I don't have it. Yes, it could help in an emergency or in bad weather.

But keep in mind if you're not comfortable turning off DSC your DSC-equipped car you need to do some driver skill development. This car is supremely well balanced, very predictable, and quite forgiving. You're missing out on the car if you don't drive it with the DSC turned off.

I know the 8's DSC program is supposed allow the driver to go pretty deep into the car's limits. But, the car is so well designed a decent driver can have a lot of fun with the car with the DSC switched off (or absent, as in my case) , as long as you don't do anything stupid, and not lose control.

The second day I had my car I took it to the mountains and got way into the throttle rounding curves. The car can take an amazing amount of throttle through the turns; the rear kind of hunkers down and you get a lot of yaw (drift), but the car holds its oversteering line right to the end of the curve. It's as much fun as I've had in a car.

Don't see that as in invitation to drive beyond your abilities. Just drive safely but enthusiastically and the car will amaze you.

I'm only posting this because I see so many other posts from people who are concerned about driving with the DSC turned off. Remember, just a few years ago, there was no DSC. People weren't dying all over the place; they just had to learn and be aware of their skills and the way the car behaves at the limit.

 

I just wish you could get an '8 loaded out WITHOUT DSC. If you want leather, GPS, xenon lights, et al, your *** is gettin' DSC.

At least the DSC system seems to be pretty good, at least, and you can turn it off.

Dale

 

i wish i could get it to default to off as well..

 

how lazy are you guys! if its not raining while im sitting in the driveway letting the car warm up (this is key to some enthusiastic driving) i just hit the button for 7 seconds automatically as areflex, not even that much effort, i dont know why you all are annoyed that you have to hit a button...nothing to it.

 

The base package RX-8 has an MRSP of just over $25k. After driving around in the GT for a few months, I think a $25k RX-8 is an insanely good deal. I just wish they had included DSC. I'm fairly sure the decision to delete DSC was a marketing decision, and I hate to see the safety features used that way -- be careful.

If I had it to do over, I think I'd buy the Sport Package w/ NAV and use the money saved to customize.

 

The DSC has saved me a couple of times, I've driven it both off and on and I tend to get excited and fish-tail or drift around some corners with it off so rather me getting into trouble I leave it on, and that's just fine with me.

 

Also having a base 8, I agree totally that the DSC system is not necessary to driving the car very aggressively and not losing control. It is supremely well balanced, and I have even tried to push my car too hard (in safe non-public roads), and I really can't get the thing to break away in any way that I can't pull it right back in when I want too.

I also wish that I could buy the car's extras without getting DCS. The only reason that I bought the base car was to avoid a system which I personally considered unnecessary and one more level between me and the driving experience. I was a little afraid that winter might be bad, but winter was fine without DSC. I didn't have a problem all winter . . . with snow tires. The RX 8 is a great car. No two ways about it.

 

I'm not lazy, i just forget a lot to turn it off. I generally leave TCS on though.

 

What good is turning off DSC without turning off TCS? I guess I don't understand the difference between the two. I usually turn both off, although one night the car decided to show me that my countersteering technique could use a little work and I ended up facing backwards on an empty street. I'll be heading to the track soon to "learn my limits" so that never happens again.

 

I don't really consider DSC a safety feature. As I understand it, DSC applies the brakes to try to rebalance the car before it gets too squirrely, ultimately cutting throttle if necessary. This won't save you if you enter a turn too fast, it can't give you more cornering force. If you suddenly hit slippery conditions while moving, it can't save you for the same reason. If the driver tries to swing the tail out by hammering the throttle in a turn, then DSC can prevent that, but so can the driver by not hammering the throttle in the first place. Granted traction controll can help you in snow, but so can carefull clutch and throttle work, or better yet driving a different car in snow.

On the other hand I fear that people will get in accidents because they assume the DSC protect them from stupid driving. When airbags were new, 75% of accidents between airbag equipped and non-airbag equipped cars were the fault of the airbag protected driver.

I drive a base manual Rx8, so my opinions on what DSC can do is solely from the test drive, and magazine articles. I don't regret not having DSC though, the Rx8 is definitely not dificult to drive hard without it.
--Dave.

 

every RWD driver should know that you should not lift/brake whilst cornering otherwise the cars back will snap 180 on you if your at or near the limits or brake too hard.

the way i understand DSC works is that is applies brake and does fuel cut/throttle control to correct the car, but wouldnt that be the same as stepping on the brakes while cornering? or does it do somethin smarter? i assume it should otherwise we'll have alot of ppl spinning 180 going hot around the corner...

 

Its not quite the same as stepping on the brakes while cornering because it can apply brakes to a single wheel which you can't do with the brake pedal.

The DSC is quite effective and while it can't prevent stupidity, it will probably make the end result of said stupidity be a controlled understeer rather than going ***-around, which in most cases is probably a safer option...

 

well.. the single press "DSC OFF" mode (not the center console "traction" button) allows me to do burnouts and some nice drifts in town.

What is the differnce between the short press "DSC OFF" and the 10 second press and hold DSC/TSC OFF?

I usually drive with my DSC on, as there is no real reason for me to not want it. I drive in rush hour traffic every day, and like the "extra security". it keeps me from spinning the tires on a 4-2 shift when changing lanes, and it helps on the offramps that have sand left over on them from the winter....

 

My 8 Saved My LIfe

 

I didn't want to get even up to the sports package level RX-8, because of the DSC and TCS. But after getting my base 8, I fishtailed 2 days later after a rainy day. Ooops. That's when I started having concerns about it. I posted up here about those concerns, but what comforted me was this "RWD cars didn't have DSC a few years ago, and nobody complained about driving them". I guess, I'll stop playing with my 8 on rainy days

 

would it be possible to add certain options such as xenon lights and fog lights without getting the package options that come with the DSC? if yes, how much more or less would i be paying than just getting the sport package? btw, i'm not interested in aftermarket options.

 

I didn't bother with the DCS for a couple of months as I was getting familiar with the car. But I occasionally felt the "hand of god" nudging me. Sometimes, it felt, unneccessarily. I finally did the 7-second press and took it into a long sweeper. I kept adding juice and got that sweet bit of throttle oversteer and kept it there through the turn and exited with power.. Ahhh! Glorious. Got rid of that fake-beer feeling.

 

so is there a real difference between dsc and tc? i only see the dsc button in my car. where the hoochies is the tc button i had a rx8 gt. thanks guys!

 

Just keep holding down the "DSC OFF" button. After about 7 seconds the TC warning indicator will come on.

 

I know that you can add the fog lights, and I'm sure you can add the HIDs. You would save money if you did it yourself.

 

Devious said something that I would like to add to:"every RWD driver should know that you should not lift/brake whilst cornering otherwise the cars back will snap 180 on you if your at or near the limits or brake too hard. "

I lift off the throttle all the time in order to tighten my line or set up the car for some power-on oversteer. It's basically a way to get the car to rotate with out adding throttle.

The trick is to intuitively know how much braking you can add to get the car to rotate without spinning. Sure, you don't want to slam on the brakes in a panic, but being able to get on the brakes in a controlled manner in a corner is a valuable skill, not just for racing, where you ideally want to do all your braking before the corner, but in real life, where you may want to adjust your line.

There may be something in the road you need to miss, or, you may not be familiar with the turn and the corner may decrease in radius. Being comfortable, and able, with this technique of braking in the corner is valuable.

 

Haha. Wait until someone disables DSC for normal driving, then gets into a wreck. Insurance company pulls your car's black box:

"Well, Speed Racer, it shows here that you were going twenty MPH over the limit and you turned your car's stability control system off. Why is that?"

Even better: wait until the guy you hit uses the black box data against you when he sues you.

It's a sad world. I'd drive with it on when on public roads.

T.

 

driving with the DSC off? wow, i remember the days when cars didnt have DSC and we were sliding off the road every turn!

im just kidding around, but seriously this car is hard to get into trouble with compared to, say, a mustang. the biggest problem i have found is the suspension will bottom on a bumpy road, sending the car sideways.

now, can anyone remember the old days before you had a navigation system? :D

james (drives a car without roll-up windows)

 

My whole point, exactly, Truss. Don't be an idiot with the car. Develop your own internal DSC.

Analogy: Learn arithmetic. Then use a calculator.
Learn to write. Then use a word processor.
Learn scales and pitch. Then bend notes.

Your scenario where the person gets into a wreck with the DSC turned off - it most likely wouldn't happen if the driver is being responsible with the car.

My point is that some folks seem to think that the car will spin out of control and burst into flames if you turn the DSC off. It won't: the car is very controllable and delightful at the limit - a place you should only go if you're experienced and in a proper environment.

Personally, I don't drive the car at the limit in traffic or other environments where other folks could be hurt, or, even intimidated or scared, by my driving.

 

why buy a base model to avoid dsc when you can just turn it all off???

thanks for informing me how to turn off the tc aswell thats awsome

first car ive ever had with traction controll.... it weirds me out when driving