Summit Point with ZL1 and DSC Sport Review
 

Busy weekend at Summit Point with Chin Motorsports. I was driving my 99 miata and ZL1 as well as instructing and was on track every session for 2 days, pretty wore down :) Summit is a very fun track, even being in my home state i have one been 3 times in the last 10 years.

The Zl1 was very good on the track for a shorter/tighter track. Temps stayed good with the trans as i paddle shifted it myself both days. The auto mode works very well but there are times its pulls a shift now and again that i don't like in certain areas. The more I get used to the car the more i like shifting because its more predictable. Best time day one was a 1:22.44 that was the sessions before noon. By the 4th session the best i could get the predictor to was mid to high 1:22's and 1:23's

Tom Chan from DSC was there and brought the DSC Sport controller for me to try, got it hooked up and ran the last open session day one with it. Conditions was worse on track than in the morning as it was hot and a bit more greasy on the factory tires. Predictive lap timer was showing high 1:21's to my surprise but only ended up with a 1:23.16 because of traffic, there is alot of traffic in the open session at the end of the day, session before was higher with 1:23's with the afternoon heat around 88 degrees but couldnt get the car down past the high 1:23s .

Day 2 I figured I would focus on getting into the 1:21's after seeing the predictor and was pretty sure i could get there. Sure enough first session in the morning on laps 4 and 5 as posted on the video was a 1:21.77 and the next lap a 1:21.46. For me the DSC Controller makes the car feel more planted and stable everywhere on track. It's not something that is a massive change in feel but you can feel it and it changes the dynamics. The largest thing it does is makes the car more stable and confidence inspiring, which means faster laps. It was around a second a lap faster with everything else being the same. That alone is a massive improvement on a 1:21 lap. The software and tuning capabilities are pretty amazing and something that you cant do with a mechanical suspension. There are plenty of videos of how it works or you can call the guys at DSC to explain it. Controller is still in my car so ill do some street driving and report back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVgL...ature=youtu.be

Stock tires? Looked to be prettt hooked up. Nice driving.

Yes stock tires and pads, motul 660 brake fluid and the dsc controller.

It was nice meeting you yesterday, I walked through the pits and talked to you for a minute about the car. I was with my wife and kids. We watched for a while from the grandstands after we spoke and the car looked pretty good on track. Pretty sure I have a video or two of your car passing by. PM me if you'd like a copy of it

Def. PM Sent, Sorry if we didnt get to talk much, but I was really busy all weekend instructing and driving 2 cars!!! Was on track every session both days.

Here is the AIM data below from the fastest lap with the stock magnaride controller and the dsc controller. The lap time difference was 1.34 faster with the dsc controller. For those who don't know what they are looking at this is an overlay of both laps, the black line is the stock controller the red line the dsc. The very bottom chart you will see the red line straight and the black line climbing, that is the areas where time is made between the two laps. In lat g's the dsc was higher by a difference of .19 g's right hand turns and .07 the left hand turns, which at summit there isn't many left hand turns. In Lon G's Braking was .07 g's higher and acceleration was .12 g's higher with the dsc. This not sounding like alot is quite a bit, it results in getting thru the turns faster and putting down the power sooner an nets a faster lap time. The DSC was ran on day 2 the temps both days was nearly equal and both of these fastest laps was ran on the second session around 11:30. Even as the day went on the DSC controller was faster in the afternoon sessions than the stock controller was in the afternoon sessions by around a second plus as the tires and track heated up even more.

[IMG]http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...psnwspejrk.jpg[/IMG]

The DSC Controller is the absolute best mod for the Corvette and Camaro. I love that you can have a really plush ride in tour mode and then turn it to track mode and have extremely stiff suspension. Also did you notice if the car was able to put power down better? A lot of the Z06 guys with the controller said they were able to get on the throttle much sooner and the felt like it could put power down better.

Car looks pretty hooked up. Have you noticed any positive/negative effects on the PTM modes or any changes in the balance of the car on mid corner and corner exit? I am curious if changes the actual balance of the car or ifs the same thing just now more stiffly sprung. Im considering the controller for my 1LE...

Side note: I love watching videos of that 10 speed at work. Very cool.

Do the on screen modes show differences with the new module? If so, which new mode did you run?

THIS is the info I've been waiting for. Lap times can vary for so many reasons but to see lateral forces plotted out of DSC vs. non-DSC is great data. I'd like to see more of this as more of these controllers are used before I decide to jump on one (vs going DSSV)

Were these both ran in the same driving mode? Great info, Thanks.

EDIT: Please cross post this to the suspension sub-forum.

Brilliant review, bravo! Great to hear it improves confidence right out of the box.

I do find it interesting however, it appears the DSC V2 settings are losing time in every braking zone. Any insight to that. Worst case, stock ZL1 settings can be applied to brake-centric aspects of the tune.

Another question: why is your braking g-force so low? Is this because of the stock pads?

I only ran in PTM Race Mode, the others for me are too intrusive, i never even tryed them at this track, only at Mid Ohio for a session or two get used to the car. As for the balance, the car is still sprung the same only seems to be dampened a bit different, In track mode its a bit more stiff, but the active suspension is doing different things to different shocks based on g load. Its very impressive. It can also be changed/tuned to suit what you like as a driver if needed.
The 10 speed is the reason i didnt go for a zl1 1le, and its faboulous! I think its one of the best items on the car in general and that is saying alot from a guy that always prefers manuals on track.

I was quite surprised at how this car puts down power anyways to the 305 rears with all that torque and hp, and with the dsc it seems to be better as in not quite as squirmy on exit.

Yes and Track/PTM Race

Both in Race mode i have both videos on the pdr as well, Dont know how to post it to both?

The DSC isnt losing time in the brake zones im actualy slowing down a bit more and more sharply as you can see in the steeper drop in the brake zone to sit the car up for exit. 1.02g was maximum braking which isnt to bad considering the weight of the car and the stock pads.

There's no special way to do it. You just post this in that sub forum also. Just create a new thread over there copy paste this info.

There's a PDR thread in the 1LE sub-forum. You can choose "quote" from any one of us that've posted PDR videos and it'll show the formatting needed to embed a YouTube video.

Thank you for your feedback. Also, holy crap you're on-track a lot! Do you have time for a day job? :smiling1: