Traction control - the good and the bad.

[Hafod]

Does any OEM car manufacturer provide good traction control? I ask because I've never found it any good. In my 500bhp Audi S4 track car, it cuts power so drastically it really bogs the car down - I only ever use it when warming slicks up or if I'm on a narrow mountain roads with zero margin for error. In my 184bhp Octavia VRS, it seems to drastically miss the mark, allowing too much slip then cutting back way too abruptly. Surely some manufacturers have cracked it by now?

[Hafod]

Good point on the tuning throwing the old Audis system into conservative mode. I suppose powerful RWD cars from BMW would be lethal (to the lead-footed masses) with abrupt power cuts so they had to crack it. :-)

[Hafod]

Good point on the Mazda TC. You reminded me of a track day recently where a friend followed in and RX8 left the TC on - and it was allowing to loveliest little bit of slip through most of the lap.

Reference the idea of adding a Bosh motorsport or Race logic system to a track day car, I know it would be faster, but surely nowhere near as much fun. Deep down who doesn't love traveling backwards at 100mph through the gravel towards a marshal post

[Hafod]

I once nearly got stuck in a wet farmers field in an automatic Porsche 944. I just about made it out 100 meters at less than walking pace, the speedo reading over 140mph the whole way. You wont see a muddier car ever,even on that Landrover challenge where they drive through the swaps of Congo.

[Hafod]

They say if you are a true petrol head, you have to own an Alfa at least once in your life. No disrespect to Alfa but I'm sure that's 100% valid these days. Although I'd find it hard to argue if I heard it said about owning a Lotus.

It's an itch I will have to scratch before I die.