sorry, but I can't see any way it can make you faster, only keep you from having an off road excursion. It cuts power, which might keep you on the road but won't increase your speed.

I'm not saying its a bad thing or anything, I just don't think it can make you go faster, no matter how smooth you are. If you are smooth, it shouldn't ever come on.

so the question is...which causes more loss of time, VDCkicking in for a sec or having your wheels spin?

I think VDC kicking in. While I said I leave it on for street driving, I actually do turn it off when trying to turn across traffic at busy intersections, as there is nothing worse than the car just bogging down when someone is coming right at you. I turn it back on afterwards though. While I don't ever plan to be in a situation where it is needed and don't drive that way on public roads, its always a nice safety net.

with tires spinning your not going forward but with VDC on you still move forward so it may equal out. So its a matter of what degree you are spinning the tires or how much the VDC stays on.

Causing the rear wheels to spin by applying a "little bit" more power than there's grip for does not mean an off road or track excursion is imminent. However, that little bit of slip can slow you down and I believe it's more than the subtle adjustments I've felt the VDC making in these circumstances.
I realize that our cars are nowhere near as sophisticated as a Formula 1 car, but did traction control make those cars slower? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the answer is no.

I can definitely see where the VDC would, by its design/programming intended for a street driven car, be too intrusive on the track.


But to answer the original question...
No, it does not make you a worse driver if you don't allow yourself to go numb and tune out what the car is telling you :tiphat:

Based on the fact that the people I know who autocross turn it off, I'd venture to say that for minor wheel slippage the VDC kicking in is definitely slower. With it off, a tiny bit of throttle adjustment can mitigate the slippage, but if on, the VDC kicks in too heavy and reduces the RPMs too much. If you could drive a perfect line it wouldn't matter --- VDC off or on you should run the same (assuming a perfect VDC system).

def. on the to-do list, right after #3: get clear bra!

true, but you can't turn a suspension on or off... though some can be dialed, i guess. i think the point of this thread is to question whether drivers lose out by keeping vdc on or off..

I started the thread because I suspected I had become reliant on my vdc kicking in to save me. I wondered if the presence of vdc has allowed me to unlearn good habits of throttle control, car control & feedback. Has the presence of the safety net even allowed me to tend to be more reckless and disrespectful of the power my Z has?

The vdc was not much of a problem in my 07 350z, but with my Nismo it comes on all the time - usually in a corner, often when starting out from a stop, and yes - accelerating more aggressively, however not necessarily driving like an ***. If the road surface is a little wet, I'll even see the slip light come on with a hard shift into 3rd gear.

So, after swapping ends in the Nismo and bending some rear suspension, yeah I'll be more respectful. Admittedly the road conditions were very slick and I should have recognized that and changed my driving style, I can't help wondering if I was thinking, "The vdc will save me..."

Except this time the vdc was turned off of course. :eek: :owned:

To LunaZ's point:

uhhhhh......what? have you ever experienced wheel spin? It's not like you magically stop moving. With comments like this and threads titled "How do I park, how do I shift, will i crash if I turn off the VDC" I'm starting to get the impression that a lot of Z drivers have no idea how to drive.

I can't believe this silly thread still exists.

With VDC, you don't have to use time to blip the throttle. Of course it makes you faster. Duh. Now :gtfo2:

He means when your tires are spinning you arent going forward as fast as the vdc kicking in for a second and making the car regain grip.

since spinning tires = loss of grip

Of course you have unlearned certain things when you don't use those skills every day. Just like you would with anything else.

For example, take SRM. If you constantly heel and toe and leave SRM off, you're going to get very good a h&t shifting. If you leave SRM on for a month, and then turn it off one day, you'll have to get used to driving with it off again. You lose the muscle memory, the familiarity...the feel for doing it on your own.

VDC on vs VDC off is almost like two different cars. Constantly driving with it on, and then turning it off one day is like stepping into a new car you're unfamiliar with. What makes it dangerous is that you think you know the car, but you've completely altered a major part of how it handles. My opinion is that this is exactly why people keep crashing with VDC off.

VDC off, by itself, is not dangerous. The false sense of security it has given people is why it is. You've been driving a fairly high hp RWD car around that handles like a dream. Well, sorry, but turning VDC off brings you back to reality...the reality that RWD sports cars don't really drive themselves. You have to be respectful of their power, and know how to handle them.

^^^ couldn't agree more :tup:

you will get your best drag launch with a little bit of tirespin.