well personally I think that traction control could be a well added bonus for those people who want certain joy and certain security when driving the car. Not everyone can drive equally well, and thats one added buffer.

Think the new BM roadster series ... I think they took a lot of cue from the S2k and improved on it. They also have traction control as standard, and the top comes down in 10 secs

 

I have "skid control" (not be be confused with simple traction control) on my my BMW 330i daily driver and the Corvette. I call it my electronic safety net - but in both cars there is an off switch for track days and autox. It really is sweet, and as others pointed out is now standard in the Z3 starting in 2000. I wish the S2000 had skid control - it would make it more valuable to me for "just in case".

Last winter I was driving the 330i to work, with the after market alloys and Graspic low profile ice/snow tires on. Hit some "black ice" on a freeway bridge IN A CURVE. The BMW DSC system caught and corrected the spin before I could! I would hope that I could have come though with driving skils if I did not have DSC, but the point is I didn't have to...

Until they start equipping the cars with 4 brake pedals - one for each corner (remember that ad for TRW?) I would still like to have skid control (and a switch) in my cars for just in case.

I wish the S2000 had it, but that is only a factor and not a show stopper to me. I like my cars to have nice cup holders too - even the most hard core driver needs to carry a drink from time to time, or in my case a wife as well

Dennis

 

Traction control, and skid control, can only bail you out to a certain point. No electronic gadgetry is going to overcome the laws of physics if you are doing something insanely stupid and not using good judgement.

That said, it's best to enroll in a driving school and learn how to drive a car properly. That doesn't give you the right to drive like a maniac on public roads, where you risk other people's lives, but it will teach you what to do if you break the laws of physics.

Most stability control systems (call them traction control, vehicle skid control, or whatever you want) cut in long before you reach the limits of the vehicle. Auto makers need to err on the side of safety to prevent lawsuits. They are used as a safety net for the inexperienced driver. A professional driver can drive a car much faster around a race track without using traction control.

The S2000 is as close to a true driver's car than anything else I can think of in recent history (sans high-dollar semi-exotics and exotics). This car demands the driver's full attention and skill to extract what the car is capable of. Get over-confident and make a small mistake and you could be swapping ends before you know it.

And speaking of driving agressively: I recently had an opportunity to talk with a Skip Barber instructor and ride shotgun for 16 laps in a run-of-the-mill Dodge Neon around Laguna Seca. The instructor commented that some people think they push their cars to the absolute limit and feel they are Mario Andrettis-in-training. He went on to say that the majority of those people never even come close to reaching their vehicle's full potential. That statement was proven with those 16 laps around Laguna Seca. I never ever thought a Neon, on all-season tires, had such potential. Goes to prove that it's not just about the car. . .the skill of the person behind the wheel is just as important.

 

i might be wrong but i saw this program where this dude turned his traction control off in the S2000 to make it a fair race between this civic type R so it means he mustof had traction to be able to turn off!!! pluss read in a mag that it comes with traction so i dunno cos im havnt got one but i believe the English S2000 has traction so get an English one veejaay

 

A switchable traction control would be nice. Off during the nice days, and on during those rainy days...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rich 4 S2000
[B]i might be wrong but i saw this program where this dude turned his traction control off in the S2000 to make it a fair race between this civic type R so it means he mustof had traction to be able to turn off!!! pluss

 

Invest the money you would spend on TC option (if it existed) into a driving school.

1. You will learn how to control your car MUCH better than the computer can.
2. Your investment will not depriciate over time. In fact it will get better the more time you spend in your car.
3. Your investment will not go away when (if) you sell your car. It stays with you when you move to a new car.

 

I believe placing traction control devices in sportscars creates more hazards than it prevents. It creates a false sense of security with many drivers who assume by having access to it, they can drive more aggressively and the techno gadgetry will save their ass. Sort of the same line of thinking we get up here in the northeast with all the young WRX owners who think they are a decal or two shy of a WRC supercar (blame Subaru's silly rally-inspired advertising campaign I guess). Likewise, each winter, I see more Jeeps and SUV's off the road than any snow-tired sportscar.
Placing traction control on a sportscar like the S2000 would be a bastardization rivaled only by Harley Davidson-theme restaurants....thank you George Carlin.

 

I have to make a very strong effort to get mine to break the rear tires lose. It doesn't need TC. And to those who dont drive aggressively on the streets(within reason, eg. no school zones, shopping center parking lots, rush hour traffic, etc...), why the hell did you ever buy this car? Why not buy a Buick like Tiger?

 

Make sure to buy the babysitter-pulling Rendevous.