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Snap oversteer. It's probably one of the first thing that comes to mind for many when they think Toyota MR2 or even any mid-engined car (corvette c8, ferrari, lotus, etc.). But how bad is it really? Are you gonna die after two seconds like the memes want you to think?

Well, today we're going to test it out in the real world, on a big empty parking lot to see just how bad is the snap oversteer in an mr2, when, why and how it happens and what can you do to fix it and recover from it.

Before that we are going to talk a bit about the theory behind snap oversteer. So why does snap oversteer even happen? It happens because of something called weight transfer. Mid-engined cars are great at straight line acceleration and exiting corners fast because weight is transfered towards the rear of the car in those situation. The engine and transmission are the single largest fixed point of concentrated weight in a car, and in a mid-engined car they are located in the middle of the car. When a mid-engined car such as the Toyota mr2 accelerates the weight distribution towards the rear helps provide additional traction to the rear driven wheels. The engine's weight further amplifies that effect. However, when an inexperienced driver enters a corner too fast in a mid-engined car and suddenly releases the throttle in an attempt to decelerate, snap oversteer happens. It is also called lift off oversteer because it occurs in a sudden throttle lift off scenario. As a mid-engined car decelerates weight is transferred away from the rear wheels, they loose traction and the rear of the car wants to break loose. As it does so it "snaps" and the car makes a sudden uncontrolled full spin. This happens because the mass is concentrated in the middle in a mid-engined car. A good analogy here is a hammer with the hammer head in the middle of the shaft, it will be much more prone to spinning than a hammer with the head at either of its ends.

So how to fix it and recover from snap oversteer? The first part of the equation is the mechanical condition of a mid-engined car. Is the suspension old, in poor condition and unserviced? Are the tires worn out? Has an alignment been done? These can greatly contribute to increased chances for snap oversteer. The other part of the equation is driver experience. As you can see in the video it is fairly easy to recover from snap oversteer in a mechanically sound car if the driver has a bit of experience and does not panic or freeze up. You recover from snap oversteer like you would from any kind of oversteer, and that is by steering in the other direction. Do not attempt to brake to stop the oversteer. It is also very important not to over-correct. If speeds aren't excessive you can fix snap oversteer by simply letting go of the throttle and the car will restore direction of travel on its own. The key is not to panic or freeze up and try to forcefully hold the steering wheel in place. It is of course important to react quickly because the time frame is short, if you react too late you will likely be unable to continue smoothly in the desired direction of travel, but you can still prevent the car from spinning around completely and minimize the chances of accident and/or injury.

So to sum it up. Make sure your mid engined car is in a sound mechanical condition, have good tires and don't panic. The best way to prevent snap oversteer is to experience it in a safe environment. Take your mid-engined car and experiment on a large empty space (parking lot etc.) Try to intentionally create snap oversteer by releasing throttle during cornering. This will prepare you for it and after a bit of practice it will become second nature for you to react on time and recover from snap oversteer. Once you master that you can even try drifting your toyota mr2, it can do that too. Now stop reading this and go watch the damn video :)

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