Drove the Stealth in heavy rain last night for the first time... Impressed!

[hotGTO]

So last night right after I closed up shop it starts to downpour!!! Perfect time to test out the AWD! :D So I jump on the highway for a spin and WOW, this car never even flinched! Even where the water collected in the low spots of the road where it would normally want to drag the car in that direction, it would just throw a rooster tail up and plow straight forward... I actually felt as if I were driving a speed boat!!!!!!! LMAO! It definitely will safely go faster than my eyes could safely see in front of me, and you can't ask for anything more than that!

[VR-4 0wnz j00]

They definitely stick to the ground. My NA used to hydroplane like crazy and the VR-4 I think has hydroplaned once in a big downpour. Glad you got to enjoy it :)

[DocWalt]

Yep, I don't worry about poor weather at all, unless it snows.

[Austin@STM]

I have been driving to/from work about 20 miles each way with the slicks on for the past few weeks, and even with them in the rain the car is still very steady and controlled. Boy do I love my stealth.

[CoreyB]

They are awesome no doubt. Just be careful because when they let go sometimes its catastrophic.

[hotGTO]

I never want to find out what the limits of the car truly are, but it really was like driving a speed boat safely plowing through the water....

[RL7]

I actually drove my FWD stealth through a hurricane once. I think it was Hurricane Francis in 2004. First challenge was getting gas when every gas station was closed. I just crossed my fingers and putzed around at 55 with the needle below E. I got really lucky and found an open station (it was probably the 5th one I went by). I think they only allowed me to purchase 10 gallons of gas or something like that, but it was enough. After that it was 200+ miles of dark highway in various stages of flood accompanied by hurricane force winds and torrential rain. I was pretty much constantly hydroplaning, but after a little while I just tuned into that and moving back and forth a few feet sidways at 90+ didn't shake me much. The visibility was terrible due to the darkness, the crazy rain, and the poor headlights on the car and this was really only possible because there was absolutely no one on the highway- there was actually a radio recording playing saying the highway patrol had been pulled out and would not be there to "help". I may have seen 1 other car the entire way down the turnpike, but I don't even know about that. I was going pretty freaking fast, partially because the highway was deserted of all traffic and police (and any emergency services!), but mostly because I was trying to beat the worst of the weather. Despite this, I think I still ended up hitting the eye at some point. The whole trip actually ended up being pretty fun, but I'm a little crazy and like challenging myself. Definitely not the smartest thing I've ever done, but I got to where I needed to be and got there in one piece. I really had a new appreciation of my car after that.

But, yeah, that's probably pretty close to the limit and no one should ever do anything that stupid. It is nice to know it can be done if necessary though.

[MaxClass]

Don't get a false sense of security just because these things hug the road so well. When my '92 TT was two years old I was driving from Orlando to Tampa in a very heavy rain. The traffic was creeping along because of it and I got impatient behind a car in the fast lane to I turned to the right lane and as I turn back to the left I gunned it and it fish-tailed the rear end to the right so I corrected to the right with the wheel. The next thing I know the tail end swings around to the left and the whole car when into a clockwise spin. Because of the heavy rain I could not see where I was going so I just backed off and hung on waiting to hit something. Luckily I ended off the right side of the road on grass with no contact with anyone or any thing. Definitely needed a change of shorts.

You only have to do that once to gain a whole new respect for being a little careless. I think in the heavy rain it just went into hydro-plane mode and trust me when I say you don't want to do that. You literally lose all control and are only along for the ride hoping you don't contact something.

Nature has a way of dealing with cockiness. It's fun to push things but always keep in mind that the downside may end up getting more expensive than you have dollars to deal with. Plus you have better things to do with your money.

[Austin@STM]

I actually drove my FWD stealth through a hurricane once. I think it was Hurricane Francis in 2004. First challenge was getting gas when every gas station was closed. I just crossed my fingers and putzed around at 55 with the needle below E. I got really lucky and found an open station (it was probably the 5th one I went by). I think they only allowed me to purchase 10 gallons of gas or something like that, but it was enough. After that it was 200+ miles of dark highway in various stages of flood accompanied by hurricane force winds and torrential rain. I was pretty much constantly hydroplaning, but after a little while I just tuned into that and moving back and forth a few feet sidways at 90+ didn't shake me much. The visibility was terrible due to the darkness, the crazy rain, and the poor headlights on the car and this was really only possible because there was absolutely no one on the highway- there was actually a radio recording playing saying the highway patrol had been pulled out and would not be there to "help". I may have seen 1 other car the entire way down the turnpike, but I don't even know about that. I was going pretty freaking fast, partially because the highway was deserted of all traffic and police (and any emergency services!), but mostly because I was trying to beat the worst of the weather. Despite this, I think I still ended up hitting the eye at some point. The whole trip actually ended up being pretty fun, but I'm a little crazy and like challenging myself. Definitely not the smartest thing I've ever done, but I got to where I needed to be and got there in one piece. I really had a new appreciation of my car after that.

But, yeah, that's probably pretty close to the limit and no one should ever do anything that stupid. It is nice to know it can be done if necessary though.

WOW, now thats an experience!

[R/T93]

RL7 that sounds so awesome!!

That is a good story I bet in person