Twisty mountain roads driving tips?

[The_Observer]

Hey all,

I am having next week off work, so I wanted to go ahead and drive around the roads in the area. Admittedly, I am not a super good driver, so I am looking for some advice.

I believe my main problems are mostly dealing with super twisty turns, I often go quite slow on them, the last time I drove on the mountains a few days ago, a Panamera 4s and a Honda S2000 just passed me real quick. I am not sure if I am being too safe with the car, or if the factory suspension setup/tires aren't exactly up to the demanding task of driving twisty roads fast enough.

In what ways can I improve my driving skills around twisty mountain roads? Would appreciate any advice. Thanks all.

 

[Ravire]

Depends which tires you have but the car is pretty capable in the corners once you know what it’s limits are. A Panamera definitely wouldn’t be able to catch up.

I’d recommend learning those limits in a safe environment though. You should be able to comfortably handle understeer and oversteer before you really push it on a canyon road.

 

[hgmichna]

I agree with Ravire and want to add: Don't feel obliged to go faster than you feel safe with. Don't let yourself be pushed by other cars that want to go faster. Let them overtake wherever that is safely possible. Otherwise, just ignore them.

After all, they do have accidents, sometimes.

 

[Mash]

There is always a risk of being overly confident behind a wheel. It helps going on a safe slippery road where you can learn signs of traction loss and how to handle it. Don't do it on a public road. And don't convince yourself that since it's a capable car you should not worry.

 

[dhrivnak]

Find a local car club and run a few Autocross events, in a nice safe parking lot. It is an excellent way to learn how to safely push your car to the limit. And yes with a Model 3 if you are getting passed you are leaving some performance on the table.

 

[The_Observer]

Depends which tires you have but the car is pretty capable in the corners once you know what it’s limits are. A Panamera definitely wouldn’t be able to catch up.

I’d recommend learning those limits in a safe environment though. You should be able to comfortably handle understeer and oversteer before you really push it on a canyon road.

I have a SR+ with 18" Rims, so it's the OEM Michelin MXM4s, which admittedly isn't the best tire for handling. I am probably looking at the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4s after the MXM4s are wear out, hopefully better handling with those.

I agree with Ravire and want to add: Don't feel obliged to go faster than you feel safe with. Don't let yourself be pushed by other cars that want to go faster. Let them overtake wherever that is safely possible. Otherwise, just ignore them.

After all, they do have accidents, sometimes.

There is always a risk of being overly confident behind a wheel. It helps going on a safe slippery road where you can learn signs of traction loss and how to handle it. Don't do it on a public road. And don't convince yourself that since it's a capable car you should not worry.

Yeah, I am still going to drive within my limits, it's going to take some time and experience for me to start driving a bit more confidently on those roads.

Find a local car club and run a few Autocross events, in a nice safe parking lot. It is an excellent way to learn how to safely push your car to the limit. And yes with a Model 3 if you are getting passed you are leaving some performance on the table.

Good idea, will look into learning to drive on the track or taking an advanced driving course at some point.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Best to drive mountain roads at a pace you feel comfortable.
There will most always be some racer types that want to turn the mountain curves into their private race track.

When you see a bunch of cars stacked up behind you, then use courtesy and pull over into a view point and let them pass. More relaxing for everyone.

Better for a timid driver to take a high performance driving course. They are available in most communities. Learn to apex and drive quickly on a flat parking lot instead on a curving mountain road with deadly drop-offs.

Your Model 3 is already a sporty handling sedan. Some time with an instructor can show you how to get more out of your ownership experience.

If you do not wish to use your Tesla to learn on, then consider checking out a local Karting track.

 

[theothertom]

First thing they teach in autocross is to look beyond the turn.

 

[patrick40363]

Hey all,

I am having next week off work, so I wanted to go ahead and drive around the roads in the area. Admittedly, I am not a super good driver, so I am looking for some advice.

I believe my main problems are mostly dealing with super twisty turns, I often go quite slow on them, the last time I drove on the mountains a few days ago, a Panamera 4s and a Honda S2000 just passed me real quick. I am not sure if I am being too safe with the car, or if the factory suspension setup/tires aren't exactly up to the demanding task of driving twisty roads fast enough.

In what ways can I improve my driving skills around twisty mountain roads? Would appreciate any advice. Thanks all.

Pull over and let them pass.

 

[SummerlinChiro]

Think ahead

Look ahead

Imagine the lines that your tires carve through the corners being smooth and perfectly arced as to connect the corners and straighten them out as much as possible

Be ready for a car coming the opposite way to be in your lane

Think about your outs ahead of time

Going through a fence is better than a head-on

Be hyperaware of your sight lines - how far you can see determines how quickly you can go

I adjust my corner entry positioning to improve my sight lines

Be careful

Imagine a downed motorcyclist lying in the road around every blind corner

That’s how careful you should be

 

[Dolemite]

In order of increasing expense:

1. https://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster...kip+barber+going+faster&qid=1609109183&sr=8-1
   
2. PS5 + Gran Turismo + wheel + seat
3. Karting
4. Auto-X
5. HPDE

 

[animorph]

Steering wheel technique can be different due to tighter turns, so think a bit about that. Decreasing radius turns can catch you out if you're at the end of your arm travel. For example, if you are leaving your hands at 3 and 9 and crossing your arms to make the turn you'll only have about 180 degrees of wheel turn you can make before your arms collide. Tough situation if you need to turn a bit more. Generally you'll want to shuffle the wheel in your hands to avoid something like that. Returning the steering to the centered position can be a challenge when shuffling the wheel so it can take some practice and consistency. My steering wheel handling is much different in the mountains.

One pedal driving is great in the mountains. No need for brakes unless you're pushing it. That part should be very easy.

The safest way to push the car a little is to accelerate harder out of a corner. With traction control you can't go too wrong, though I'm sure there's a way. Just make sure you pick corners where you can safely run off the side a bit until you know the car's limits.

The worst way to push the car is to brake late entering a corner. Too much speed and physics will slide you right off the road. The car can't help you there (yet). Too much speed is dependent on road conditions as well as the car. Some asphalt is better than others, and of course rain is a problem. Though rain can be good practice in an empty parking lot where a slide won't hit anything. A familiar road is good to practice on, with hopefully no surprises. You can have plenty of fun and speed without trying to brake at the very last second. Reserve a safety margin here.

That said, when I have to drive some crappy rental car I usually manage to squeal the tires a few times before I get my driving style recalibrated.

 

[MoreAgain]

Agree with all the recommendations for high performance driver training. Learn in a safe environment, not on public roads. There are so many good resources in this area. Check motorsportsreg.com for instruction events (AROSC school is coming up in January and is very good for reasonable cost.) Autocross is good for practice and full of helpful people. One of the best, and cheapest, places I've found for working on car control is Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside. For $35 you can run your car on their twisty track. Very similar to autocross, but on a dedicated track that has been recently resurfaced. Highly recommended!

 

[MXLRplus]

Look far ahead. You can't fix a bad line at point blank.
Don't look at your instruments or multitask.
Give it up before entry, and accelerate through. Trail braking is for the track as is two foot driving.
Remember to breathe. Sounds dumb but it works.
Do not use the brakes to fix oversteer or understeer. If you want to oversteer or understeer brakes come in handy.
Performance driving school is great fun and potentially a lifesaver. Think of it as a holiday.

 

[JCtx]

With this car, I'd imagine you have to be very careful with the throttle near its limits, especially on 2021s, which don't have 'low' regen mode. Before attempting to get aggressive, you'd have to master throttle control, meaning the ability to drive very smoothly with just one pedal. Once 'braking' by gradually releasing the throttle becomes second nature, then you'd be ready .

Finally, the stock tires are only grand touring, so quite limited. If the Panamera has summer tires, I don't think an M3 LR could keep up, just because of the tires. It's a heavy beast. Yes, low CG helps, but can't defy physics entirely.

 

[Vines]

Rather than comparing yourself to others, focus on learning the basics of car control, the traction circle, and go slow before you go fast. Don't let your ego get involved, learn to have fun at any speed.

Backroads are public roads, never go more than 70-80% of what you are capable of on a course with pedestrians, and potential cross traffic at any moment. Imagine that at any moment, there might be a down tree, or like was mentioned above a motorcycle in the road.

Tesla Corsa has track events for when you are ready to push it a bit. Autocross or a HPDE is a good step 1 and step 2 before you get on a race track.

I wouldn't worry about anything except tire upgrades for now. Learn the car as it is and just put the best properly inflated tires you can afford on it.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Depends which tires you have but the car is pretty capable in the corners once you know what it’s limits are. A Panamera definitely wouldn’t be able to catch up.

So he says he usually drives very slow, so I'm having a hard time understanding what the tires have to do with it. I'm all ears

 

[Mash]

So he says he usually drives very slow, so I'm having a hard time understanding what the tires have to do with it. I'm all ears

It is safer when you have more grip.

 

[ULEWZ]

Grip is everything. All season tires will never handle like a good summer tire, and in Los Angeles, it is not required (my opinion) unless you go to the mountains with snow on the ground. I assume you were on the Crest? I find the stock suspension to not be conducive to fast twisty driving, and in my case, could be dangerous. It would bottom out in turns with even a minor bump in the turn, and unsettle the suspension. I have been driving the twisty roads around here for years, and I upgraded to coilovers just to make it feel like a sportscar, but that is me. I never advocate driving over your head or your cars capabilities, so the advice you got here to pull over is very good advice.

 

[Onshore]

I agree with the others that suggested doing a training course. These are usually conducted in a controlled environment such as a race track and provide you with valuable skills on things like cornering lines, braking and so on.