I just found out today that if I press down on the "ACTIVE HANDLING" button on the center console of my car for 5 seconds it will put the car in "COMPETITIVE DRIVING" mode when I launch it from the line. I saw it in the VHS video that came with the car. I finally decided I should watch the thing!

Has anyone here tried this setting on your car? "Competitive Driving" ..... sounds good to me......is it really better than just dissabling the active handling all together?

 

I tried holding down the button and it didn't do anything. Not sure if mine is disabled or what, I just like traction control off.

 

Oh, yeah. Competitive driving means the traction control and the active handling are turned off. When you do this, all the safeguards that GM put in the car, which can "interfere" with your driving fast and noisily, are turned off. Now you can power slide the car, break traction,, create blue smoke in the middle of a turn, drift, and spin the tail way out, and all those other hero-things that make it go just that tiny bit faster at the track --- or toss it off the road into a tree if you drive like an idiot on the street.

This mode really is great for the race track -- the active handling is pretty conservative and can interfer with very spirited, competitive driving, but realize the active handling can save your butt when you are out on the street and acting a bit playful, particularly if there is water or sand on the road. It has saved my butt from a spin out two times that I know of, when I got a bit too much into the power in the middle of a sharp turn or curve where the traction wasn't what I expected it to be, both times because of sand on the road.

I always turn the system off at the strip, but never leave it off on the street.

 

Thank goodness, those systems are in place. The other night, while turning onto a long, open street, I cut my wheels and gave it a lot of gas. My tires were screeching and I started fishtailing. My heart was pounding - it was such a rush! And my Borla Stinger Pipes were roaring! It was a fairly safe thing to do, since there was absolutely no other traffic on the road and it is not like I was out of control, so all the trees were safe, but it was so much fun. During all this, I noticed across my display that one of these systems was on, reminding me that I was not being smart. Oh, well, everything in moderation - even a bit of craziness.


-04 Silver Coupe
Borla Stinger 7.5" Dual Pipes

 

Hahahaha....but it felt goooood didn't it RJ?

Oh, how I love me some fishtail.....and I'm not even into seafood!

But Lee is right.....vettes were meant to be enjoyed safely (with an occassional race or two) ....... not driven wrecklessly to end up by the side of some road! Sober thought! [sm=exactly.gif]

 

Hey, PeceMkr -
You are so right - I did love it! And it was a very safe situation, since no one else was around and I was always in control. You and Lee are absolutely right - safety has to come first.
But vettes are so cool, they are fun at any speed.

Take care,
Rita

 

'embarassed look' .. I umm .. read the manual.

Competitive driving mode actually leaves some of the safeguards on that active handling has.. ie: it will apply brakes independently to help recover from a skid situation to prevent spinning the car.. allowing a driver to push a bit harder into the apex of a corner and power out of it perhaps.

It does turn traction control off ..I am finding that I prefer it on for the reasons already stated (doin a u-turn in a parkin lot and ran across a steel plate (some kinda construction goin on) ..was a weird feeling momentarily as I expected the car to slide a bit .. and it didn't slide much at all.

-Frank

 

I don't think they had it in the first few years of the C5

 

I guessI get to "slide" on this one since I didn't get a manual with mine whenI bought the car. I recently ordered one though, along with the 3 volume service manual set, butI just haven't received them yet. I'm glad you posted this though cause now I'll have an excuse to go test it out tomorrow.

I personally don't care for the traction control systemon the cars. The first time I drove my 96 Z28 in the rain with it on, I almost wrecked it.Having that gas pedal lock up the first timemy wheels broke traction made me want to rip that system rightout of the car. I thought something rolled out from under my seat and got stuck under the pedal. [>:] So,..now the first thing I do after startingeither oneofmycars is turn it off.

I've been inquite a fewsituations whereI've needed to have that fullthrottle to be able to control the car,........and if I'd been driving either one of thesewith it on, I would have wreckedthe car for sure.I completely agree it's good for a lot of people though! I just don't care for it myself.

BTW, I love me some fishtail too!!

 

Haha, now I know im not worthy to hang out with you C5 guys, but I NEVER turn my traction control off. My friend tells me its stupid because if someone wanted to race or something, then it would completely mess me up, and he is completely right. But, I always leave it on as a reminder to myself that I am only 20 and I already have 4 speeding tickets built up over the 4 years ive been driving. Only one was with my vette and I had to lie in court to get it dropped down a bit . I dont go more than about 5 or 6 over the speed limit now for the fear that I could lose my car, my job, go into debt because I cant find another job that pays as much, and my insurance would go up even more or worse, they could drop me. One more ticket could really ruin my life. I leave my traction control on...

Matt