[Standard]

Below is a video. I'm not trying to go into the weeds (ugh - and with a pun) on the crowd's behavior; also not to pick on the driver or the Viper; but that without electronic safeties Vipers and lower weight, tend to provide purer examples of high-horsepower loss of control (this car model has side exhaust, it's got no electronics). The video shows a couple of times, zooming in a bit. Different commenters have said he did, and didn't, get off the gas, even in slow-mo I'm not sure; but I'm guessing once it came loose and went into a turn it stopped mattering.

My recent experience with power is with a 2010 SS M6 since it was first built. It's pretty powerful, I figure I learned its behavior. I now have a non-1LE ZL1 manual still ostensibly in breakin; but in certain lapses of judgement of varying degree I've felt it want to come loose at the back.

How can I understand the nature of this, and how it relates to the electronics? I'm guessing Stabilitrak is the defense from this, like with the Gen5s? Can it outright prevent this? Does stabilitrak protect from this even if traction control is turned off?

- I get *generally* the physics of all of it and generally what these safety tools do; but would love to hear from someone with a better mental model for it.

- I would like to know if a stock ZL1's 'safeties' protect from going into a spin pedal down driving in a straight line, or if nothing being absolute, somehow quantify the protection or recovery afforded a driver who gets off the gas once spin starts. Also, if the car would take the power off and protect a driver even who stays *on* the gas (presuming leaving stabilitrak nannies fully on).

- I would like to know how suspension modes impact this - Tour, Sport, Track - does the inability of the rear of the car to sink down a bit on acceleration in stiffer modes make this worse?

- At higher RPM when getting off the gas is basically braking the car, does getting completely off the gas in this situation make it *worse* just making the sideways-moving rears now float over the road? So should you dial back the gas and hold it at some midpoint?

- My questions pertain to safety during straight line acceleration - I figure they partially translate; but I respect that corners have so much more to it that I'm not asking that here now.

Anyhow, the Viper video:






Thanks,
Matt

[CalgaryZL1]

the wonders of not having traction control on

[ZPirate]

No nanny is going to fix doing something stupid. There are so many factors that go into traction, such as the type of surface, the surface temp, whether the surface is dry or damp, the tire temp, the type of tire and on and on. I wouldn't recommend driving on the street with the ZL1s nannies turned off. It just doesn't make sense.

I do think that the Camaro's safety systems do give you a certain level of protection from spinning out in a straight line on the street. Likely a lot more than the Viper's do. From experience though you can break the tires loose on the street if you get on it hard in a straight line in first or even second gear, especially in cooler weather or if the tires aren't warmed up. But the car with the nannies on will keep you going in the right direction as long as you don't keep your foot in it. The ZL1 has a lot of torque and you have to respect it.

[CalgaryZL1]

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/5KAsDe5...e81kbJ70z6IOpL

This happened out one of our car meets this summer

[WhiteMale]

I got surprised when I matted it at over 60mph and the downshift took hold and then it broke loose to the right, I steered in to it a bit, and it shot me in to the oncoming lane, I had looked and was clear or never would have done it, but the nanny saved me, so to speak.

Factors: mashed it to the floor, SC3 summer tire at 45 degrees air temp and in Sport w/ESC Stab control ON.

I didn't expect it at that speed and I never did that again.

[Z OH 6]

What a great society. Not a single person asked if he was ok. Instead just laughing at him for trying to provide some thrills for THEM.

[ZPirate]

Originally Posted by CalgaryZL1

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/5KAsDe5...e81kbJ70z6IOpL

This happened out one of our car meets this summer

Well that was a Mustang after all.

[The Chief (tm)]

Whaddya all mean? I thought it was a pretty nice e-brake/u-turn parking job... oops, waitaminnit, I didn't start it at the beginning... :-0

[Vigilante375]

As stated, you can have the most sophisticated traction management in the world but if YOU can't understand the limits of the vehicle then those nannies aren't going to help you.

Cold truth is that if you are afraid of the power (seeing as you made this post) then you need to get a much less powerful car until can learn how to properly control the car with or without the nannies.

[Owl3]

Originally Posted by Vigilante375

As stated, you can have the most sophisticated traction management in the world but if YOU can't understand the limits of the vehicle then those nannies aren't going to help you.

Cold truth is that if you are afraid of the power (seeing as you made this post) then you need to get a much less powerful car until can learn how to properly control the car with or without the nannies.

Famous quote = 'Stupid is as stupid does'....

[taylorforschool@gmail.com]

I’m not necessarily afraid of the power of my car but am humbled by it. The electronics in this car has saved me in NUMEROUS scenarios breaking loose. In 2 years of ownership I’ve probably had 2-5 pucker moments where I did completely lose the rear for just a second and with a tiny correction and the right inputs from the Nannies I felt that I had survived a miracle and was instantly thankful that my car was still untouched.Only one of those times was I going straight, and it was on 245s in the LT1. The way the rear has the capabilities to break and come back on this chassis had me dumbfounded the first time it happened. As others have also said I would by no means turn them off unless off the streets and under the right conditions.

Disclaimer: my LT1 before this and this car are the only performance vehicles I’ve ever owned. I by no means pretend to be experienced. Just trying to express how someone as novice as I am has been saved several times.

[Camfab]

Originally Posted by Z OH 6

What a great society. Not a single person asked if he was ok. Instead just laughing at him for trying to provide some thrills for THEM.

That’s the first thing I thought of, what a bunch of douche bags.

[Camfab]

Originally Posted by Standard

Below is a video. I'm not trying to go into the weeds (ugh - and with a pun) on the crowd's behavior; also not to pick on the driver or the Viper; but that without electronic safeties Vipers and lower weight, tend to provide purer examples of high-horsepower loss of control (this car model has side exhaust, it's got no electronics). The video shows a couple of times, zooming in a bit. Different commenters have said he did, and didn't, get off the gas, even in slow-mo I'm not sure; but I'm guessing once it came loose and went into a turn it stopped mattering.

My recent experience with power is with a 2010 SS M6 since it was first built. It's pretty powerful, I figure I learned its behavior. I now have a non-1LE ZL1 manual still ostensibly in breakin; but in certain lapses of judgement of varying degree I've felt it want to come loose at the back.

How can I understand the nature of this, and how it relates to the electronics? I'm guessing Stabilitrak is the defense from this, like with the Gen5s? Can it outright prevent this? Does stabilitrak protect from this even if traction control is turned off?

- I get *generally* the physics of all of it and generally what these safety tools do; but would love to hear from someone with a better mental model for it.

- I would like to know if a stock ZL1's 'safeties' protect from going into a spin pedal down driving in a straight line, or if nothing being absolute, somehow quantify the protection or recovery afforded a driver who gets off the gas once spin starts. Also, if the car would take the power off and protect a driver even who stays *on* the gas (presuming leaving stabilitrak nannies fully on).

- I would like to know how suspension modes impact this - Tour, Sport, Track - does the inability of the rear of the car to sink down a bit on acceleration in stiffer modes make this worse?

- At higher RPM when getting off the gas is basically braking the car, does getting completely off the gas in this situation make it *worse* just making the sideways-moving rears now float over the road? So should you dial back the gas and hold it at some midpoint?

- My questions pertain to safety during straight line acceleration - I figure they partially translate; but I respect that corners have so much more to it that I'm not asking that here now.

Anyhow, the Viper video:






Thanks,
Matt

I would highly recommend you take a car control clinic with your car. It appears you’re in Austin, contact COTA. They will likely have information on some clinics you can attend. Trust me it will be money well spent.

[RobZL1]

If you're just driving it on the street, change the tires to Michelin or Conti's. Will be MUCH better for street temps. Good street tires + stabilitrak and traction control = hard to lose it.