Could/would you drive your car without driver aids

Surely the modern gizmos are the only things that make the modern front wheel drive stuff driveable like the newest civic type R (used in the OP). In this video on top gear they tested the alfa 147 GTA and for all its extra straight line speed it was slower around the track than a golf R32 or focus RS of the time because it had no technology. I think a lot of the more powerful cars would be rendered fairly useless if you ripped out all the tech that makes them fast.
 
Liquidfox said:
I drove a 300BHP Focus ST225 for 5.5 years without any traction control or ESP. Didn't die, not even once.
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Its front wheel drive, it it goes wrong take feet off pedals and it will sort itself out:p. I used to drive my 911 turbo without TC off (although getting wheelspin in a 911 takes a lot of effort or not much skill). Its kicked in a few times on my M3, still getting used to having to drive slower due to RWD rather than 4.
 
mccarf said:
Surely the modern gizmos are the only things that make the modern front wheel drive stuff driveable like the newest civic type R (used in the OP). In this video on top gear they tested the alfa 147 GTA and for all its extra straight line speed it was slower around the track than a golf R32 or focus RS of the time because it had no technology. I think a lot of the more powerful cars would be rendered fairly useless if you ripped out all the tech that makes them fast.
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Couldn't agree more. It's like the latest fighter jets, they don't even fly without the computers, built to be unstable in the air.
 
Leave all mine on mostly, occasionally hit the dynamic mode button but the DSC stays on as I have neither the talent nor the bravery (Jaguar XFR)
 
theone8181 said:
Its front wheel drive, it it goes wrong take feet off pedals and it will sort itself out:p. I used to drive my 911 turbo without TC off (although getting wheelspin in a 911 takes a lot of effort or not much skill). Its kicked in a few times on my M3, still getting used to having to drive slower due to RWD rather than 4.
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Most people have only experienced FWD or AWD. With RWD things like the temperature of the tarmac and tyre choice make a huge difference. People don't understand that. You can't just get in and boot it in all conditions :p

There is a good reason why you don't see hot hatches being RWD. People would be backwards in lamp posts all over the country
 
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I think that's more to do with the fact that they are based on run of the mill platforms which are FWD because FWD is more cost effective to produce these days.
 
Acme said:
I think that's more to do with the fact that they are based on run of the mill platforms which are FWD because FWD is more cost effective to produce these days.
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But a boy racer in a RWD Fiesta ST woudn't be more dangerous? :D

That is probably ever insurer's nightmare.

"Watch this!" TC off....
 
Focus RS "drift mode" is every insurers worst nightmare haha

How did people manage when the boy racers were all in RWD Fords and Vauxhalls?
 
S2000 is a good intro to how to drive RWD. No aids.

M3 I don’t turn off traction control but do mainly keep M mode on. Have turned it off a few times in dry but quite like knowing it’s there in this weather to be honest.
 
I only turn "everything off" (stability & traction, even if there was a button to disable ABS that would be seriously daft) on a track to have some fun, on the public road there's zero point but it would be possible of course - just require some thinking rather than blindly flooring it mid-corner or driving out of step with the conditions at the time.

Years ago I remember borrowing my dad's Jag and putting my foot down coming out a corner, not seeing the whacking great puddle in my excitement. That was fun and traction control saved me before I realised what a twit I was being. Shame dad was in the passenger seat at the time though :p
 
Not sure I could handle all 108 bhp of the company Passat if I turned the traction control off ;) Seriously though the performance of the modern hot hatches would be pretty lethal in the hands of most of the people that end up driving them if it wasn't for the software holding the drivers hand.
 
I turn it off in the R8 often as it can be over zealous on the traction control and the rear bias makes it fun to slide around in the dry. In the wet I tend to leave it on as I don’t want to bend it frankly and with mixed surfaces and close 550bhp it’s open to that everywhere. MX5 all the time off as mostly I drive that like a hooligan.

Griffith 500 in the wet, that’s what you need.
 
Housey said:
I turn it off in the R8 often as it can be over zealous on the traction control and the rear bias makes it fun to slide around in the dry. In the wet I tend to leave it on as I don’t want to bend it frankly and with mixed surfaces and close 550bhp it’s open to that everywhere. MX5 all the time off as mostly I drive that like a hooligan.

Griffith 500 in the wet, that’s what you need.
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Or a 550 kg kit car with cheap road tyres and a short twisty dry track like Llandow and you accept the tyres will be worn out in a day!
 
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