The only time I turn off the TC and/or AH is when I *want* to be able to spin the wheels or get the car going sideways. Sometimes I put the car into competition mode just to make sure that everything still works (I put my truck into 4 wheel drive every now and then, too, for the same reason).

Disabling TC and AH won't cause that car to suddenly become dangerous. If the TC and AH don't jump in during normal street driving (and they really shouldn't), then you will notice no difference in the car at all if you turn them off. That is, unless you unintentionally end up getting the car out of shape, either due to driver error or an emergency maneuver. In that case, having AH on gives you better chance of not breaking something or hurting someone.

So I guess my opinion is that there is absolutely no reason do disable them in day to day driving. If you disable them because you want to play hooligan once in a while (and don't we all), hopefully you're being safe about it.

 

For Auto-X I will turn it all off after a few runs, for HPDE I usually use compedetive driving mode, I have gotten my car loose in the top of third a couple of times on the track and was damn glad software helped save me.

OP if you find yourself about to do some crazy ****, make sure you film it and post here so we can all enjoy, I mean learn from it.

 

Yep... had my C5 for 13yrs, it is always in Comp Mode. Same with my supercharged GS, and also with the CTSV I had. I don't go out there blowing the tires off all the time, but I don't want to worry about power-robbing TC kicking on.

Granted... both my cars are highly modded, so TC is extremely intrusive, even at part throttle on occasion. I don't drive either car intentionally in bad weather (if so, all nannies are on), and am not the idiot swerving through traffic trying to prove something. I just like to have control with my right foot and have learned to know "when and where."

These cars are light and have a lot of power, yes. But they are also extremely stable and controllable... unless you are _trying_ to get into trouble (or you live in an area with poor roads/drive in inclement weather often...in which case the car can be a handful).

 

People...lets face it....about 95% +- of us.... need the TC and AH on at all times....or you might end up on U tube or Wheels that fail....just saying....

 

when pushing a TON of power over stock (like I am) TCS ON is actually a bit dangerous for me. Nothing like giving it throttle at 50mph in 2nd and have the whole car buck and lunge downward as it nastily kicks in and displays "Traction System Active". I prefer a controlled spin.

As I said earlier, I will never go competition mode or full off for the active handling. I'm not a professional race car driver and prefer the ECU attempting to keep the car straight.

 

As you know the car starts in the default mode with everything on. I have just gotten into the habit of leaving it that way. I have mellowed in my older years and I am not one that like s to do burnouts on the public roads.
Now when i go to the monthly autocross events I always turn it off and go into the Competition Driving mode. You may want to looking to autocross events in your area to fill in during the time there are no HPDE events.

 

While I agree that tire heating burnouts aren't possible with TC on, if you can't spin the wheels coming off a stoplight, then you're either lacking power, skinny pedal control, or you have some really sticky tires.

The point is, if spinning is fun for you, make sure that it has zero chances to harm someone else.

 

After reading some of this, what you might consider is contacting your local Porsche club and participating in one of their Driver Skills events. You can do this event in a safe and sane manner without the nannies turned on and learn what to expect. The skid pad is the most fun, I did it in Comp mode, throttle steering in circles while an instructor held the wheel for me. To keep going in a circle, my only control was the throttle with the rear end completely loose. Great fun! and a great way to learn how your car responds. These are very well balanced cars, with the GS I can turn in early on a corner and balance the car with the throttle and hit the apex exactly where I want with all nannies turned on. The nannies only really kick in when the car is way out of shape but if the slip angles are roughly equal on all four tires and you are smooth, they won't interfere.

 

There is no weening off TC,

You either learn to drive a race car that has way more power than need with no nannies to start with (and yard sale crash a few of them), or you don't.

Trying to work up over your skill level is always going to end up with you over your head a few times, and it this over your head on the street that ends up with someone else getting hurt as well.

Bluntly, the vet was designed with a ton of Nannie features to make it safe in the hands of non race drivers to be street drivable, and in the case of the ZR1, faster in the hands of race car drivers with some of the nannies left on as well.

To sum it up, in raw form, even the C6 base model is a monster, and it's all the nannies that keeps is civilized for street driving instead. To add, even with you holding the TC button down for 5 seconds, there are still a lot of items that you are not turning off . TM, throttle mapping (half way down on the gas pedal has the throttle plate slowly only opening about 15%), and other Nannie types items are still in play, to still make the vet still civilized to drive.

So on that note, if you really want to know just how evil the Vet can be, find a tuner that knows the entire system inside and out, shut all the nannies off, then try to put in a few road course laps. I will bank that within three laps and a few crashes as you over throttle over and over again, will have all the nannies turned right back on instead.

To sum it up, think of the Vet as a F16, which the computer in the plane to make the plane flyable. In it's raw form without the nannies, the Vet would not be a street-able car instead.

 

There is a lot of truth in what you say Dano, that is why I suggest a controlled environment. That controlled environment is even better when it's raining, I know because I've done it.

What irks me are all of the "spirited driving" remarks we see so often. Take it to the track! They are easy to get on and safer than doing it on the street. The life and car you save may be your own!