Skidpad test

[GTRS Fiero]

Early this morning, I took my Fiero to a nearby track.  My intent was to get some skidpad numbers.  That did not happen.  One of the guys there said that it depends on the surface, the temperature, the wind, the humidity, the driver, and other factors.  Joy.

How do the manufacturers get meaningful skidpad numbers?  How can I get the skidpad numbers for my Fiero?

[Mike_21]

That sounds right. Same thing with dyno numbers. Huge variation in numbers depending on environment, dyno make and model, and the operator.

[GTRS Fiero]

So, cars with "different" skidpad numbers could be the same, or swap places?

[Mike_21]

Yes depending on variables. Two vehicles tested on the same day, skidpad, driver, tires, etc will give an accurate picture of which one is better. Likewise, testing one car and making changes to the set up over repeated skidpad runs will get the car dialed in better.

But taking raw skidpad numbers and saying a car that can pull 1.15 Gs is better than a car that pulls 1.14Gs without knowledge of the test conditions I'd say is not absolutely correct.

[GTRS Fiero]

Years ago, when I did testing, they would put us in vehicles as equipped, and have us go through a bunch of tests, including skidpad.  One thing we found out during these tests was that cars do better on certain tires.  One car may perform well with low profile tires, and another may not.  Or, one car may like Bridgestone tires, for example, and another may not.  Therefore, putting the same tires on 2 vehicles may not make them equal in that regard.

Generally, a good driver is a good driver, but not always.  In general, I could beat the manufacturer's specs on just about any car they threw at me, but every now and then, I'd miss something on the slalom.  Since we only got 2 attempts, I never got adjusted to the car.