How sporty (or not) are you..?

tomRCFcarbon · September 7, 2018

What mode do you drive your F in? and why?

Do you adapt to mood and circumstances? Or is it one size fits all?

Clearly each F car has its own version of hot or not, for me in the RCF - I go normal most days. Eco for long journeys and Sport+ when I’m feeling like a mentalist.

The reasoning behind putting the transmission into manual is a little more complex and down to the road, the mood I’m in and sometimes just purely to hear the blipped downshifts...

Traction control is left as factory intended on the road and I haven’t found a need for slalom or snow yet.

The other F cars probably have a similar but different set of driving options. Which do you use? When? and why?

NemesisUK · September 7, 2018

Sorry to gate-crash, not driving an F but for me it's Normal around town and Sport on the country/open roads.

Never use Eco, turns the car into a slug on mogadon ....

Mattmech · September 7, 2018

I leave mine in normal mode till I get three bars on the oil temp, then into sport and then manual.

I leave the tc alone though 😳

designo · September 8, 2018

Eco mode.... fuel ain't cheap mate!

Flytvr · September 8, 2018

First and reverse gears only

September 8, 2018

Mostly normal, when traffic etc. ECO is handy when sat in queues as throttle is soft and good for sitting in avg camera areas.

Sport-S is most often used for short journeys. Sport+ is a bit aggressive other than for short bursts.

I tried Expert mode on a damp country lane...........once........it does feel good, allows a lot more movement on the back. But also too risky I think.

There is another mode above that with no protection at all, never tried it.

Mark G · September 8, 2018

Eco, never, standard for pottering about, Sport for spirited driving, slalom for chasing @Flytvr down a Welsh B road, the "other" mode @Comedian has mentioned for private road hooliganism, Sport+, never...…………...

Flytvr · September 8, 2018

22 minutes ago, Mark G said:

Eco, never, standard for pottering about, Sport for spirited driving, slalom for chasing @Flytvr down a Welsh B road, the "other" mode @Comedian has mentioned for private road hooliganism, Sport+, never...…………...

“Chasing Flytvr as he manoeuvres around his garage” 😜

Martin F · September 8, 2018

42 minutes ago, Comedian said:

There is another mode above that with no protection at all, never tried it.

I think there is only 'Expert' mode, (traction & VSC off etc.).

To keep in context with the thread I tend to use Sport or Sport+ mode as I find the throttle more predictable.

September 8, 2018

14 minutes ago, Martin F said:

I think there is only 'Expert' mode, (traction & VSC off etc.).

Expert mode you press tcs off and it shows expert on dash but it is still on waiting to save at very last second.

If you hold tcs button down for 5 seconds (i think) then it is really really off.

mrfunex · September 8, 2018

Ah yes, expert mode. Turns you into Ayrton Senna apparently... or pretty good for doing donuts in a deserted car park.

Mostly in normal or sport here, I like the slurred gear changes in normal when I’m just schlepping about, and the much sharper ones in sport when I’m not. I find sport+ quite ‘jumpy’ and eco is like you’re dragging a 5-ton trailer behind!

September 8, 2018

But in eco mode i achieved over 38mpg on a long motorway run. Don't tell the RX owners.

On this video jump to 5:18 to see the traction off mode

Martin F · September 8, 2018

Is that Dav's car pre-registration white Carbon being driven by the ex-Stig?

Hence why it has to spend most of it's life in the garage now recovering.

Flytvr · September 10, 2018

Outside of eco mode (which instantly turns your car into a Ford Fiesta Popular Plus 1.1), I wonder if most people could tell the difference during road driving.

If you’ve ever unknowingly driven a car with a flat(ish) tyre, in all reality would you really (through feel alone) know the difference between Sport, Sport + etc? I doubt it.

tomRCFcarbon · September 10, 2018

1 hour ago, Flytvr said:

Outside of eco mode (which instantly turns your car into a Ford Fiesta Popular Plus 1.1), I wonder if most people could tell the difference during road driving.

If you’ve ever unknowingly driven a car with a flat(ish) tyre, in all reality would you really (through feel alone) know the difference between Sport, Sport + etc? I doubt it.

I find the difference between Sport and Sport+ pretty much indistinguishable.

However the difference between either of those and normal is a greater leap, IMO, than between Eco and Normal.

In Sport/Sport+ the whole car is more urgent, gears held longer, throttle response like a hair trigger, etc. Nothing like Normal mode at all...so much so that if I got out of my car in normal mode and then someone changed the setting and I got back in - I would swear it was a different car altogether.

September 10, 2018

4 hours ago, Flytvr said:

Outside of eco mode (which instantly turns your car into a Ford Fiesta Popular Plus 1.1), I wonder if most people could tell the difference during road driving.

If you’ve ever unknowingly driven a car with a flat(ish) tyre, in all reality would you really (through feel alone) know the difference between Sport, Sport + etc? I doubt it.

Erm yes, I can feel when a tyre is a few psi down, it's not difficult. Not sure I could put it into words, but can tell. I tried moving my tyres from 2.4 to 2.7 bar cold and that made it really twitchy.

Sport and Sport+ : Steering is heavier and gearbox is very rarely going to put you any higher than 5th. In manual mode the Torque Converter locks up and if that can't be felt, then one might actually be dead.

Flytvr · September 10, 2018

2 hours ago, Comedian said:

Erm yes, I can feel when a tyre is a few psi down, it's not difficult. Not sure I could put it into words, but can tell. I tried moving my tyres from 2.4 to 2.7 bar cold and that made it really twitchy.

Sport and Sport+ : Steering is heavier and gearbox is very rarely going to put you any higher than 5th. In manual mode the Torque Converter locks up and if that can't be felt, then one might actually be dead.

You’d da man!

MNMJ · September 10, 2018

5 hours ago, tomRCFcarbon said:

I find the difference between Sport and Sport+ pretty much indistinguishable.

I agree. I use eco for towns, motorways and for bimbling around, then use Sport and the paddles when I feel the need for speed, or noise, or fun

Flytvr · September 10, 2018

3 hours ago, Comedian said:

Erm yes, I can feel when a tyre is a few psi down, it's not difficult. Not sure I could put it into words, but can tell. I tried moving my tyres from 2.4 to 2.7 bar cold and that made it really twitchy.

Sport and Sport+ : Steering is heavier and gearbox is very rarely going to put you any higher than 5th. In manual mode the Torque Converter locks up and if that can't be felt, then one might actually be dead.

I’m sure your abilities to feel a car are way beyond mine (and many others). I would expect nothing less from an engineer with knowledge such as yours.

However, not everybody is of equal abilities. As an example, earlier in the year, I was talking to an RCF (2015) owner. He was really impressed how the dynamic dampers firmed up in Sports+.

I rest my case.

September 10, 2018

2 hours ago, Flytvr said:

I’m sure your abilities to feel a car are way beyond mine

It's probably more down to miles covered - I doubt it's anything to do with ability.

I defy anyone to not be able to tell the difference in shift program throttle response and steering weight between ECO and Sport+ As you say huge difference

Sport to Sport plus is OBVIOUSLY a smaller difference and mostly the shift program is altered.

Anyway you have a TVD so maybe it's numbing effect on the car is something to consider. It must have a similar effect on feel to electric steering versus hydraulic or mechanical.

September 10, 2018

Just realised as well....Normal mode uses atkinson cycle below 2000rpm....... this has less power than otto cycle. Definitely a noticeable difference.

Tfp · September 10, 2018

Thanks for this thread chaps.

I wondered what the exact differences were but was afraid to ask.

September 11, 2018

Eco mode: Atkinson cycle whole time, soft throttle, light steering, more efficient use of air conditioning, wing extension at 80mph (best for economy)

Normal mode: Atkinson cycle upto 2000rpm ( can be turned off in settings ), aircon normal, steering normal, wing up at 50 ish (compromise between economy and sport - never feels right - ok for travelling but not driving, if you know what I mean)

Sport-S: More throttle response, faster gear changes, holds gears longer after lifting off. But will settle and cruise along in 8th (best mode for road driving)

Sport+: More throttle response, will hold gears longer and will not use more than 5th - it's keeping you in the power. More steering feedback (probably more suited to track - drinks fuel)

Expert: Reduced VSC - will only cut in when it needs to save the car. (probably suited to experts!)

If you put it in Manual the Torque converter is locked from 2nd up. You will feel that if you change up at high revs. This means you're not wasting power mixing custard and your rev matching will work better.

MNMJ · September 11, 2018

2 hours ago, Comedian said:

Eco mode: Atkinson cycle whole time, soft throttle, light steering, more efficient use of air conditioning, wing extension at 80mph (best for economy)

Normal mode: Atkinson cycle upto 2000rpm ( can be turned off in settings ), aircon normal, steering normal, wing up at 50 ish (compromise between economy and sport - never feels right - ok for travelling but not driving, if you know what I mean)

Sport-S: More throttle response, faster gear changes, holds gears longer after lifting off. But will settle and cruise along in 8th (best mode for road driving)

Sport+: More throttle response, will hold gears longer and will not use more than 5th - it's keeping you in the power. More steering feedback (probably more suited to track - drinks fuel)

Expert: Reduced VSC - will only cut in when it needs to save the car. (probably suited to experts!)

If you put it in Manual the Torque converter is locked from 2nd up. You will feel that if you change up at high revs. This means you're not wasting power mixing custard and your rev matching will work better.

Very helpful summary; thanks Sean