get the LSD and DSC...

LSD lets you put power down.
DSC saves your *** when you hit black ice in the middle of the turn coming home after an all-day mind-numbing meetings when everyone is standing on their brakes mid-corner...

BTW, I almost never turn mine off... just when I want to behave badly in the snow-covered school parking lot across the street

 

ALL automobiles should have LSD. It lets you lay two darkies simultaneously!

I've got LSD and DSC. DSC remains turned off 99.9% of the time because it intereferes with spirited driving.

 

Yeah, and seat belts interfere with getting in and out of the car. I enjoy very spirited, often aggressive, driving. The only time I had DSC "interfere" is when I went around a corner, into a swath of wet, slimey leaves and acorns. It engaged briefly and immediately straightened my path.

Then again, if all LSD means to you is laying down 2 black streaks.....

 

Comment: "...seat belts interfere with getting in and out of the car."
Response: Seat belts were removed from car at 175 miles.

 

The rules of this site prevent me from responding appropriately....

 

dunno about DSC, but I have ASC off all the time - it is now part of the car start drill, and 2nd nature. reasons are:

1. i don't drive on snow very often
2. I do have a Quaife (LSD)
3. the ASC system can cut power in odd situations, where it creates an unsafe condition, like...
a. rolling out of a gas station over a steep curb that unweights one front corner briefly, or
b. aiming for a brisk start to merge smoothly into traffic, and overestimating the available traction (or getting sloppy with the clutch)

having power cut when i am regarding an oncoming bumper is a very uncomfortable feeling

so even in normal use, i prefer to accept responsibility for wht the front wheels are doing, rather than get in a sometimes dangerous argument with a digital delegate...

but is it a good thing? you bet, and if I had DSC i'd use it several times a year and be glad to have it!

 

can't trail brake properly with DSC on.

 

Good call!! I'm also an STi owner and couldn't imagine going from 4-wheels driving to 1. glad you're keeping the DSC for her too.

 

I have a 2005 S with DSC + LSD and had a 2003 S with DSC before that.

Most of the time, street use, DSC is on by default, but I rarely hit it. I occasionally get a light that I think is more likely ASC action.

I think the black ice scenario is real, if you have it, it can save you from something unexpected like that. Good reflexes can as well, but probably not as reliably. I just don't run into that in my experience.

When autocrossing, you want this stuff off. On the street? Rarely interferes with my driving (not much opportunity to get that aggressive without being stupid).

I don't see ice in my car, so I won't order DSC on my next car, at least not stand alone. LSD is a must (and what will likely kill the appeal of the new BMW Series 1 cars when I think about it some more).

-->Aaron

p.s. Big thanks to Keith for letting me drive the straight pipe R56 this weekend. It was a blast! Sounds nice too, not too loud.