So, steppin’ out?

[young at heart]

I’ve read several posts that imply these GTs are all but dangerous to drive because of the tendency of the back end to get away from you with no notice. I just read another one so I’ve gotta ask, what am I missing here?

When I first got mine I left TC and ESC on all the time, and yeah it would spin some from a dig and between the A10’s 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts. This with 3.15s and PZero Neros in a stock GT. So later I got more adventurous and turned off TC and it spins a little more but nothing I’d come close to calling uncontrollable. I’ve turned ESC on and off but can’t tell much difference. I’ve had many, many late ‘60s cars with big low end torque and crappy tires that were far more unpredictable but heck you just learned to drive out of it. No big deal.

Have I just been lucky so far and my time is coming? Maybe some guys just don’t know how to drive these things? My experience just doesn’t line up with a lot of stuff I read.

By the way, when I want to get on it I currently turn TC off but leave ESC on. Is this the safest bet or would I be better off turning off ESC too? None our 60s cars had these things and we did just fine. And it wasn’t unusual to break the tires loose running three digits, depending on how good you could shift.

Anyway, thoughts are appreciated. I don’t want unfamiliar technology to embarrass me.

Sponsored

 

[Chef jpd]

This is our legacy......

 

[The Demon]

This is our legacy......

Nope.....complete idiot. Don't buy a car you don't know how to drive.

 

[Bikeman315]

Fee people can handle the HP and in an AT with kickdown several gears with ESC in any mode but snow l, will snap out in a millisecond. Unpredictable in AT.

MT way better because it doesn't have the computer managed multi gear downshifts on WOT.

I'm sorry but this is total BS. No issues with my 19' GT/CS A10 stepping out. Once you know your car it doesn't matter what tranny you have.

 

[The Demon]

I'm sorry but this is total BS. No issues with my 19' GT/CS A10 stepping out. Once you know your car it doesn't matter what tranny you have.

Yep. I am in Track mode all day everyday. No TC for me.

 

[theruleslawyer]

Missing? People are idiots and acting like hooligans. Cold performance tires on a cold day will cause a little pucker.

 

[young at heart]

Yep. I am in Track mode all day everyday. No TC for me.

That‘s how I roll too. Maybe that’s the secret; it mimics the old days when you actually had to do things for yourself.

Which is why I ask, is it possible the nannies are having effects opposite their intentions?

And I’m sorry, but the guy driving the blue car in the above video must have been an idiot. How hard would it have been to lift for goodness sake?

 

[young at heart]

A friend of mine was crushing in his friend new GT. It stepped out, bounced off a roadside concrete planter and hit a huge median tree sideways.

Driver is now qiadrapeligic and my friend (sole super bread winner) instantly broke neck and died (RIP Fernando) leaving two fabulous sons and a wonderful wife behind.

That‘s a sad and tragic story for sure but it’s completely meaningless in the context of this thread without knowing WHY the car stepped out. I’m pretty sure it didn’t step out on it‘s own volition and if there were a known safety defect it would have long since been recalled. It’s a very powerful car that demands respect, just like many others.

Can you enlighten us? I note that you say the driver’s GT was new. Wouldn’t that also imply the driver was new to the car?

These are the questions I was looking to get answered by posting this thread In the first place.

 

[ice445]

I've had a few unexpected step outs, both happened on cold tires and uneven pavement though. If a rear tire leaves the ground it can get away from you before the electronic nannies can react. Of course I saved it in time, but you have to be real quick with your steering angle lol

 

[Marsalad]

I try not to get judgmental on here (or anywhere else) but the car will do exactly what you tell it to, even if that‘s not what you intended. Any rear drive vehicle will “step out” if you fail to consider road conditions and many other factors. If you can’t be bothered to learn how to drive your own vehicle then please just stick with something that requires less of its driver. I honestly believe that my insurance rates are artificially high because I am judged in the same light as the people that bounce off curbs or plow through crowds. I drive my Mustang year round in Northern New York. When the temps drop the summer tires come off and the snow tires go on. That doesn’t mean I can rip through the gears in January just like I do in July, the car still requires a bit of driving skill and attention to the driving surface.
Anyway, the car isn’t inherently dangerous but perhaps some of the people driving them are.

 

[The Demon]

I try not to get judgmental on here (or anywhere else) but the car will do exactly what you tell it to, even if that‘s not what you intended. Any rear drive vehicle will “step out” if you fail to consider road conditions and many other factors. If you can’t be bothered to learn how to drive your own vehicle then please just stick with something that requires less of its driver. I honestly believe that my insurance rates are artificially high because I am judged in the same light as the people that bounce off curbs or plow through crowds. I drive my Mustang year round in Northern New York. When the temps drop the summer tires come off and the snow tires go on. That doesn’t mean I can rip through the gears in January just like I do in July, the car still requires a bit of driving skill and attention to the driving surface.
Anyway, the car isn’t inherently dangerous but perhaps some of the people driving them are.

I agree 100%. I’ve been driving high horsepower and built cars since my late teens…early 20s and my dad got me into it. I learned how to drive from the best and I know how to handle a car like this. i’m 53 now and still love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know there are a lot of people who buy this car or any other sports car with no experience and need to learn the car before you go all out.

 

[joe603]

Any vehicle can get out of control if you're not ready for it. Do a track day, learn how vehicles work...education and experience are very helpful in preventing accidents. If you do push it, learn the car's limits and try to remain calm if things happen. Over-correcting is what gets people in trouble with rear-drive cars.

 

[NightmareMoon]

There are a lot of mustangs out there and most drivers don't stay on top of their alignment settings, and don't know how to react if it does step out a little.

If the toe is off, they can prefer to step out instead of going straight.

 

[Cobra Jet]

There isn't an issue with ANY rear wheel drive sports car, Mustang included - with "stepping out"...

The issue is:
When a Mustang does "step out", *some* Drivers don't use common sense, don't know the basics of control and recovery . . . AND won't let up on the throttle...

It's not a "car" problem, it's a person problem.

the end.

 

[young at heart]

There isn't an issue with ANY rear wheel drive sports car, Mustang included - with "stepping out"...

The issue is:
When a Mustang does "step out", *some* Drivers don't use common sense, don't know the basics of control and recovery . . . AND won't let up on the throttle...

It's not a "car" problem, it's a person problem.

the end.

Thank you.

That was my guess.

Sponsored