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      07-06-2018, 11:28 AM   #1
grinchmas
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Difference between Traction and Sport mode on track

I've been running my past few events in Sport mode since this car is my introduction to track driving and I'd like to keep her in one piece
I've been wondering what difference switching to Traction mode would make? Just from reading the description that pops up when activated, it says something along the lines of "Optimal traction with limited stability control".
There's been a couple times that I could feel the DSC stepping in to keep the rear end from sliding out, so would switching to Traction loosen up the rear end a bit but still keep the tires from spinning when power is added to quickly?
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      07-06-2018, 04:11 PM   #2
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There’s a lot of discussion on this in the forum if you search. You should run in Traction (MDM) mode or DSC completely off.
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      07-06-2018, 07:29 PM   #3
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In Advanced M School they have the students drive the M2 in sport plus and then on the second day with all nannies off. Sport plus will allow the car to step out a bit but the stability control systems are going to set things straight by cutting power and braking on one corner of the car until the computer is happy. That is likely the sensation you are feeling more so than loss of traction (conditions vary of course).

Driving with all nannies off is the best way to know exactly what your car is doing for you but that comes with risks of course so probably best to not do so until you have a fair amount of experience. Guys will talk about how these nannies are interfering with their driving, yes they are. If goal number 1 is to bring your car home in one piece that is not a bad thing. Driving a better line, better braking etc will result in less intervention. When I went to Cup 2 tires the nannies stopped barking at me almost entirely because those tires provide tremendous traction.
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      07-06-2018, 08:29 PM   #4
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Sport plus is the absolute worse track mode, IMO. The steering, throttle, and shifts are too abrupt. It definitely doesn’t let you focus on being smooth on track.

This is why BMW tunes MDM mode with Comfort throttle and steering response, while making the up/down shifts extremely smooth and fast (if you’re DCT). You want the less responsive steering and throttle settings while you’re at the limit mid-corner.

This said, the M2 is so balanced even a relatively new track driver will find MDM mode and even Euro MDM a hindrance after some outings.

I don’t even like the Sport settings in DSC off (much less Sport+), so I’m going to try the M4 GTS MDM and M2 CS steering coding soon for MDM mode.
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      07-08-2018, 03:24 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
Sport plus is the absolute worse track mode, IMO. The steering, throttle, and shifts are too abrupt. It definitely doesn’t let you focus on being smooth on track.

This is why BMW tunes MDM mode with Comfort throttle and steering response, while making the up/down shifts extremely smooth and fast (if you’re DCT). You want the less responsive steering and throttle settings while you’re at the limit mid-corner.

This said, the M2 is so balanced even a relatively new track driver will find MDM mode and even Euro MDM a hindrance after some outings.

I don’t even like the Sport settings in DSC off (much less Sport+), so I’m going to try the M4 GTS MDM and M2 CS steering coding soon for MDM mode.
I wish MDM mode had sport throttle and steering. From what I've heard, sport throttle is the closest to a 1:1 mapping (not sure how true this is, but it's definitely the most comfortable for me). My compromise is to drive in sport+, and I think I'll try that out on the track soon, but the throttle is definitely too touchy so I don't know how long I'll stay in that mode.

I think BM3 can actually modify each mode's throttle mapping, so maybe when my warranty runs out or if I give in an get a tune that would be a feasible option...
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      07-08-2018, 09:31 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eeyang92 View Post
I wish MDM mode had sport throttle and steering. From what I've heard, sport throttle is the closest to a 1:1 mapping (not sure how true this is, but it's definitely the most comfortable for me). My compromise is to drive in sport+, and I think I'll try that out on the track soon, but the throttle is definitely too touchy so I don't know how long I'll stay in that mode.

I think BM3 can actually modify each mode's throttle mapping, so maybe when my warranty runs out or if I give in an get a tune that would be a feasible option...
The Sport settings in DSC off are definitely better than the Sport+ settings. Once you really start driving the car constantly on the edge, you’ll find the Comfort settings in MDM mode more desirable. You can modulate the throttle and steering much more finitely, especially on fast & flowing tracks where you’re always striving for a four wheel drift around the corners.

But, DSC will kick on in MDM mode, which I find actually unsettles the car more than helps, so that sucks and is why I’ll try the GTS coding soon.

If you’re trying to find the limits while having safeties, I’d go MDM mode, then code for Euro MDM, then DSC off once you’re comfortable with the car. The car is so easy to drive at the limit with DSC off, you’ll wonder why you didn’t just start there.
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      07-08-2018, 02:35 PM   #7
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Yeah, I haven't messed with Sport+ on the track because its a bit too twitchy even on the street for me. I'll probably run MDM at my next event and see how it goes!
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      07-15-2018, 09:20 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreatWhiteM2 View Post
I have the M4 GTS MDM mode flash and the M2 CS steering flashed.

Let me warn you now, I now call MDM mode suicide mode :

You will have to learn the characteristics of MDM all over again. Drive it like the standard MDM mode and you will stack your car. Im running Cup2's and she will drift sideways all day long without the nannies kicking in now. Zero hint of power cutting when in MDM mode now. Coming out of bends you can lay down two black lines of black rubber no problem if you get heavy footed with the accelerator too and Sport+ is almost identical to MDM mode now also. Much more slip without the nannies kicking in.

She is great fun though, very playfull if needed.
That sounds great to me. I usually run DSC off on track and MDM on street. Even Euro MDM has too much intervention.

Has M4 GTS MDM actually kicked in to straighten you up on the street? How do you like the CS steering coding?
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      07-19-2018, 09:54 PM   #9
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Wait, when you guys are talking about MDM mode, are you guys referring to just regular sport mode? I'm sorry. I just got my m2 and i'm a bit new to the BMW terminology here.
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      07-19-2018, 10:14 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
Wait, when you guys are talking about MDM mode, are you guys referring to just regular sport mode? I'm sorry. I just got my m2 and i'm a bit new to the BMW terminology here.
Nope. Traction mode and MDM mode are the same. It’s when you do a single press on the DSC off button.
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      07-20-2018, 02:42 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
Nope. Traction mode and MDM mode are the same. It’s when you do a single press on the DSC off button.
Sorry. I'm still confused. lol.

The car basically has 4 modes right?

Comfort
Sport
Sport Plus
DSC Off

Which mode are you using on track? And what mode are you using on the street?
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      07-20-2018, 07:24 AM   #12
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There's 5 modes:
Comfort (rocker selector)
Sport (rocker selector)
Sport Plus (rocker selector)
Traction/MDM (single push of the DSC off button)
DSC Off (press and hold DSC off button)
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      07-20-2018, 07:27 AM   #13
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There’s another mode, read the manual. I use DSC off on track and Traction/MDM on the street.
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      07-20-2018, 09:20 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
Wait, when you guys are talking about MDM mode, are you guys referring to just regular sport mode? I'm sorry. I just got my m2 and i'm a bit new to the BMW terminology here.
Single press the DSC button to get into MDM/Traction mode. Sport+ also shares the same reduced nannies as MDM/traction mode.


Nannies besides ABS and the e-differential doing its thing are off if you hold the DSC button.
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      07-21-2018, 04:06 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akkando View Post
Single press the DSC button to get into MDM/Traction mode. Sport+ also shares the same reduced nannies as MDM/traction mode.


Nannies besides ABS and the e-differential doing its thing are off if you hold the DSC button.
ok thanks for the explanation guys. I wonder why BMW did it like that. Anyways... what's the difference between MDM and sport plus?
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      07-21-2018, 09:45 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by akkando View Post
Single press the DSC button to get into MDM/Traction mode. Sport+ also shares the same reduced nannies as MDM/traction mode.


Nannies besides ABS and the e-differential doing its thing are off if you hold the DSC button.
ok thanks for the explanation guys. I wonder why BMW did it like that. Anyways... what's the difference between MDM and sport plus?
sport+ has more sensitive throttle response and the steering wheel gets heavier.

If you have DCT the shifts are much harder in sport+ when accelerating and can feel like it might upset the car. In MDM/traction mode the shifts are fast and crisp but not hard. same as regular sport. comfort mode shifts are smooth but slow. Note that in sport+ it's making the prediction you're intending to drive fast so it makes assumption that at low rpm your next shift will be down, and high rpm will be up. It can shift slow if you upshift at like 3k rpm because it thinks if you wanted to go up a gear next you would have accelerated more and been 4k+ rpm before you upshift.

Also if you have DCT and drive in automatic mode it will hold gears staying at higher rpmd longer in sport+ compared to MDM/traction.

There are also more pops and bangs from the exhaust in MDM/traction mode compared to sport+
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      07-21-2018, 11:22 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akkando View Post
sport+ has more sensitive throttle response and the steering wheel gets heavier.

If you have DCT the shifts are much harder in sport+ when accelerating and can feel like it might upset the car. In MDM/traction mode the shifts are fast and crisp but not hard. same as regular sport. comfort mode shifts are smooth but slow. Note that in sport+ it's making the prediction you're intending to drive fast so it makes assumption that at low rpm your next shift will be down, and high rpm will be up. It can shift slow if you upshift at like 3k rpm because it thinks if you wanted to go up a gear next you would have accelerated more and been 4k+ rpm before you upshift.

Also if you have DCT and drive in automatic mode it will hold gears staying at higher rpmd longer in sport+ compared to MDM/traction.

There are also more pops and bangs from the exhaust in MDM/traction mode compared to sport+
I have a DCT.

Is it better to drive on track in MDM mode?
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      07-21-2018, 11:52 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
I have a DCT.

Is it better to drive on track in MDM mode?
Absolutely. Sport+ is terrible on track.
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      07-21-2018, 12:03 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
Absolutely. Sport+ is terrible on track.
And if i wanted to do an insane of drifts...? I'm guessing that's what DSC off is for.
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      07-21-2018, 12:07 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZM2 View Post
Absolutely. Sport+ is terrible on track.
And if i wanted to do an insane of drifts...? I'm guessing that's what DSC off is for.
Yes. Many prefer DSC off for regular track driving as well as they feel the nannies kick in too early with MDM. If you're not an experienced track driver though I would learn the car in MDM before DSC off.
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      07-21-2018, 12:10 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akkando View Post
Yes. Many prefer DSC off for regular track driving as well as they feel the nannies kick in too early with MDM. If you're not an experienced track driver though I would learn the car in MDM before DSC off.
Got it. I'm a semi experienced track driver, but definitely new to this platform so I'll stick with my nannies before i go DSC off. haha.

I was driving in sport plus mode and it felt like I couldn't even get out of the corner cause it just kept cutting power.
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      07-21-2018, 12:31 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipeefreely View Post
Got it. I'm a semi experienced track driver, but definitely new to this platform so I'll stick with my nannies before i go DSC off. haha.

I was driving in sport plus mode and it felt like I couldn't even get out of the corner cause it just kept cutting power.
MDM will still kick in TC, but you can code Euro MDM for more slip. Euro still kicks in too much for me, so I run DSC off. Although, I’m coding M4 GTS MDM this weekend and will try that at the track next weekend.

Last edited by ZM2; 07-22-2018 at 10:14 AM..
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