So, my best friend and I were talking and we came upon the topic of "spirited driving" and gave each other our definitions upon it and came up with the idea that we should both make a new thread on each other's car-forum site.
So my definition of driving spiritedly would be something similar to driving on roads that aren't so busy/secluded and driving hard and doing so to perfect one's driving ability and for the joy of doing it.
My friend's definition was simply driving whichever way you like, as long as you have the joy behind it.
Some others' input would include, "spirited driving is straight up cruising on the highway. The ones i am talking about are those that go through the mountains, the ones that noone ever goes through. Bring a cop radar and smash out on those roads for fun with the music full blast"
"Mine I guess would be when I get off work at 5:30 or so AM especially on sat or sunday morning. Theres no traffic, the exhaust is humming, its chilly, but not cold, the highways are all mine. No cops, no traffic, just me, my car and the sunrise, sunroof cracked open."

So I was just curious as to what your views of Spirited Driving might be.

spirited driving = pushing the car harder than necessary

I'd say your definition...but it also depends on the vehicle. Taking an F-250 and a Celica through a mountain pass/region are entirely different things. But yes, I would consider a Celica at home on twisty mountain roads...windows open, AC off, sunroof open, music blasting.

i know i'm driving spiritedly when my tires start talking

spirited driving is what jim said...flooring it and gettin the very most out of the car, cornering it on the back raods, mountain areas, and huging the road...you have to do it to completely enjoy your car...theres nothin better then watchin the needles race upwards and bangin gears.

when your gas pedal breaks off

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yesssss

i have no idea how to explain how i feel when i go out every weekend to drive. all i know is that it is the best feeling ever. but not as good as the first time i auto-x'd. that has to be one of the top 3 happiest moments of my life so far

LOL when there is a stain on my seat!!

No but really when i start to hear the tires screaaaachinggg through a corner and have JUST that level of control over the car that makes remember why i <3 my celica.

hhmm well im lucky enough to live in the state of australia where the targa tasmania road rally is held, and live not far from some of the best stages, mountian passes, some in rainforests etc.
some open roads where you can have flying miles etc.
technically spirited driving is excessive use of the right hoof

but in reality is where your exceeding the normal speeds, breaking later and turning harder....well thats just my opinion.

The only way to really enjoy a car is pushing it to the limits where its life and death. Fear is like a high that you sometimes crave to really enjoy the fact that your are alive after all. I think racing around the mountains and corners with a buddy who actually knows the road too is the best. One simple mistake could cost you your life.

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so you trust your friend driving on a curvey road more than you trust yourself?

I say "spirited" is when you take a turn faster than you know you should, hard on the gas or brakes (or both). Basically pushing your car (mabey not to it's limits, but more than is needed for that situation).

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That is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. There is NEVER a need to push a car that hard. I hope WHEN you DO push it to hard that you only kill yourself. If you need this kind of "high" there are plenty of other activity's that would benefit you. Bungee jumping, sky diving, rock climbing with no rope, hell Russian roulette for all I care.....At least if something goes wrong you are only going to kill yourself.

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Agreed. I would say anything other than normal driving.

i went out again today.

- getting as close to the guardrail as you can when going around a bend
- cutting the grass with the edge of your tire going around a bend

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you bastard! I remember going to Tasmania as a kid and my dad going fast around some of those roads and it was the most fun ever, have you been to queenstown? such an amazing place, and an even more amazing road.

As for "spirited" driving, I've always thought of it as just fast into corners but not too the point of squealing or close to the point of losing control.

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If your driving with a buddy or a spouse in the car. Then tats wrong of course. You should only do this when there is no one around and your by yourself. I live in the mountains so I pretty much have the road to myself.

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you sir are stupid.....and the reason why we have so many issues with kids and accidents

Agreed with playr...those words come out of my mouth?

Street racing, against yourself.

That's my definition.

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x2

Maybe you should take up base jumping

^ Without a rope or parachute. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Spirited Driving = Legal way of saying that you've been driving Illegally.

Spirited Driving = 75% of full throttle, using the whole width of the road for cornering, down shifting, shifting somewhere 4500-5500 rpm, NEVER pushing to the limit thou. Thats my ideal "spirited driving", if its full throttle driving, i call it "公道最速伝説"　 　(you'll only understand if your japanese or read chinese character)

spirited driving:
a) driving car to its limit.
b) feel comfortable at that limit.
c) upgrade your car.
d) rinse. repeat.

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Only understand if you are JAPANESE
Or read CHINESE character?

So kinda like i have to be Hispanic to read English? Or Australian to understand sign? I suppose American Indians are the only ones who can read Brail too eh?



This post has been edited by D-Man: Nov 26, 2008 - 9:34 AM

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Japanese uses Chinese kanji in their writing system.

It would be more like Hispanics, French, and English being able to understand Latin characters. Or actually maybe that's the opposite, or on another plane but still comparable. (Adopted sound vs Adopted Meaning)

for me its when you get those butterfly deep in your gut. the tires start to talk, white knuckles, hair on the back of your neck standing up. revs up speedo and tach chasing one another.

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exactly. we use chinese characters in our language as well but only a portion of it.

hence why chinese ppl can make out some of the text in japan and vis versa

I would say that "spirited driving" is when you are driving harder than you should, BUT DEFINITELY NOT TO THE POINT WHERE YOU WILL KILL YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. Don't get me wrong, I've done stupid stuff, and I regret it. Topping my car out? What happens when a deer jumps out in front of me? I've hit one going 45 before. I don't want that at 120. And pushing your car's limits around a corner? Unless you've tested and exceeded your car's limits, you never know exactly what they are. That one extra mile an hour around that corner is all it could take for you to hit the ditch. I've just about put myself in a ditch before, and it's not somewhere I want to be.

Don't get the mood of this post wrong. I'm not against spirited driving at all. I love it! I just don't want to get hurt or hurt someone else doing it so I keep it under control. To those of you that feel the need to break your own personal records every time you get behind the wheel, I'm glad you don't live near me lol. I'd rather not get hit when you're going 110 and I'm not doing anything wrong at all.

Basically what I'm saying is save it for the track.

Some good sensible people here

Basically imo if you want to test the limits of you and the car, that should be on the track.

If only everybody got to drive to the limit on the track before passing their driving test, there would be much less fatal accidents. Many people learn the limits of their ability and car about 5 seconds before they die

The more you drive, the more you know the limits of both yourself and your car. It takes years to get this.