Can You Drive a Supercar in the Rain? An Honest Answer
Melbourne is famous for four seasons in one day, so this question comes up on almost every booking. The honest answer: yes, you can drive a supercar in the rain — but it is a different experience, and it rewards a different kind of driving.
Why rain changes things
The tyres. Supercars run high-performance tyres designed to grip best when warm. On cold, wet tarmac they offer noticeably less grip than they do on a warm dry day — and much less than the outright power of the car might suggest.
Rear-wheel drive. The Huracán Tecnica, the Ferrari 488 GTB and the McLaren 720S send their power to the rear wheels. In the wet, a heavy right foot out of a slow corner can unsettle the back of the car.
All-wheel drive helps. The Lamborghini Urus and the Mercedes-AMG G63 are all-wheel drive, and are far more composed in poor conditions.
How to drive one well in the wet
- Leave the stability control on. It is there for exactly this.
- Use the right drive mode. Most of these cars have a comfort or wet-weather setting that softens throttle response. The handover covers it.
- Be smooth. Gentle on the throttle, gentle on the brakes, no sudden steering. Smoothness is speed in the wet.
- Double your following distance.
- Watch for standing water — a low car with wide tyres is more prone to aquaplaning.
The Melbourne-specific hazards
Tram tracks. Steel rails in the CBD and inner suburbs become extremely slippery when wet. Cross them at as close to a right angle as you safely can, and never brake or accelerate hard on them.
Painted road markings are slippery too, especially at intersections.
The Black Spur stays damp. Under the forest canopy, sections stay wet long after the rain stops, often with leaf litter on the inside of corners. See our notes in the route guide.
What to do if the forecast looks bad
Choose an all-wheel-drive car. If your date falls in a wet week, the Urus or G63 gives you the occasion with far more confidence.
Rethink the route. A Yarra Valley lunch in the rain is still lovely. A wet mountain road in a rear-drive supercar is less so.
Ask us. If you are worried about the forecast, tell us when you enquire and we will talk through your options honestly.
For more on avoiding the common pitfalls, see 10 mistakes first-time hirers make.
