a tyre and wheel combination which puts over 300mm of modern rubber on the road at the back.
This why I like the idea of Craig's wheels so much. You can choose a rim and tyre width.
My theory is yet to be tested though......
For my money a 2.5 V6 is plenty power enough provided the car is set up properly.

Instinctively that was my thought too, it would be all too easy to over tyre the rear. I'm very open to using alternative wheel diameters and widths, and frankly anything which gives me a well sorted car which is rewarding to drive, reliable and easy to live with. To me that's more important than originality.

[monoposto]

Many factors contribute to this, but the short and simple of it is, weight distribution over a short wheel base depending on the % front/rear weight balance, can cause a car to have an unusually high yaw acceleration. Yaw is the rotation about the Z-axis of the vehicle. To alleviate this you may tune your suspension to have less oversteer and more Understeer so that the acceleration around a turn is not so substantial.

Also, it does not take much skill to slide the rear end around

[Fingers]

Don't try it that close to a concrete wall for a start!

[threep]

Don't try it that close to a concrete for a start!

That sounds like voice of experience.

[ChrisCar6]

The difference between power slide and 180 is infinitesimal..........

[turbonutter]

The difference between power slide and 180 is infinitesimal..........

I didnt realise there was such a big difference

[Fingers]

That sounds like voice of experience.

Luckily not, just going by the reputation the Stratos has for swapping ends. I'll be taking it very easy in mine until I'm comfortable with it. It was very easy to do in my Fiat 124 sport in the wet though. But as has been said I think the weight distribution has a lot to do with it.

[StruanR]

An LSD on a rear or mid-engined is not always helpful on loose surfaces. You end up with too much grip at the rear and not enough on the front, a recipe for terminal understeer....
It's a question of weight distribution, driving style, suspension setup etc, etc .....
Struan