Why does it feel faster if your'e sitting in the passenger seat.

Brother in law took me out for a spin in his MR2 Turbo (him driving) which felt really quick, much quicker than if i'm driving the scooby (mods to 310 bhp).

Put them together and I left him for dead. Sat him in mine and he said exactly the same as I did about his.

 

Yes I've always wondered that too! Is it because you get used to it in the driver's seat???!

Maz

 

Its just one of those things. MR2 sits alittle lower (like a go kart) plus when u are not in contol everything feels different. Dont quote me on any of that thou, plz

 

Its the position you sit in, if you place your head back on the headrest I think i feels faster when your accelerating.



Would love to know the tecnical reason though, but it does always feel faster as a passenger

 

same here i always get scared when i go out in passenger seat of my car feels so much faster think its because you have no control over the vehicle

 

Mind you the only time i sit anywhere but the driving seat to my car is when ive had a drink, so that might have something to do with it

 

It is weird as even the wifes Renault scenic TD feels like it can pull when she's driving. When I drive it is behaves exactly like you'd expect - gutless and slow.

 

Pobably because when you're in your own car you're holding on to the steering wheel. Even if you hold it quite lightly, there's a tendency to grip it when accelerating. The thrust of the car will be distributed between the pull on the arms and the push against the seat, whereas as a passenger the thrust is just pushing you bacwards into the seat.

I reckon.

 

Its because your closer to the kerb..lol..scary

 

Its because you're not in control so your senses are heightened and as a result you feel that as a passeneger you are going faster

 

When you are driving you a) know what is going to happen next (in theory...), and b) generally have other things to think about. The passenger has nothing else to think about but how they are being driven, and no control over events.


M

 

exactly, it's a question of control, at 290bhp I'm convinced my car is slow, that was until I was a passenger with my father driving at full whack across the welsh mountains... fookin great

 

Yeah, I agree with this view, as a driver you're leaning yourself into the corners and bracing back in the seat as you drive but as a passenger you get chucked about. My bro in law hates being in the passenger seat during enthusiastic acceleration, says it makes him feel really uncomfortable.

 

Yes it must be a control thing. I got a bit scared when a friend took me out in an EVO 8 340BHP awesome acceleration and scary approaching some bends but he knew the capabilities. Now if only i can get a drive in one!

 

Exactly so.

 

The best feeling was going out round the ring in the back of Simo's 330bhp+ STi. I never thought having your neck wrenched off could be quite so fun. I think that was helped by the extra noise and not being able to see in the back!

Adam

 

Originally Posted by Bubba po
Pobably because when you're in your own car you're holding on to the steering wheel. Even if you hold it quite lightly, there's a tendency to grip it when accelerating. The thrust of the car will be distributed between the pull on the arms and the push against the seat, whereas as a passenger the thrust is just pushing you bacwards into the seat.

I reckon.



A mixture of these two explanations I'd say. I am very apprehensive when not in the cockpit of a hot car being pushed, although it is fun, like a fairground ride, but much scarier.

Robin.

 

Another thing is as the driver you're preempting the acceleration etc, where as the first thing the passenger feels is the effects.. IYSWIM..?

 

the reasons are along the same lines as travel sickness maybe?

 

Is the reason it feels faster when you are the passenger similar to the fact that you can't tickle yourself?

 

Ah what about when you sit on your arm till it goes numb and then..........

 

Or you could sit on your ol fella till that goes numb and then......
eveyone was thinking it I just said it