High performance cars: easier or more challenging to drive?

[Gareth]

Then you have the artistic drivers who seem able to feel the effect of their inputs on the outputs, as the inputs are being fed in and, as a result, simply drive everything.

Presuming the artistic drivers still need to know what their goal is? Even if it isn't (always?) at a conscious level?

[TripleS]

How many racing drivers have had 10,000 hours? Or airline pilots? What distinguishes an activity at which you are unlikely to become masterful before 10,000 hours?

The 10,000 hour rule comes from a 1990s study,and there's some other stuff by the author here, of elite violinists by a psychologist which showed that all performers had accumulated over 10,000 hours of practice; there were no naturals who had skipped these hours and there were none who had put in the work but failed to achieve. The basic conclusion was that if you had the talent, it still took 10,000 hours of practice to reach an 'elite' status. Read into that what you will when cross referencing to road driving.

A lot of hours...that's OK.

A lot of miles...that's also OK.

A good deal of thinking... that might also be OK.

My problem has to be lack of talent, in the passenger seat, regrettably. Wives don't count.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[WhoseGeneration]

Genetics mostly - I'd imagine... In the same way that there are musicians and virtuoso musicians, the same must exist for drivers. Training and practice can only get you so far, and being a 'genius' still doesn't preclude you from the 10,000 hour rule required to be effortlessly proficient.

For my undoubtedly great sins, I'm part of a judging panel/secret cabal/star chamber/unholy conspiracy (delete as applicable depending on your world view) for a 'driving award'. We've tried unsuccessfully to define exactly what moves you over the line between wanting to have this award and having this award and to date the only definition we've been able to come up with is 'we know it when we see it'.

Part of the problem with 'judging' said award is the lack of understanding on the part of some of the aspirants that the 10,000 hour rule only gets you so far and some of the intangibles that make up the 'seeing it' lie within the realms of driving genius.

Stepping back into the world of RoadCraft, the whole purpose is to take any driver, irrespective of where they lie on the genius scale and make them sufficiently competent under all circumstances. In other words, everyone should be capable (giving sufficient internal desire to make changes) of IAM/ROADAR/Police Class I. Some of the things, such as the never ending discussion on Pistonheads about BGOL and possible the insistence upon PP, are undoubtedly lowest common denominator things that can be ignored by many but not all.

Genetics is, of course, the answer and not just in the areas you reference.
It likewise applies to such as teaching, writing novels and music, carpentry and general ability to use one's hands in different disciplines.
Now, that 10000 hours rule?, I'm not convinced.

[7db]

10,000 hours at 60mph would be 600,000 miles.

60mph is very good average progress on all but long trunk road journeys

[TripleS]

10,000 hours at 60mph would be 600,000 miles.

60mph is very good average progress on all but long trunk road journeys

Close to impossible in the UK on anything other than uncongested motorways, I'd say.