SimHQ.com - Motorsports Zone - Review: netKar PRO

The Formula 1600 which features an open differential was initially my nightmare car, as I just couldn't understand why the combination of an open diff and a very light single seater understeered so much, no matter what I did with the set-ups. Of course, I’ve never driven such a car in real-life and big part of the problem here may lie with the driver. Perhaps I had too much confidence in the car — which is racing driver's lingo for ”I overestimated my driving abilities” — and I very probably went into turns carrying excess speed. That would certainly explain the corner entry understeer I experienced. Using the throttle out a a corner is also a bit of an art as the power-on characteristics again exhibit understeer through much of the corner.

Once the car starts to change direction however, it does so in an instant which is very consistent with the sort of handling to expect from a rear-wheel driven, light single seater with the engine placed just in front of the rear-axle.

Taking it very slowly and building up that crucial rhythm instead of charging ahead, made quite a difference in terms of my appreciation of this little car.

I also drove it at a different track, and that is a trick any driver can employ if they feel they are stuck with a certain car, track or set-up: Take the car to another track. That way you force yourself to learn the car all over again, and by building up speed slowly, you tell yourself to open your senses to what the car is telling you, trying out different lines, and finding out where you need to clip the kerbs to gain more speed, and where you absolutely cannot clip the kerbs.

This car is a challenge to drive even if it has ”only” 111 bhp. With a weight of only 450 kg, it is not the horses that matter. You find that with deft footwork you can turn the car in to the corners by applying the brakes, while at the same time maintaining a bit of trailing throttle, i.e. you don’t back completely off on the throttle. This will help to keep it stable under turning. If you then lift off the throttle a little bit, just a tiny bit, you can make the rear-end step out. Lift off too much, and you’ll experience snap oversteer.

This car is driven almost entirely by the pedals, and both pedals should be used at the same time! Once you start to develop a feel for the car, it will slip and slide under your expert guidance, and that is an experience that I predict will make you addictive. When we understand the set-ups better, it should be possible to dial this car in to your desired handling characteristics.

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Formula 1600