Skidpad ratings?

[sigma]

Recently ive been reading about 'skidpad ratings' when comparing a cars handling capabilities. Could someone please explain to me what exactly this means, and what it means to how well a car handles? And also, if you are trying to compare how well different cars handle, is this 'skidpad rating' really a fair single means of comparision?

I think its measured in g forces, so im guessing its something to do with how many sideways g's the car can take before it breaks traction? Of course im probably completly wrong so someone please correct me.

[Mr Revhead]

hmmmm
handling, and grip can be totally diferent things

[sigma]

hmmmm
handling, and grip can be totally diferent things

Sort of what i was thinking, these skidpad ratings would be biased by tyre choice and suspension set ups wouldnt they?

[Akane]

The viper got a 0.91 or something (I can't exactly remember, but they got a HUGE skidpad rating), and that's due to their HUGE tyre size.

Now, try to convince me a viper handles well :/

[JRS]

a circular track of a known radius is marked out (usually with cones) and the car is driven around the track increasing in speed until it's going as fast as it can without understeering. for accuracy the speed is usually measured my gps. then some basic math is performed using speed and radius to calculate the lateral acceleration in newtons. that number is divided by 9.81 (accleration due to gravity) to give the "G force".

this is normally done at lower speeds so as to exclude aero downforce as a factor. enless you specifically wanted to see the effect of different aero parts, then you would have to make a circle large enough to drive at high speed.

i think the current mazda roadster genrates 0.96 lateral G. which is basically supercar territory. shame it's got no power though.

[Si]

late model supra is in the upper .9x range too,

with the r34 gtr comming in at the low .8x .....

a circular track of a known radius is marked out

Normaly 200ft as i recall