I'll agree on the majority... VDC is a NICE safety feature.

I leave it on ONLY in incliment weather, i.e. rain, etc...

Otherwise it is OFF!

At the track... if you're driving with VDC ON and you're not feeling the car fight you. You're not a very fast driver. VDC WILL slow you down on the track. Proof has already been made on this one with our local clubs track events.

 

You misunderstood, my friend. I have, personally, never had a problem with RWD cars and my personal philosophy is that these are the proper tires that should be driving.

What I am saying is that car companies have been shying away from RWD because of the increased liability. For instance, the Chevrolet brand has only one car that is RWD...the Corvette. All the rest have been slaughtered. Corporate lawyers do not like any unecessary liability, i.e. RWD...sad, but that's the reality. The only way these car companies can justify a RWD these days is to put features on it to make it safer. Stability Control truly has increased the viability of RWD cars in this market.

Remember, the 300ZX of yesterday makes us drool....it makes the car companies pee in their pants from fear of stupid lawsuits.

 

- yooda

hahaha, 1.3 million for an F1 car. Try $750,000 for a steering wheel. Granted most of the electronics are in the steering wheel. $370 million for a top team in F1 next year (2cars, 18 races). Would be double that if not for engine suppliers, technology partners and television rights distribution.


Personaly I do drive on the street with VDC on because of the unexpected, unless I expect some fun to pop up or I'm passing sombody. At the track with VDC on I can't get closer then 1sec to my personal best (done with VDC off) and consistently get 1.5-1.9 sec off my pace. Main reason being a lot of slow, late apex corners on a tight track. Few corners it's just quickest to enter with plenty of slip and work on a quick shoot down the small straightaways, something VDC really curbs. I find the Electronic Brake Force distribution works better with VDC on as aposed to off (lots of squirm due to bad damping rates). It really depends on the track, conditions and how much fun I'd like to have

 

But liabilty doesnt really have much to do with that I suspect. It's car company platform think. They build a FWD platform and use it for several models. They make a RWD platform and it's only useful for a single or a few performance models yet costs just as much to develop.

I really don't think safety is the primary dirver here.

joe

 

Joe,

Actually, back in the day, all cars used to be RWD and they made hundreds of platforms off them. I dunno, supposedly the FWDs are cheaper to produce than RWDs, but I fail to see how. All FWDs have tight packaging issues (more engineering to make them serviceable) and they use complex parts like CV joints as opposed to the solid axle that has been around 50 or so years. I'm not buying it.

Well, remember that little Ford Explorer and Firestone tire fiasco? Ford has been flooded with lawsuits of every kind for that one. Plus, sales of Explorers have fallen, which some of this can be attributed to the perception of safety. This single incident has almost put two major manufacturers out of business!! Yeah, Ford, the 2nd largest auto manufacturer on the planet!!!

General Motors recently announced that the 2005 Savanna vans will be standardly equipped with Stabili-Trak. ...In light of the Ford incident and their own problems with people rolling over in these vans.

I beg to differ in that safety is very high on the OEM list...