Dave White

Check out this painful, but funny video of someone stuck on wet grass! In our cars, hitting the diff lock would have gotten us out, probably without spinning!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV8pB6OQCTI

springer3

That is some of the worst driving I have seen in a while. Even without diff locks, that should have been easy. He actually got moving two or three times, and inexplicably stopped and drove back to his ruts. A C2 could get out of that with a skilled driver at the wheel.

I am surprised at how primative the 4 wheel drive system is for such a new car. My ML320 has computer traction control system. I have tried this on ice while moving up a hill: floor the throttle and point the steering where I want to go. The computer takes care of braking the spinning wheels and feathering the throttle to keep the car moving.

Akerlie

A primitive system test your real skills, a monkey can drive a car with all the electronic bells and whistles

mada1

WTF... is that his clutch burning?

Ryan360

how did he get there in the first place? i think i'll go in the garage just to admire my C4. LOL

Dave White

Apparently, all the electronics couldn't make this guy any better.

As for the rest of us, not sure calling us monkeys because our AWD system is electronically controlled is very nice or called for. I wasn't bashing the 993 that you own, mostly the newer systems that try to compensate by applying brakes to the opposite wheels, but you should be able to see which system would be superior for traction in situations like this one.

Dave White

It could be, but it may also be the brakes as the electronics try to brake the spinning wheel to transfer power to the opposite wheel. It's the "new" thing to replace a real limited slip. Had this guy turned off the traction control, he may have fared better.

Score one for our complicated, over engineered systems. I still feel they got it right the first time. I have been in a much worse condition than this guy after avoiding a deer and going off road in a bad way, down over an embankment. I hit the lock switch and it climbed out with no problem.

Akerlie

Dave, dont misunderstand me, I am a old school guy and like to choose what the car does and not the other way around. On the 964 the driver is still in charge (apart from when braking).

It was not my intention to offend any of you 964 guys, please accept my apologies

Are we sure the car in the video is a C4 ? Cant see the front wheels spin at all.

Dave White

Okay, no problem.

Only going by the video title. You would think at least one front would try to spin, but I don't know. But this is an example of how the latest "e-differential" is vastly inferior to a real limited slip. Since you can't see the rear of the car to look at the tail lights, maybe it is a C2 and the poster put 4x4 Porsche because he was off road. Still, imagine how embarrassing that must have been for the driver. I am glad I have AWD, I can't tell you how many events I have parked in a field at, or off in the grass such as this, and burying the car would not be fun!

Damian in NJ

Painful to watch.

springer3

I agree. Notice I said a C2 could have gotten out of that with a skilled driver. I also agree with the poster that that is really a C2. I looked again, and there is never a trace of front wheel spin.

Doug&Julie

That has nothing to do with AWD or not. High performance tires on cold, wet grass...slicks on ice. Walter Rohrl probably couldn't have gotten out of that.

tbennett017

I was thinking the same thing as DougnJulie... Watch Clarkson on wet grass with summer tires with his last review of the BMW X6... Worthless going up hill.

PNine64

+1

blake

+1

High performance tires + wet grass + hill = disaster... Not sure that P-car is a C4 996 either.... I definitely feel for the driver. The snort from the guy taking the video near the beginning of the film was classic!

-B