How to Learn your Car...?

[Justin Fidler <justin@codeboy.net>]

Tonight was a rainy night here in Washington DC, and on my way home from a
friend's house, I decided it was time to get to know my car better.  I
figured the rain would provide a slippery surface that would let me test
out quattro more easily than dry pavement (we haven't had a snow yet this
winter).  So I took my A4 out to a subdivision that has no traffic and
wide roads.  I figured if I lose control, there's more room to recover.
It was late at night, so there wouldn't be any pedestrians to hit.

Anyway, on right-angle turns, I found I could take them at 20mph with
ease -- I don't think I even accelerated anywhere in the turn.  Next, I
tried going around a circle (the kind they have in a cul-de-sac at the
end of a street).  I could do about 20mph around those and the car would
oversteer a bit -- but not too much.  I accelerated through these.

So, my problem is that I'm too timid, and I don't want to hit a curb and
bend a wheel (or worse).  I can't really make myself enter these
turns at a high rate of speed (some sort of instinctive reaction to 
slow down I guess).  Without snow, what's a good way to test the limits of
a car without causing any harm/problems?  With all the warnings
recently about not letting off the throttle in a turn, I want to know my
car well -- but not wreck it in the process.

Given that I'm not expecting snow around here for at least another month,
what else can I do?  I'm thinking of going to one of those driver schools
(anyone ever gone to www.carguys.com?  any good?), but I'm not sure how
soon I'll get around to it. 

Thanks,
Justin 
97 A4 1.8tq