"Sports Mode"

[J4CKO]

Just reading about the Renault Megane fast type thing with its Sports button, love the concept and the fact it actually does something in this car but in most "Sports mode" seems to make sod all difference and give a talking point for non petrolheads, years ago I went in a guy at works car (mid spec auto 5 series BMW iirc) and asked what the Sports button did, he said "You would know about it if I pressed that", it was as if he could double the engine power or more at the press of a button, he did eventually press this magic button and I couldnt tell any difference and just made appropriate noises.

My father in law had a had a Corsa 1.4 (8 valve) auto as his shopping car and that had a sports button, I was finally unleashed in this throbbing beast to collect a curry and on the way there (as we all know you cant hoon with £50 worth of bright orange livid grease swilling around in badly sealed containers), so I got to a safe area with plenty of space and reached out, teeth gritted, brow sweating and pressed the button and to my amazement it did something, it didnt go into hyperspace, the stars didnt all turn into lines as my organs were pressed into the seat it just made a lot more noise, motion wise it was unimpressive but the sound energy release by a fairly knackered pensioners shopping chariot was astounding if not pleasant, a bit like when young son revved up one of those friction powered toy cars the wrong way.

So, anyone got a magic button that does anything positive ?

[kambites]

I think they usually change the throttle mapping so the top part of the pedal travel opens the throttle butterfly further. This of course has absolutely no effect on anything at all, except for making it feel faster to those who never fully open throttle anyway.

On some more expensive cars, it also changes damper settings, etc. Plus maybe gearbox modes on automatics?

[V40TC]

S Type R the S button makes the car hold the gears longer
easier overtaking(which is easy really with adequate BHP)

[Decky_Q]

In alfa 147 it turns off the anti-slip regulator so you can spin the wheels but reduced traction control still kicks in if you over cook it on a corner (found out in a brown trouser moment!)

[Hudson]

Thanks to its knackered turbo and gearbox, the "sport" mode on my 525 actually made it slower, much like the "Turbo" button on old computers....

[jon-]

What others have said, generally they do one or a combination of:

- Firm suspension up
- Open exhaust butterfly valves earlier / all the time
- Changes FBW throttle map so less travel = more throttle
- In autos it can make them change down sooner / hold onto gears longer / change gears quicker
- Lets you have a bit more slip before TC / DSC kicks in

ETA
- Adds steering weight (as mentioned below)

I can only think of 2 cars which actually results in more power. The obvious M5/M6 (M mode gives you another 100bhp) and I'm sure one of the turbo 997s has an button (admittedly separate from sport) to give you "overboost" for "overtaking".

Edited by jon- on Friday 6th January 15:24

[ArsE92]

On automatic x35i's I think it makes the exhaust noisier (bi-modal) as well as holding onto gears for longer.

[Mr Gear]

It's to make people feel better that they have bought a limp-wristed mass-produced hatchback, and they can kid themselves that when they press that button they are driving a racing car.

Brumm Brumm.

[LotusOmega375D]

They're not actually wired up to anything. They just use them to fill the gap where the cigarette lighter used to be.

[J4CKO]

Did think of the M5, is there really any point in ring fencing that last 100 bhp or is it just to get the geeks (like me) excited, might as well just give it 500 bhp to my mind.

The new ones do seem to work on steering and stuff but in the past it just seemed to hang onto gears longer and give the enthusiastic and clueless something to talk about.

[kambites]

J4CKO said:

Did think of the M5, is there really any point in ring fencing that last 100 bhp or is it just to get the geeks (like me) excited, might as well just give it 500 bhp to my mind.

I don't know, but is it possible it's done for emissions/economy reasons? Is the test run in the mode that the car starts up in, or something?

[Ved]

I'd rather have a performance car that had an eco button. It would do my head in having to put it into sport every time I drove it. Putting it into a low boost, high mpg mode on the motorway would make much more sense. The last STI did something similar but that was always in dull mode regardless of the last setting it was left in.

[Mr Gear]

kambites said:

J4CKO said:

Did think of the M5, is there really any point in ring fencing that last 100 bhp or is it just to get the geeks (like me) excited, might as well just give it 500 bhp to my mind.

I don't know, but is it possible it's done for emissions/economy reasons? Is the test run in the mode that the car starts up in, or something?

I think you could be onto something. The ones that open an exhaust valve to make it sound "nicer" are almost certainly done for noise emissions reasons. I bet you could do a similar thing on pollution and CO2 tests.

[Watchman]

Sports mode deploys the rockets on my car:

[R182]

J4CKO said:

Did think of the M5, is there really any point in ring fencing that last 100 bhp or is it just to get the geeks (like me) excited, might as well just give it 500 bhp to my mind.

The new ones do seem to work on steering and stuff but in the past it just seemed to hang onto gears longer and give the enthusiastic and clueless something to talk about.

Jon- has already mentioned the major qualities, believe the M5 did most of that with a button.

You make hanging on to gears sound like a minor point?

[Irish]

Sports mode. Start button on a Caterham. Nuff said.

Tin tops have no magic transformers type button.

[angry jock]

Decky_Q said:

In alfa 147 it turns off the anti-slip regulator so you can spin the wheels but reduced traction control still kicks in if you over cook it on a corner (found out in a brown trouser moment!)

That will be the traction control button rather than a sports button. The only ALFAs with bone fide sports buttons (rather than DNA switches) are the 147 Ducati Corse, GT Cloverleaf Q2 and both the 8C and 8C Spider. In the case of the 147 and GT it supposedly made the car sharper. All I ever saw was that illuminated a light!

[otolith]

Mr Gear said:

kambites said:

J4CKO said:

Did think of the M5, is there really any point in ring fencing that last 100 bhp or is it just to get the geeks (like me) excited, might as well just give it 500 bhp to my mind.

I don't know, but is it possible it's done for emissions/economy reasons? Is the test run in the mode that the car starts up in, or something?

I think you could be onto something. The ones that open an exhaust valve to make it sound "nicer" are almost certainly done for noise emissions reasons. I bet you could do a similar thing on pollution and CO2 tests.

I think that would come under the definition of a "defeat strategy", and therefore be forbidden;

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/_getdoc...

[Mr Gear]

otolith said:

I think that would come under the definition of a "defeat strategy", and therefore be forbidden;

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/_getdoc...

Good knowledge

[OperationAlfa]

kambites said:

I think they usually change the throttle mapping so the top part of the pedal travel opens the throttle butterfly further. This of course has absolutely no effect on anything at all, except for making it feel faster to those who never fully open throttle anyway.

On some more expensive cars, it also changes damper settings, etc. Plus maybe gearbox modes on automatics?

this.