Sport button - is it me?!

rhys, you're not the only one.

I was led to believe the sport button only stiffened up the electronic power steering so didn't bother touching it for over a week. In that time i'd actually been somewhat disappointed with the cars acceleration, after finally trying to the button to see if it made any difference I was glad to see it did.... thing takes off like a rocket with it switched on. I'm still not entirely sure how it works as if you put your foot to the floor in sport it's a lot faster than foot to the floor in normal mode so presumably the throttle or horespower is fairly limited in normal mode? Seems odd you have to flick the button tbh, would make more sense to be the default setting as i'm not sure you really save much fuel. Just got to remember to flick the button when you're at some 2 lane traffic lights so you don't get shown up.
 
Kiowan said:
rhys, you're not the only one.

I was led to believe the sport button only stiffened up the electronic power steering so didn't bother touching it for over a week. In that time i'd actually been somewhat disappointed with the cars acceleration, after finally trying to the button to see if it made any difference I was glad to see it did.... thing takes off like a rocket with it switched on. I'm still not entirely sure how it works as if you put your foot to the floor in sport it's a lot faster than foot to the floor in normal mode so presumably the throttle or horespower is fairly limited in normal mode? Seems odd you have to flick the button tbh, would make more sense to be the default setting as i'm not sure you really save much fuel. Just got to remember to flick the button when you're at some 2 lane traffic lights so you don't get shown up.
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Sadly you are much mistaken. The sport button as far as throtttle is concerned does nothing more than increases the sensitivity. It therefroe means that instead of taking the full range of movement from closed to WOT it does it in a narrow range. It does absolutely zero to the actual engine power or performance, but makes you feel it's quicker because your normal pedal movement gives greater throttle.

Of course it also reduced steering assitance and changes the gear change points on an auto.
 
So why is it definiately quicker foot the floor? I'm not talking about varying degrees of throttle but straight to 100%. I'm positive it's quicker because tbh if I foot to the floor in normal not much happens, do it in sport mode and it shoots off. This would imply that there is more to it than just making it a 'quick action' throttle, maybe foot to the floor in normal mode doesn't actually equal 100% throttle but the ECU slowly increases it to 100%?
 
Placebo effect is all I can offer you. WOT is WOT - no more power, nothing

If you drive an auto it will be quicke becaus eon those the gear changes are later up the rev range
 
The first time I had a test drive in a Zed (2.5si) I was disappointed coming from an S2000 but once I engaged 'sport' mode the car really delivered. I notice it more on the 'M' as the throttle is quite trigger sharp in 'sport' not reommended for a shopping trip to Tescos :)
 
cj10jeeper said:
Placebo effect is all I can offer you. WOT is WOT - no more power, nothing

If you drive an auto it will be quicke becaus eon those the gear changes are later up the rev range
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Hmmm, mine is a manual. I'm going to conduct a test, didn't think i'd imagined it. I'll pick a gear and accelerate with foot to the floor as quickly as possible in both modes at a set point and finish at another and compare speeds.
 
and when you have all finished with the sports button, have a play with the DTC button, that will definately give you a wake up
 
Taz x said:
and when you have all finished with the sports button, have a play with the DTC button, that will definately give you a wake up
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I had the back slide out in the dry one morning, cold bald tyres and roads so not surprising, I was shocked out how quickly the traction control pulled it back, it reacted before I did and i've been used to driving a tail happy American V8 with no traction control whatsoever, thing spent most of it's time in town going sideways even when actively trying not to. I had TC in my 530d but unless it was damp there was no way the back end on that was coming out, in the wet it did a good job though.
 
It feels like there is more power because the delivery is smoother with the button off. i.e. the pedal has more travel to reach WOT therefore the rate of change of acceleration is spread over a greater time period and the g force builds more gradually.

With the button on you hit WOT almost instantly and you experience the maximum change, not incrementally.
 
Has anyone who's owned more than one Zed noticed a difference in the Sport button on different models?

I had a '03 2.5i SE and the Sport button made a huge difference. The steering went from flappy and loose to much more taut and stiff, plus the remapping on the throttle made a big difference in sharpness.

Now I have a 3.0si '07, and tbh I don't really notice any difference on the Sport button. I have test driven another 3.0si and it was the same. The steering is already a lot stiffer on the 07 cars than early cars IMO, but I thought I would notice the throttle remapping like on the 2.5. However try as I might I really don't notice any significant difference?

cheers
 
davidro said:
Now I have a 3.0si '07, and tbh I don't really notice any difference on the Sport button. I have test driven another 3.0si and it was the same. The steering is already a lot stiffer on the 07 cars than early cars IMO, but I thought I would notice the throttle remapping like on the 2.5. However try as I might I really don't notice any significant difference?

cheers
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I have a 06 3.0si and notice a huge difference when the sport button is pressed, as you say, stiffer steering and much more responsive on the throttle
 
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