Do you guys drive with ESP ON or OFF ?
06-04-2012, 07:11 PM
#51
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AMG GTBS, AMG GTR Pro, AMG GT, C63 AMG, Porsche Panamera 4S, RX-7 FC Turbo II
OK, back to reality for some of you 
... Want to keep yourself honest? Take your car to the track, road course, not 1/4 mile ... after a couple of laps with no TC, you would have a different opinion about your driving skills. There is a BIG difference between a "power slide" and the rear braking away at 110 in a fast sweeper 
I have a friend who had one of the first GTR's ... takes it to the track ... fast track here in CA. After a few laps with TC on, he thinks he's a natural born track star and decides to turn all the nannies off. After all, can't be just the car driving circles around the opposition, must have something to do with his skill set. Guess what ... he went off on his first fast lap.
The track never lies ... keeps us all honest
... Want to keep yourself honest? Take your car to the track, road course, not 1/4 mile ... after a couple of laps with no TC, you would have a different opinion about your driving skills. There is a BIG difference between a "power slide" and the rear braking away at 110 in a fast sweeper I have a friend who had one of the first GTR's ... takes it to the track ... fast track here in CA. After a few laps with TC on, he thinks he's a natural born track star and decides to turn all the nannies off. After all, can't be just the car driving circles around the opposition, must have something to do with his skill set. Guess what ... he went off on his first fast lap.
The track never lies ... keeps us all honest
06-04-2012, 07:31 PM
#52
The issue, in my mind, is that most people's actual ability is WAY less then what they think their ability is. With ESP off, you are completely on your own and, with this car, that can be dangerous if you really don't know what you are doing. Lots of guys "think" they know what they are doing because they have been lucky and haven't had an issue. They are accidents waiting to happen.
Clearly, there are many here who would have the ability to run with ESP off and could actually control the car when driving aggressively. I have lots of track time (road courses) and drive with ESP off there but would not do it on the street. Mainly because on the track I have room for an error and am completely focusing on what the car is doing and the feedback I'm getting. You start to make adjustments without even thinking to the steering and throttle. On the street, there are too many distractions and if I ever lost it (even pro drivers do sometimes) then the consequences would potentially be too high. Therefore, for me... ESP on unless I'm playing a bit then it is in sport mode so the car will save me if need be. Although I have lots of experience driving with ESP off (spent the day lapping on Thursday with it off), I am not so arrogant to think I am immune to making a mistake on a public road.
Anyone who drives with ESP off that does not have significant track/autox experience (not a track weekend but a lot of them) is a fool and dangerous IMO. These are the guys whose testosterone and false ego let them find a way for their driving talent to quickly run out and wreck their car. My experience (likely myself included) is that many, many men think their driving talent (like their talents elsewhere
) is better than it actually is. Lots of people here do have the talent/ability for sure... many here who think they do actually don't.
So, my advice is if you don't have a LOT of track/autox experience, leave ESP on regardless as to how much you think you are Senna's reincarnated spirit.
Clearly, there are many here who would have the ability to run with ESP off and could actually control the car when driving aggressively. I have lots of track time (road courses) and drive with ESP off there but would not do it on the street. Mainly because on the track I have room for an error and am completely focusing on what the car is doing and the feedback I'm getting. You start to make adjustments without even thinking to the steering and throttle. On the street, there are too many distractions and if I ever lost it (even pro drivers do sometimes) then the consequences would potentially be too high. Therefore, for me... ESP on unless I'm playing a bit then it is in sport mode so the car will save me if need be. Although I have lots of experience driving with ESP off (spent the day lapping on Thursday with it off), I am not so arrogant to think I am immune to making a mistake on a public road.
Anyone who drives with ESP off that does not have significant track/autox experience (not a track weekend but a lot of them) is a fool and dangerous IMO. These are the guys whose testosterone and false ego let them find a way for their driving talent to quickly run out and wreck their car. My experience (likely myself included) is that many, many men think their driving talent (like their talents elsewhere
) is better than it actually is. Lots of people here do have the talent/ability for sure... many here who think they do actually don't.So, my advice is if you don't have a LOT of track/autox experience, leave ESP on regardless as to how much you think you are Senna's reincarnated spirit.
Last edited by gthal; 06-04-2012 at 07:44 PM.
06-04-2012, 07:45 PM
#53
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2009 C63, 2000 ML 430, 1994 Del Sol Vtec
Are you guys flooring it in the rain? Or have a sprint booster installed? Bald tires? Racing slicks? I have no idea how you can trigger ESP in the rain "just to get moving" unless you're driving like an a-hole.
ESP gets triggered when you're over driving the car. If your driving style is flooring it and letting the car think for you everywhere you go, then yes, you should leave ESP on. But you're not learning how to drive the car properly.
ESP gets triggered when you're over driving the car. If your driving style is flooring it and letting the car think for you everywhere you go, then yes, you should leave ESP on. But you're not learning how to drive the car properly.
I know how to drive. I was a driving instructor for HPDE with NASA for 6 years.
06-04-2012, 09:49 PM
#55
In my previous car (all wheel drive Infiniti G35), I always ran with ESP off. After about 1000 miles on my C63, I use sport mode. The difference is that if I got a little careless in my Infiniti, it was easy to recover from. With the higher HP in the C63, it would be much easier to get in trouble running with it off.
06-04-2012, 11:07 PM
#56
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2009 C63, 2000 ML 430, 1994 Del Sol Vtec
AWD makes a world of difference with traction, especially in the wet. I could get away with murder (so to speak) in my Evo.
07-06-2012, 08:42 PM
#57
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2009 C63 AMG
