Front-wheel-drive cars are safe - this is an unspoke rule that suffers from serious misinterpretation and we're here to get into the details.
We'll start with the part of the rule that's true, namely that most drivers react better to understeer situations than they do in cases that see the rear end stepping out. However, the part that many steering wheel holders need to understand is that FWD machines are magically protected against impacts.
From forcing the laws of physics to act against you by carrying too much speed into a corner to situations such as lift-off oversteer (when you suddenly take your foot of the gas and the rear comes loose), FWD vehicles can cause their fair share of trouble.
And the footage at the bottom of the page shows what happens when the corner entry speed error mentioned above takes place on the unforgiving Nurburgring.
A Touristenfahrten (tourist days) session that took place earlier this week saw the owner of a Suzuki Swift Sport meeting the protection element on the side of the track by accident.
While this warm hatch delivers superb handling, we can see the driver understeering, with the side of the Swift kissing the barrier. And while we don't get to see the action that led to the Japanese machine's crash, the part that follows the impact reveals the driver's amazing lack of skill.
After the Swift Sport bounces off the barrier, the car ends up spinning across the track. It's enough to check out the driver's steering behavior to realize this guy had it coming.
Sure, everybody has to start somewhere, but when you're aware of your rookie status, it's best not to push the car to speeds that can cause such damage, especially on a track as challenging as the Green Hell.
Don't worry, though, the piece of footage below isn't all about poor driving. For instance, the same corner that saw the Suzuki crashing allows us to notice what we'd call an improvised E92 BMW M3 drift. The V8 soundtrack is on the house.
From forcing the laws of physics to act against you by carrying too much speed into a corner to situations such as lift-off oversteer (when you suddenly take your foot of the gas and the rear comes loose), FWD vehicles can cause their fair share of trouble.
And the footage at the bottom of the page shows what happens when the corner entry speed error mentioned above takes place on the unforgiving Nurburgring.
A Touristenfahrten (tourist days) session that took place earlier this week saw the owner of a Suzuki Swift Sport meeting the protection element on the side of the track by accident.
While this warm hatch delivers superb handling, we can see the driver understeering, with the side of the Swift kissing the barrier. And while we don't get to see the action that led to the Japanese machine's crash, the part that follows the impact reveals the driver's amazing lack of skill.
After the Swift Sport bounces off the barrier, the car ends up spinning across the track. It's enough to check out the driver's steering behavior to realize this guy had it coming.
Sure, everybody has to start somewhere, but when you're aware of your rookie status, it's best not to push the car to speeds that can cause such damage, especially on a track as challenging as the Green Hell.
Don't worry, though, the piece of footage below isn't all about poor driving. For instance, the same corner that saw the Suzuki crashing allows us to notice what we'd call an improvised E92 BMW M3 drift. The V8 soundtrack is on the house.