Can a road car really handle like a go-kart?

“My car feels like a go-kart”... “Go-kart like handling”...Phrases often coined by car enthusiasts about performance and sports cars. But can cars ever really handle like a go-kart without serious modification?

Scraping the floor; sat mm off the tarmac

Over 6 years of competitive kart racing, plus 5 years on the road, and I'm still yet to drive something from either side that bares significant resemblance. I drove a whole host of karts with several engines during my karting career, and have had the privilege of driving more cars than most 22 year olds. These cars have ranged from a Porsche Carrera, to a Lincoln Navigator right down to a 3 cylinder Vauxhall Corsa. I can safely say that none of them, have had any resemblance in performance and feel to my karts. Yet time and time again, I frequently come across car reviews and forum junkies who claim their bog standard cars handle like go-karts.

Karting is so pure, that during my career my ribs were repeatedly cooked by the engine, whilst my butt took whacks when I rode kerbs. The brakes felt like an extension of my leg, with even the minutest adjustment having drastic effect on speed and even the angle of entry into a corner. The steering was so direct, even a stone could be felt through the wheel.

Body roll in my car

Of course, there will be cars out there that are so raw they’re blue by steak standards, but for the most part, road cars will always be compromised in their ability to be pure. The challenges presented in ensuring a good ride quality, mean certain areas of cars, such as the suspension, have to be softened. As a result this can compromise their ability to perform effectively at speed and can contribute to a lack of feel. By no means is that a total negative, as I can vouch by saying I’d much rather be sat in a Diesel Mercedes than my old TKM 115cc go-kart in a traffic jam in the city. For one, speed bumps would be a nightmare, as having to lift the kart over them could become just slightly annoying.

Many of us modify our cars heavily to essentially push them towards that ‘pure’, direct feel of a go-kart. I've recently modified my car, by fitting performance springs and replacing rubber bushes with solid versions, in order to maximise feel and responsiveness. Despite noticing a slight improvement, it’s a miles away from a go-kart. The car still leans under fast direction change, the nose still ducks under braking, and minute steering inputs are still significantly suppressed when compared with those of a kart.

Now I haven’t had the pleasure of driving an Ariel Atom or McLaren F1, but for most of us that isn't something we will ever experience. Therefore it is safe to say, Mr Mini Cooper S, I'm sure your car handles fantastically, but it’s a far world from the pure handling of a go-kart.