I am in the market for an evo and I would like to get an evo rs but I am scared of driving a car without ABS. I have some questions for you guys.

How does it feel to drive the car without ABS? Can you guys stop faster in case of an EMS. How different is it from driving a car with abs?

I honestly lack the experience needed to drive a car without ABS just because I have never driven one and was wondering how you guys adapted to it. Did you guys go to a performance driving school?

My worst fear is driving my brand new rs and then slamming the brakes and locking the tires up and spinning off the road.

The evo would be used as a daily driver and I would be combatting snow during winter, so I think I would need abs. I would honestly rather save money and get the RS but am petrified of driving a car without abs.

Take care,

Matt

 

ABS does not work in the snow !! so no worries there..you just need to remember it has no ABS, it will still brake in a straight line just lock the wheels if you stamp on the pedal...go find an empty space and practice cadence braking. http://www.modernracer.com/tips/cadencebraking.html might help you.

Andy

 

Driving my RS and driving a car equipped with ABS feel no different to me.

I did do a driver training day a few years ago and was shown what to do when you lock up the brakes, and snice then i've gone and found some quiet back road and practiced locking up the brakes and recovering from that. That helped a lot.

I've snice done a track day and had no trouble dealing with locking up the brakes, so it was a good thing I went and did some practicing.

It just takes a bit of training on your part but it is worth it so you know what to do if you are put into a situation that you have to brake hard.

Love my RS and wouldn't think of getting a GSR in any model.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I used to live in the london too by the way.

Its currently 6:34 am and I can't sleep, but thank God for the world wide web.

 

You just need to practice. I love not having ABS. Truthfully that was one of the selling points for me buying an RS. I have had many cars without it. ABS is awful in the snow. I love being able to rotate the car with the brakes in the snow. Just take it out on some back roads and practice. ABS is good for people who panic and slam there foot to the floor.

 

Yeah, abs is only good for panic stops, If your a panic braker you'll probably need to learn not to slam the pedal down in panic situations, on the other hand you should learn to keep yourself out of panic situations in the first place. Dont ride the bumber of the person in front of you like most people do, give yourself a margin of saftey and you wont need to "panic" most of the time.

As a side note, the abs is not missed as much as it would be on a car with small skinny tires. An abs system works at the threshold where the tires loose grip, the Evo tires are so grippy that you will stop better than most cars with abs.

 

I have not noticed the lack of ABS driving on the street. I have not had to brake in an emergency yet. I have no doubt that I could brake in a shorter distance with ABS than without, especially in the wet. If ABS had been available for my RS I would have bought it. Lack of ABS has no effect on normal driving but I am aware of it when I have to brake hard.

If I were you, I would weigh the disadvantage of lack of ABS with the small advantages of lower price and lighter weight and make my decision. I wanted the RS 'cause I did not want a wing and I knew that the lack of ABS would not bother me. If you can live with a wing then the price difference and the slight weight difference should not stand in your way to get a GSR.

regards,
alan

 

It depends. When I'm out for a recreational drive, I love having brakes than I can modulate at the threshold. When I'm driving in heavy chicago traffic, in the rain, I really miss it. There are very few humans who can control the brakes as well as modern ABS systems. It takes training to keep yourself calm and composed during an emergency braking situation.

That being said, all evo VIIs have excellent brakes. They stop very, very well. I just make sure that I pay close attention to stopping distances ahead. Truthfully, the evo has made me a more aware driver. The one thing I do _not_ do is let other people drive my car in the rain. I'm usually very free with friends who want to take a spin in a crazy fast car. When the roads get slick, the only safe thing is to restrict driving to people who _really_ know what they are doing.

d

 

Matt...here's a thread I started in which I was looking for other RS owners too. I've sent PM's to a couple of these guys asking questions about the car and they're all cool.

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=110293

My personal preference would be an on/off ABS switch in the car, but I'm still plannning to get an RS. It's not a huge factor to me. I've owned a couple cars without ABS before and, if you take the time to familairize yourself with the car's limits, it can be a performance advantage. Another thing you lose though is Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD).

BTW...how hard would it be to add all of the ABS stuff from a GSR or MR to an RS anyways?

 

Haven't had a problem with my RS and have braked very hard in wet conditions. I have had many cars with ABS and have been in emergency stop situations, at no time was I ever able to make the ABS kick in (thumping or pulsing of the brake pedal). Then again I have had many cars without ABS and had no problems. However, if you are conditioned to mash the breaks as hard as you can in a panic stop, then you will have big problems because the Brembos bite hard and quick.

 

I think its going to be difficult for me to unteach myself not to mash the brakes in case of an emergency but I guess I could learn to not do it. Either way thanks for the input RS owners.


Thanks for digging up that thread you started Steiner.


Matt

 

i have had a 04 rs since june first
this car is the sheet .. couldnt be happier
didnt want wing / attention from auth.
car stops very good
if have other q's or concerns about getting this car pm and i will answer the best i can

 

Hi Matt,

The Evo's ABS sucks anyway. It's WAY too aggressive and comes on all the time. I wish I could disable it on my car. It's a major pain in the *** in the snow and on the track. I guess it might be helpful in the rain...but I'm not convinced.

Anyway, my advice would be to buy the RS and set aside a couple of hundred bucks to sign up for a few BMW CCA car control clinics ("skid schools") and track events. Once you learn how to drive properly (i.e., threshoild brake and brake in a straight line) you'll never miss ABS.

Emre

 

The last I heard it would be quite tough. Notice that the all evo VIIIs with ABS & front LSD also have ACD. I believe there's a mechanical reason for this.

d

 

I think the '05 Evo RS has ACD now too though, doesn't it?