Highpower500

Active handling on, active handling off, competition?

Since I've only been able to drive my Z06 a couple of times since I bought it a few weeks ago, I've been leaving the active handling on until I get used to the car. I've waited too long for a Z06 and don't want to wrap it around a tree or drive it into a swimming pool.

What can I expect when I turn active handling off or if I go into competition mode?

hotwheels57

Unless I'm on a closed track, I'd leave active handling on constant for public highway driving. The computers can react faster than I can. The technology will make a typical driver look better than he/she probably is.

I've had a few years of high performance driving training by my former employer(s). Even with that behind me, a Z06 is another animal.

If you chose to drive with the button pressed to off or competition, at least get serious about some professional training and track time.

We haven't had any lately, but I recall last year a number of threads of new owners who decided they were good enough to drive with the button off or on competition and got stupid on a public highway. The consequences weren't pretty...

TS Motorsport

When the Z gets on the street, I'm too lazy to click that button. Frankly, I don't care to press it because there's no use wasting rubber on the street.

On the track, that's a different story. Competition mode is great for controlled powerslides, but the braking really gets in the way IMO. That's why trained drivers turn it off completely.

If you're new at this, just leave it on for the street & in competition mode when you're racing.

Omaha02Z06

Very rarely do I turn the TC off or to comp mode on the street.

Z06X

Yeah, I do a lot of track driving in tube chassis LS7 cars through our company. Those cars have no electronics on board whatsoever in terms of traction or handling control. Even with that, I run my Z06 in AH/Trac mode all the time. When we go on spirited cruises with the exotic car clubs I go into comp mode. There is absolutely no reason to turn everything off unless your on a road course and have a good bit of seat time to catch a car when it's way out of shape. If your not accustomed to having these cars, or similar high powered cars at the limit often, you shouldn't be turning anything off because you don't have the ability to catch the car or drive that car to it's limit safely...period. People quite often think because they've been driving for 40 years to the weekend doo wop meet down the road in their toy that "they got it"....they don't.

Paul 75 L82

My car before the Z was a 72 Camaro with a 383 Stroker in it, if you couldn't drive it sideways you better not get behind the wheel. But the Z06 is different, I was on I95 going about 80 mph and was going over a concrete bridge and the joint from asphalt to concrete caused the Z to jump sideways. I'll had that happen many times in the Camaro but it scared me to hell with the Z. I leave A/H on all the time. If I want to quickly move thru traffic I sure don't need the *** end coming around.

Quickshift_C5

I leave active handling on 99% of the time. Sometimes I like to snap the rear end out coming out of a turn so I turn it off completely, then right back on after I'm done. Otherwise, it always stays on unless I'm at the dragstrip...then I turn on Competition.

Z06X

I can tell you right now....as many days through the summer season as I spend at the track pretty much EVERY guy running a C5 or C6 drive in comp mode. Unless your very comfortable throttle steering this car, you will be slower and more in danger on a track with it turned off. I don't care how many HPDE days you have, you better really be sure of yourself to consistently run better with everything off.

Even for the guys snapping sideways down a street...comp mode will let you hang the *** out for a second or two...even more...all while working to keep you from letting it get away from you. I launched the car racing my friends STi on an abandoned road last week...shoot, in comp mode I went sideways through first and halfway through second...way sideways. The beauty of it was I just let it go and handle itself...very little counter on my part.

Quickshift_C5

The times that I've left it on, it took over EXTREMELY fast and violently snapped back in place before I had even really had a chance to get the rear end out. Took all the fun out of it. I've always turned it off and have never had an issue. I don't get carried away with it, of course...but with the system enabled it takes over before anything can really happen (which it was obviously designed to do).

Z06X

To each his own...

Really shouldn't be doing that on the street anyway. I can't tell you the number of incidents I've seen with someone showin off and getting too sideways...over correcting then snapping the opposite way only to smash their car to pieces.

Everyone thinks they're a race car driver...haha.

Highpower500

Thanks for the replies and I really appreciate the warnings.

Although I've been driving for 30+ years, I have very limited high performance driving skills, so I plan on being pretty cautious with my new ride. Like I said, I've waited too long to own a Corvette and would like to keep this one intact for a long time.

I do plan on going to a driving school soon though. There is one not too far from me that teaches in Corvettes, so I'm looking forward to improving my skills in a controlled environment.

Z06X

All I can say, is I've instructed at a few tracks in my past, and I often would talk to beginners and ask "how good of a driver do you think you are?" They would often feel pretty confident citing owning this car and that car. Drag racing, this racing, etc. I can't tell you the times though, that when they would go out and ride with one of us, nearly puking their guts after 3 laps in the passenger seat and saying their chest was sore from the seatbelt and their body flying against it during braking...their opinion of their ability changed.

The very vast majority can always improve their skill, and it's the ability to control the car when it approaches being out of control that's tough. This is why drifting is a sport I admire and have gotten involved in. It's like starting all over again, and just when you thought you were good, you realize in terms of car control, you still have a lot to learn. It's tough as hell.

Be safe is all I'm sayin.

Bill Dearborn

On the street leave everything on. AH is great for evasive maneuvers. You can swing left and then right and AH will get the car through it really well. Normal drivers have little or no experience in a situation like that so don't know the throttle control and steering control required to get the car through the situation. Talking about it in a class is one thing actually doing it is another. Just like playing football. You just don't grab the ball the first time and throw it for 30 yards and hit a guy running at full speed.

On the track I turn it off but it really doesn't matter that much if you are a smooth driver. The smoother you are the less likely it is that it will interfere. There is a debate among instructors on whether a novice should be told to turn it off or leave it on when they go on the track the first time. A number of instructors believe the student should learn how the car feels and handles without any nannies so they can respond properly. I believe it is better to leave it on especially with a car like the C6Z which can get you in real trouble very quickly if you just drop your foot too quickly at the wrong time. I think AH makes a great teaching tool since when it activates it is a clear sign to the student they have screwed up. The less intrusion the better the driver. If it is applying one rear brake to help turn a car into a corner that is a clear sign to the student they were going too fast at turn in and the car is understeering. If a front brake is applied as the car is exiting a turn that means the student applied to much power and the back end is oversteering.

Then there is the totally unexpected oil on the track excitement which can catch the most experienced drivers with their pants down. AH may not save them in that situation but it will be their best hope as it will react many times faster than they would. I have great video taken from C5Z when I first got the car and was playing around with AH. As I am exiting a left turn in 3rd gear under power all of a sudden the backend broke loose. You can see the video swing left and then back right and while it is happening you can hear the engine rev higher. It was over before I could react. I have known a few other drivers that had something similar happen in that corner and their car wasn't capable of driving off the track after it happened.

Bill

speedyhawk101

Competitive Mode ON at all times unless I'm at the drag strip, then it's TC/Active handling OFF.

Quickshift_C5

I like to get frisky now and again, but everyone does. The point is not to get carried away. Will accidents happen? Sure. It's stupid that I do it at all. I don't think I'm a race car driver, so don't get that stuck in your head. I'm just an average guy that has never lost control of a car, simple as that. There's always a first time, and I hope that time never comes.

84REDCROSSFIRE

Competitive Mode ON at all times unless its raining.

spdislife

Comp

Swayse

First month I drove with it on, it helped to learn the car, and made me more comfortable. Now I drive with it all off, deserted intersections out in the country make for a nice place to learn throttle control.

~Josh

Off

When the steering position sensor starts to fail, the steering wheel will snap one direction or the other SUDDENLY and violently without notice.

There's a thread about this in General, probably on the 2nd or 3rd page by now... many have complained including me. Damned thing almost killed me! Driving down the interstate on a nice sunny day, the wheel was yanked Hard to the left! The car ended up almost sideways, and the ordeal ended with me scared sh*tless one lane over from when the Active Handling "graced" me with it's presense. If there was a car in that lane, we would have wrecked. If it was a rainy day, we would have wrecked. If it was a narrow 2 lane road, we would have wrecked. By the grace of GOD it happened on a sunny interstate cruise.

I will NEVER leave that crap on, besides, I used to drive circle tracks (on the dirt!) so to me active handling isn't any better than my skill anyways, it's a joke with it's reflex time. GM had to put it there for the masses.

garage-ghost

Active handling on all the time.