MY ZL1 SCARED THE S##T OUT OF ME TODAY

[b4z]

Originally Posted by hairtrigger

Turn the nannies off and learn how to drive the car without spinning it out. The throttle works in both directions. Learn to modulate the throttle so you don't lose control in any situation. Sneak up on the limit of the car in any conditions with your seat time. Practice. Drive in varing conditions with the nannies off including wet conditions to accustom yourself to driving carefully without relying on computers to save you.
A fast car is not something you buy and smash the peddle to the floor and expect the computers to save you.
Learn the car.

THe electronic nannies can cut power quicker than any human can take his foot off the gas pedal.

[DangerZL1]

The problem is they don't kick in when or how you'd expect them too. At least this prevents someone from becoming dependent on them.

[DrkPhx]

Originally Posted by hairtrigger

Turn the nannies off and learn how to drive the car without spinning it out. The throttle works in both directions. Learn to modulate the throttle so you don't lose control in any situation. Sneak up on the limit of the car in any conditions with your seat time. Practice. Drive in varing conditions with the nannies off including wet conditions to accustom yourself to driving carefully without relying on computers to save you.
A fast car is not something you buy and smash the peddle to the floor and expect the computers to save you.
Learn the car.

Well said and good advice. I do think the stock tires help contribute to the pucker factor when driving this car. Switching to DR's help keep the rear in control under hard acceleration and made a noticeable difference for me.

[OldScoolCamaro]

welll....I might add this is good advice for someone who has experience driving cars hard. Not so much for the driver that has a lack of experience in high performance car operation. We see those totalled out here hitting immovable objects head on. This is definitely not the car to try to learn anything on. That is unless you've been there and done that before.

[ksu04]

Sometimes you gotta feed a little speed to your ride. A good donut pucker is good for you once in a while...

[Sven59]

Originally Posted by OldScoolCamaro

welll....I might add this is good advice for someone who has experience driving cars hard. Not so much for the driver that has a lack of experience in high performance car operation. We see those totalled out here hitting immovable objects head on. This is definitely not the car to try to learn anything on. That is unless you've been there and done that before.

I think you learn because in a way it teaches you, just like going through the modes at the track. As you become comfortable with each mode you move up and you learned what the car was capable of in that mode and what you were capable of. Then by the time you get to turning the nannies off you are comfortable with the full power of the car. If you think about it GM came up with a way to most importantly make the car perform to its maximum in differing environments while also being an instructional tool for the driver, I think it is a genius system and no powerpoints!

[DrkPhx]

Originally Posted by OldScoolCamaro

welll....I might add this is good advice for someone who has experience driving cars hard. Not so much for the driver that has a lack of experience in high performance car operation. We see those totalled out here hitting immovable objects head on. This is definitely not the car to try to learn anything on. That is unless you've been there and done that before.

I think his point was you need to respect the power this car puts down and the best way to do that is by slowly working up to it's limits with practice and the nannies off. You need to feel the power to respect it; otherwise I do think driving with the nannies on gives some a false sense of security which is dangerous with any high hp car.

[RexZL1]

Still would suggest newcomers drive around in PTM 2 in town initially and get on it in the curves and see how quickly it will correct. As they get better at driving it, back off on the car control. Those engineers are not an ignorant bunch. I have a helluvalota respect for what they are pumping out for 60g.

[Thrillz]

Sorry op that's what you get when you own a badazz 600 hp muscle car. Enjoy its perks ;o).

[OldScoolCamaro]

...I get that guys....Joie Chitwood driving lessons are not included....there are some obviously lacksadaisical comments spread here about learning high speed, high performance driving skills on this car. I for one am a bit shocked about the last few responses. The average owner is well up in years number one. If you didn't pull these stunts well before this point, it's not good to try them now when you are older with diminished reaction time and coordination. It's not a car to practice on for the older consumer buying into it who always wanted to have something crazy in their youth but never met that goal or gained the wheel experience, who now has the cash flow to do it in later life. Active handling when first introduced to F1 cars back in the day was a bummer as I recall. The car can suck one in like a moth to flame. So many catostrophic wrecks we have seen posted. Enjoy....

[BlackinBlack]

Originally Posted by hairtrigger

Turn the nannies off and learn how to drive the car without spinning it out. The throttle works in both directions. Learn to modulate the throttle so you don't lose control in any situation. Sneak up on the limit of the car in any conditions with your seat time. Practice. Drive in varying conditions with the nannies off including wet conditions to accustom yourself to driving carefully without relying on computers to save you.
A fast car is not something you buy and smash the peddle to the floor and expect the computers to save you.
Learn the car.

Decent advice. Honestly today most people are not experienced with rear wheel drive cars especially those with serious power. I wish they offered a driving school for those buying these cars. Most people should attend one. IMHO If they don't learn to drive they really have no business in a car like this. They should go buy a nice Acura or Lexus.

My first driving experience was quarter midgets on dirt. I learned to drive rear wheel cars on a loose surface. My first car was a 65 Mustang with a V8, no power drum brakes, and no power steering. The car eventually had 4 piston disk brakes and 400+ HP. No ABS, no assist and no nannies. Respect and experience kept the car in line. It did not stop the drunk driver from totaling the car. My next car was a '94 Mustang which was the first year for ABS. (Which I personally hate.) No nannies. I built the car to 670HP and it ran low 10 sec ETs. It was my daily driver and was driven in rain, cold, and heavy rush hour traffic. I sold the car for something less radical to daily drive... a 93 Cobra... all stock. I drove that car up in Indiana in the snow. Again that car had no nannies and did not even have ABS. With all these cars I never was surprised by the car unless doing something I should not have been doing.

This car is very easy to drive. In fact I rarely see wheel spin or go sideways... unless I choose to. It does happen but on the street I have to be pretty aggressive to cause that to happen.

IMHO most people that crash these cars are not driving within the law and especially within their skill level. This car is far more capable than I am and not some out of control beast.

[mrmertz]

Oh yeah, hard into second the rear wanted to come around but didn't let off of it - onboard systems took it snapped it back into line without input from me. That's with the stock Goodyear F1's. Might have been avoided some if I hadn't pulled out onto the main drag with cold tires too!

It wasn't scary for me though in the least since I had a rear wheel drive '79 T/A that I used to break the rear end loose all the time.

[Bigtime53]

OK let me say thank you all for your comments on this thread. Just to make things clear I am 60 years old and I am not new to horsepower. I have been drag racing cars since I was 16 years old. Now I did not have a "fast car" till I was in my late 20's and it was a 69 camaro that ran 9.20 in the quarter and have had many cars that were as fast.Street cars that ran low 11's were in my garage also. The point I was making is that it just caught me by surprise and I did not want an un-experienced driver to not be aware of this and what these cars are capable of doing. I would hate to know that someone got hurt bad when putting the" pedal to the metal " at 65 or 70 mph and crashing then saying " I did not know that car would do that". I just hope more of you read this and be careful.

[Sven59]

Thanks for bringing it up, the more info out there the better and it creates a great discussion.