A few weeks back GM placed big two page ads in the newspapers stating that they planed to make On Star and Stabiltrak available in all GM cars (except fleet cars). Has any one driven GM's stabiltrak? Would it be desirable in a car like the Solstice? How much is the option in other GM vehicles?
I seem to recall the press release stated that the Stabilitrak wasn't going to be phased in and wasn't hitting cars for a few years. It's standard on some of the GMC SUV's I believe, and will be expanded slowly on the large vehicles and then onto the smaller cars. Don't expect it to be available on the Solstice however.
Location: Wilds of Canada, or the Pac NW, or the Upper Penninsula of MI...
You betcha it would be kool on the Sol/Sky.
I did notice I absolutely have to disable it when road racing on the Z06 - I've found that it can be helpful in competitive mode in the 'Vette on an autocross, but the really edgy handling required for running at a closed track (like Gingerman, Waterford Hills, Grattan Raceway, Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta, tracks like that) can't be effectively done even in competitive mode. Mostly having to do with wheelslip control and it keeping on pulling out power when you need judicial application to settle the back of the car...
I do like the ability to turn off the active handling and keep the ABS - the ABS is very handy even on a road course - one less thing to have to worry about when you are entering a hi-speed corner and need to get slowed down in a hurry.
Several of us had a little friendly competition a few years back, trying to manually outbrake ABS equipped cars, only one other guy could consistently outbrake it and only by a foot or so in 10 stops, several of us could consistently match the ABS cars (but not always, so averaging 10 stops the non-ABS would always have a ringer in the data which had to be left in because that might have been the one stop where you needed a consistent maximum stop), and the others were always behind by at least 5 and sometimes 12-15 feet.
Oh well, I digress, but not really - properly functioning ABS is the first step in controlling a vehicle's dynamics, and for 95% of the cases, especially in everyday driving, Active Handling is a feature that is VERY handy to have - mostly eliminating the situations where a driver could really get into trouble (like an unexpected lane change in a non-active handling car to miss a skunk, which leads to an overcorrection, leading to uncontrolled pilot-induced-oscillation, leading to an off-road excursion, and possibly a tripped rollover...).
In an active handling car, it will usually step in the very first input and keep you from unexpectedly exceeding the handling limits of your car - you may hit the skunk, but it's a small price to pay NOT to find out your unplanned maneuver could have been trouble.
I did notice I absolutely have to disable it when road racing on the Z06 - I've found that it can be helpful in competitive mode in the 'Vette on an autocross, but the really edgy handling required for running at a closed track (like Gingerman, Waterford Hills, Grattan Raceway, Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta, tracks like that) can't be effectively done even in competitive mode. Mostly having to do with wheelslip control and it keeping on pulling out power when you need judicial application to settle the back of the car...
I do like the ability to turn off the active handling and keep the ABS - the ABS is very handy even on a road course - one less thing to have to worry about when you are entering a hi-speed corner and need to get slowed down in a hurry.
Several of us had a little friendly competition a few years back, trying to manually outbrake ABS equipped cars, only one other guy could consistently outbrake it and only by a foot or so in 10 stops, several of us could consistently match the ABS cars (but not always, so averaging 10 stops the non-ABS would always have a ringer in the data which had to be left in because that might have been the one stop where you needed a consistent maximum stop), and the others were always behind by at least 5 and sometimes 12-15 feet.
Oh well, I digress, but not really - properly functioning ABS is the first step in controlling a vehicle's dynamics, and for 95% of the cases, especially in everyday driving, Active Handling is a feature that is VERY handy to have - mostly eliminating the situations where a driver could really get into trouble (like an unexpected lane change in a non-active handling car to miss a skunk, which leads to an overcorrection, leading to uncontrolled pilot-induced-oscillation, leading to an off-road excursion, and possibly a tripped rollover...).
In an active handling car, it will usually step in the very first input and keep you from unexpectedly exceeding the handling limits of your car - you may hit the skunk, but it's a small price to pay NOT to find out your unplanned maneuver could have been trouble.
Agree on the active handling. If that's an option, then I'll buy in on the ABS. If not, I'll take mine without ABS brakes, thank you!
Maybe I'm one of the aforementioned macho knuckleheads, but I don't like ABS on its own. From my understanding, most, if not all ABS systems are calibrated with algorythms that perform best on wet pavement. Fine, that's the most common time they'll be needed for most drivers. But on dry pavement, or in the snow/gravel its no better than a good driver, and under the right circumstances it's worse. It seems to me though that ABS became a crutch long ago. When ABS started becomming mainstream, it seemed like people started paying less attention to good old-fashioned defensive driving and learning skid control. It's akin to the abundance of SUV drivers that equate 4-wheel-drive to safety, and thus go barreling down the highway during snow and ice storms only to find out that 4-wheel-drive doesn't equal 4-wheel-stop or 4-wheel-steer as they go careening off the road.
As for active handling, now there's something that could be useful. I can't possibly argue that I can control a car as well as an integrated system that will apply the brakes at each wheel individually to correct course. Maybe if I had four more feet, I could make a case for it.
I have driven several vehicles with Stabilitrack and the benefits are huge on the street. I tried to put an 05 Tahoe into a drift which would have resulted in a spin on a dirt road, but Stabilitrack intervened and straightened the car out. I have done the same in a Cad DTS. The system will undoubtedly save the butts of poor drivers and good drivers alike who may get in over their heads. If you don't like it, you can always turn it off.
After driving an 05 Corvette, I realized that 400 hp is probably too much power for the average driver and that Stabilitrack is necessary, and again, if you don't like it, just turn it off.
On large vehicles such as vans and SUVs, this system will reduce accidents and prevent rollovers.
ABS is another system that I have argued the benefits of before (not here). I drove a test car with the left side tires on wet pavement and the right side on dry. 40 mph, full lock up with no ABS resulted in 6 spins. Turned the ABS on and repeated...controlled ABS stop. Drivers need to be trained how to brake with ABS, then the benefits will be seen. I also know that ABS is a huge benefit in road racing, use it correctly and you can outbrake opponents without it every time. Just ask John Heinricy...
Competitive mode o Stabilitrack will make all but really good drivers faster on a road course.
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07 GXP Sly Manual
Triumph Spitfire SCCA H Prod 2004-2007 National Champ
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Though I watched the 2001 Runoffs in T1 (the year he lapped the whole field in the rain!). I did not see that car spin the wheels or get sideways one time. Wonder if he had it in Competitive mode?
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07 GXP Sly Manual
Triumph Spitfire SCCA H Prod 2004-2007 National Champ
In a car that is supposed to as balanced front to rear as the Solstice I think that the more important option will be the LSD. It'll be a little tougher to hang the rear end out to dry than with a 60/40 split. Plus at the current hp level and with tires large enough to span most potholes around here even the steering will be controllable most of the time. Take an ordinary econobox with 13" wheels through a 15" pothole and even though the tire diameter is larger you are stressing the wheel itself much more, not to mention suspension components. Of course the other thing you would want to shut off for straightline performance would be TCS. I don't know if the Solstice would even come with that cause I think its more for the FWD cars. (TCS-Traction Control System - simply put, applies the brakes to limit loss of control) Now I don't mind the car modulating the brakes for me when I stomp down on the brake pedal - but applying the brakes for me when I mash down on the accelerator pedal sounds like Big Brother.
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Location: Wilds of Canada, or the Pac NW, or the Upper Penninsula of MI...
Quote:
Originally Posted by SCCA HP Racer
You got it.
Though I watched the 2001 Runoffs in T1 (the year he lapped the whole field in the rain!). I did not see that car spin the wheels or get sideways one time. Wonder if he had it in Competitive mode?
Hmmmmm.... Where were you at when you were at Mid-OH? Part of the pit or a spectator?
