BWF07

Sorry to asking all these question, but so far I have been to 2 auto cross events, and both times I ran with the nannies on full. Should I run just in the competitive mode?

Xian

My suggestion will depend on experience level. If all you have are 2 events in total (ever), I'd run with the TC on until you start feeling it try to fight you. At that point, start turning stuff off until you're running without any driver aids. If you've got prior experience on track or autocrossing (just not in this car), I'd turn everything off and learn the car's limits.

FWIW, I had a similar conversation with some folks as I started this season. It was my first time running something with decent power that was RWD. I've got a decent amount of autox/DE/wheel to wheel background so I started out with no driver aids turned on. I didn't find the car at all difficult to drive as long as you're somewhat careful how fast/hard you roll back into the throttle.

BWF07

These were my first time ever at auto crossing events. I have only been attending shows with the car. We had a club event 3 weeks ago for anyone that had never been auto crossing before to come and try it out. One day of it and I was hooked. I plan to continue, so I am just trying to learn what is best at this time.

Thanks for you input.

Bad Karma

It really depends on your comfort level. Did you notice the nannies kicking in when you were driving?

I think I've always done autocross with it off, the first time I autocrossed was in a C4 without any nannies anyway.
But for HPDE's I started with competition mode on the C5; and kept it on for a while until I could feel it holding me back.

Xian

Ahhhhh... yeah, in that case, get used to the car. As you push it more, you'll feel it start to intrude and at that point start disabling stuff. These cars aren't "hard" to drive but if you don't have much background I'd suggest working up to it. You can end up with a big spin if you push to hard in the wrong spot.

dhowdy

I've ran everything off since my second event with no prior track/autox experience. Take the jump

And that's how you learn I've spun lots... less often more recently.

Xian

True!

In my head I was thinking of those spots where you're top of 2nd and can just barely do it flat but if you chicken out and lift then you're going for a loooooooong ride out in the grass/dirt.

firebirdfan

Competitive mode is perfectly fine to use even when you're limited on experience. The full AH/TC system is VERY intrusive and will limit any and all wheel spin and sliding.

The competitive mode lets you get the back end sideways a bit, as well as letting you spin the tires in a straight line. However, it will step in if you get too much angle into a slide and bring the car back for you. When the competitive mode steps in, you'll still feel it, but again, it's much less intrusive.

I think you'd be hard pressed to spin the car with the comp mode on in an autocross. That is, barring any crazy pavement changes (wet/dry) or seriously poor driver inputs (ham-fisted steering and flat footing the gas all the time)

If you end up doing a higher speed track day, definitely leave the full nannies on until you're comfortable with the speeds, track manners, braking, etc.

dhowdy

There was a brand new M3 that hit a fence yesterday because of just that. Right through this section www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJq8j1hC6Ko&t=0m30s What I heard is that he lifted, lost control, tried to save it. I was working course at the time but looking at the next car so I missed the action until I looked over and saw an M3 in the fence. I didn't even know there was a fence near the course (as an aside, I strongly regret not going to third, but I didn't trust my downshift abilities)

BWF07

Even with the nannies on full my first run this past weekend I ended up looping it. Clod tires cold track and inexperience will get you ever time. The nice thing about were we hold the events, is there are no walls and no fences to worry about.

Bill Dearborn

You didn't say whether you looped the car when you got on the throttle or off from it. I would turn off the TC as it can kill a launch. After that you need to learn how to roll onto the throttle and to keep the back end in place. You can run a C6Z through most autocrosses in first gear since the car will hit 60 in first but throttle control becomes a real problem since it can give just as much grief when you lift as when you hit it. If you have the distance get the car into 2nd and leave it there. The car will be much better behaved if you are using 2nd since you have easier throttle control. You can use 2nd down to around 10 mph.

Bill

strano@stranoparts.com

To each his own. But if you run with anything on, if you feel it interfering then you aren't running the show, and I prefer to run the show.

Last month I taught an Evo School in GA, a guy was there with a new M4. I could hear the car cutting throttle and such, but not really doing a lot else. But I could see his inputs didn't really match what was happening. We had a discussion, and he told me he was there to learn to drive the car. So off everything went. And wow did the show start then. Doing everything the same we were all over the place. He didn't know where the limit was because the car was taking over. And fwiw WAY better and more smoothly than the Corvette does.

In only about 5 runs he started to understand and get it. And he was happy about that.

I think those thing are the devil. If you know what to do them being on can make things worse as they correct what I already corrected and then you get an overcorrection. If you don't know what you are doing, you are never going to learn if the car constantly bails you out.

Start with TC off. Then move to Comp mode (but remember it's not foolproof and has to warm up sometimes). Then turn it all off as long as you don't forget you are driving a car with a lot of power and a lot of mass. Physics are real, and those nannies can help some but can't bend the laws of them.

And while you can run a C6Z in 1st a lot, I agree that 2nd is much better and you aren't lacking for grunt.

BWF07

It was when I got on the throttle. I was in second, but I was just exiting the turn and I think that is what snapped the rear around. I know I need to learn throttle control and how to roll in and out of the throttle instead of stabbing the brakes and then the throttle. Later in the day I think I was doing it more as I know I was not hitting the brakes as hard as certain points on the course and at some points not at all just eased the car in and out of certain areas and that was my best time of the day.