Video: C5 Corvette Crashes into Wall

[Rob]

This C5 Corvette driver wanted to give a little show for the spectators from a Cars and Coffee meetup, so he peeled out of the parking lot, only to lose control of his car and crash head on into a wall.

More...

 

[Junkman2008]

This kind of thing happens a lot at C&C's. Inexperienced driver who turned off his traction control before he knew how to drive a sports car.

 

[timfitz63]

Right on the mark, "Junkman." This kind of thing is exactly what concerns me about cars like the C7 and Challenger Hellcat -- vehicles with well in excess of the C5's horsepower, yet affordable to people who potentially have little or no experience whatsoever with a high-performance vehicle... Even with the traction control on, these kinds of vehicles (including the C5) can fishtail with the steering wheel turned and liberal use of the throttle.

All high-performance vehicles have a way of biting the driver in the a$$ if he doesn't respect the car -- traction control or no...

 

[LLC5]

Right on the mark, "Junkman." This kind of thing is exactly what concerns me about cars like the C7 and Challenger Hellcat -- vehicles with well in excess of the C5's horsepower, yet affordable to people who potentially have little or no experience whatsoever with a high-performance vehicle... Even with the traction control on, these kinds of vehicles (including the C5) can fishtail with the steering wheel turned and liberal use of the throttle.

All high-performance vehicles have a way of biting the driver in the a$$ if he doesn't respect the car -- traction control or no...

If you overcome the tires ability to stick to the tarmac, through speed or power, no safety nanny can save your ass........

 

[timfitz63]

If you overcome the tires ability to stick to the tarmac, through speed or power, no safety nanny can save your ass........

I often describe that same observation by saying: Traction control only works when one has traction...

 

[Junkman2008]

I often describe that same observation by saying: Traction control only works when one has traction...

 

[jrose7004]

High performance cars driven by low performance drivers!

 

[Tuna]

I watched a C5 driver make a similar mistake several years ago on an NCM organized cruise in Kentucky.
Several C3s and C2s were in the group and many of them did a burnout across a highway intersection at a stop sign. The C5 driver decided to do the same and punched the button to turn off everything - it was a newer C5 with Active Handling, so he should have put it in Competitive Driving mode. If he had, the car would have tried to contain the fishtailing but that didn't happen and he ended up in a ditch. Wife was pissed at him.

I mentioned the incident to Dave Hill back at the NCM and he had already heard about it. He commented that the driver should have selected Competitive Driving mode.

Competitive Driving mode or not, any driver wishing to impress spectators with this sort of driving should have practiced it many times before and have been well qualified to do it right. Ditches and concrete walls are not very forgiving.

 

[Junkman2008]

... The C5 driver decided to do the same and punched the button to turn off everything - it was a newer C5 with Active Handling, so he should have put it in Competitive Driving mode. If he had, the car would have tried to contain the fishtailing but that didn't happen and he ended up in a ditch.

Competitive Driving Mode turns EVERYTHING off. From the owner's manual...

COMPETITIVE DRIVING: When the Competitive Driving mode is selected, this message will be displayed in the DIC. The instrument panel cluster light will not be on when the Competitive Driving mode is selected. The Traction Control System will not be operating while in the Competitive Driving mode. You should adjust your driving accordingly.

That last part says a mouthful.

 

[Tuna]

As I recall, in "Competitive Driving" mode, Active Handling is still on. Competitive Driving allows for full engine power to be supplied to the rear wheels while Active Handling tries to control slip angles and avoid spins.

 

[Junkman2008]

Did you see the text that I copied directly from the owner's manual? I'm going by what it states.

 

[LLC5]

Did you see the text that I copied directly from the owner's manual? I'm going by what it states.

Traction control and active handling are two different functions. Your previous post states that the traction control will be off, but active handling if available on that vehicle, may still be active.

 

[Junkman2008]

So that we are all on the same page, I will attach the service manual's detailed description of how the entire ABS system works.