07 Elise, std OEM Yokohamas. The couple times I've been caught out in a good rain, I experienced feelings that I've never felt in any other car and wonder is this common & what causes it. First unusual thing was on a sweeping turn, concrete overpass. As I passed over the 1" wide (maybe metal) expansion joints I could feel the front tires slip out a small distance. This makes sense to me as the tire should slip in very small amounts when it crosses something with zero traction. It just came as a shock because in all my Corvette or Porsche days I've never felt anything like it. Chalked it up to feedback from this car, lack of tire-to-driver isolation, etc.
The other instances were more puzzling / disturbing. They involved straight line braking on asphalt surfaces with small amounts of standing water. Not enough that would lead to terminal hydroplaning. Moderate braking would generate a feeling like a very mild ABS deployment. By intentionally activating the ABS under hard braking, I've kind of ruled out ABS as a cause for this. Also this sensation occurs at speeds that should be well below the point of boy-meets-guardrail. When I'm not expecting it, even now it's a bit disturbing as I read into it something more sinister than I presume it is. The feeling occurs at maybe 20 MPH less than I feel a sense of impending doom in the 911.
It this an Elise thing? A Yokohama thing? Or is it time for that lobotomy I've been promising myself? If tires, are they really giving up in the wet or is this an anomaly due to the specific tread pattern?
The other instances were more puzzling / disturbing. They involved straight line braking on asphalt surfaces with small amounts of standing water. Not enough that would lead to terminal hydroplaning. Moderate braking would generate a feeling like a very mild ABS deployment. By intentionally activating the ABS under hard braking, I've kind of ruled out ABS as a cause for this. Also this sensation occurs at speeds that should be well below the point of boy-meets-guardrail. When I'm not expecting it, even now it's a bit disturbing as I read into it something more sinister than I presume it is. The feeling occurs at maybe 20 MPH less than I feel a sense of impending doom in the 911.
It this an Elise thing? A Yokohama thing? Or is it time for that lobotomy I've been promising myself? If tires, are they really giving up in the wet or is this an anomaly due to the specific tread pattern?