Sport +

[Ron240]

I was coming home from work today and a Fiesta driver was being irritating by continually catching up with me and sitting on my bumber. It wasnt even an ST model so I decided to put them in their place coming off a roundabout onto a mile long dual carriageway section before the next roundabout, so put my drive mode into Sport to be ready.
Traffic was light so I was able to put my foot down and as expected left them standing, then point proved I put the drive back into Comfort...or so I thought anyway.
Slowing for the next roundabout my car started to change down aggressively which was accompanied by pops and bangs which had me initially wondering what was going on.
I looked at the dashboard and Sport + was showing as the drive mode which surprised me as I wasnt even aware my car had this. I had obviously selected this by mistake by clicking the wrong way on the drive select button.
I dont know why anybody would choose to drive around like this all the time with their cars exhaust popping and banging, but some people clearly do because I hear it often.
I have experienced it now so thats enough...but I might check my handbook to see if Sport + mode offers anything else over Sport apart from the pops and bangs.

 

[00slk]

I bet you didn't see Fiesta driver again.
Sport+ will say in the manual......'serious driving only'

 

[mioba]

Glad you let off some man steam OP

 

[Srdl]

I used Sport+ last September, for the first and only time, to keep up with a BMW X3 M40i going up Mont Ventoux in France. I can’t say I noticed pops and bangs but it did make a lovely noise and I really liked the way it blipped the throttle for me as it changed down for corners.

 

[Wighty]

I can’t believe someone hasn’t ever read the manual

 

[A.J.]

I can’t believe someone hasn’t ever read the manual

I haven’t, makes very boring reading and not always easy to understand. Rather discover things by experiment

 

[Ron240]

I can’t believe someone hasn’t ever read the manual

I did with my previous CLA because it was all new to me, but this new one I felt instantly familiar and at home in and the the manual for this car is identical so I havent bothered so much.
Having said that it does come with a 45 page AMG specific supplement that lists all the differences.

 

[DSK]

Not sure what would have changed in the modes but the 2010 E63 I tried, it was just nonsense in anything above sport.

Anything above was just for show offs in my book as it made the the throttle an on/off button meaning you can’t ‘drive’ the car with precision.

I do like old school pops and crackles e.g Ferrari F40/50 etc (now that’s a crackle and pop!). A chap on the next street has an aventador driven daily and whilst it’s LOUD and crackles even the OAP’s around our way approve of it but, we get annoyed at all the boy racer hot hatch stuff that pops and crackles after market which is just plain annoying in comparison.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rorywquin]

....h...but I might check my handbook to see if Sport + mode offers anything else over Sport apart from the pops and bangs.

Reduced safety e.g. less traction control / esp with more aggressive gearing etc.....

 

[eman]

There’s a trial going on in London somewhere with decibel readers and cameras. Its caught quite a few so far and like anything else they’ll be in a town near you very soon. This came off one of the motoring web sites so will be legit. Think it mentioned 72db as the limit and they’ve been catching some in the 100+.

 

[Ron240]

I decided to drive home from work today in Sport + right from the start to see what difference it made to my journey.
It was a fairly short journey of only 6 miles with most of it being dual carriageway.
In the standard Comfort mode only the passenger side exhaust is working. I have read that the drivers side opens up when the engine is properly warm but I am not so sure about this. In Sport + mode both exhausts are open from cold and unsurprisingly have a deeper more aggressive sound.
Driving the car normally it immediately felt different...delayed upshifts and quicker downshifts plus instant response to the throttle which was the most noticeable thing.
Cruising at up to 78mph on the dual carriageway my car refused to go into 7th gear. I manually changed up but it quickly changed back down again.
My normal fuel consumption for this journey is around 30mpg but today I got 25mpg.

I have done my experiment now and will rarely if ever use this mode again.

 

[rorywquin]

There’s a trial going on in London somewhere with decibel readers and cameras. Its caught quite a few so far and like anything else they’ll be in a town near you very soon. This came off one of the motoring web sites so will be legit. Think it mentioned 72db as the limit and they’ve been catching some in the 100+.

72db at what distance? It is an exponential scale & 72 db is not that loud. I was a member at a model RC plane club where our planning permit restricted our IC engines / prop noise to 72db & 2m (IIRC).

 

[rf065]

I decided to drive home from work today in Sport + right from the start to see what difference it made to my journey.
It was a fairly short journey of only 6 miles with most of it being dual carriageway.
In the standard Comfort mode only the passenger side exhaust is working. I have read that the drivers side opens up when the engine is properly warm but I am not so sure about this. In Sport + mode both exhausts are open from cold and unsurprisingly have a deeper more aggressive sound.
Driving the car normally it immediately felt different...delayed upshifts and quicker downshifts plus instant response to the throttle which was the most noticeable thing.
Cruising at up to 78mph on the dual carriageway my car refused to go into 7th gear. I manually changed up but it quickly changed back down again.
My normal fuel consumption for this journey is around 30mpg but today I got 25mpg.

I have done my experiment now and will rarely if ever use this mode again.

My SLC300 is exactly the same and also has the engine noise played through the speakers inside the car.
Like you, I've tried it, but it's not for me.

 

[SquabzZz]

Sport+ is the best setting
Usually my car is in either comfort or sport+
Always in comfort when engine and gearbox are cold. Or just for normal cruising & sport+ for a spirited drive. Usually skip straight pass sport

 

[Ron240]

Regarding what I mentioned earlier about only one of my exhausts working when in comfort mode...
I have read that this happens when the engine is cold and when up to temperature the drivers side exhaust will be opened up.
I put this to the test yesterday when I done a 55 mile hour plus long journey and when I touched the exhaust pipe it was cold, so this confirms that only the passenger side exhaust is active in the default comfort mode on all AMG 35 models.
I wonder what the reasons behind this are?

 

[Blobcat]

Regarding what I mentioned earlier about only one of my exhausts working when in comfort mode...
I have read that this happens when the engine is cold and when up to temperature the drivers side exhaust will be opened up.
I put this to the test yesterday when I done a 55 mile hour plus long journey and when I touched the exhaust pipe it was cold, so this confirms that only the passenger side exhaust is active in the default comfort mode on all AMG 35 models.
I wonder what the reasons behind this are?

So you can do an emissions test in the drivers side exhaust and pass…

 

[Ron240]

Just to add one last thing on the subject...
I was away over the weekend staying at my friends house, left yesterday and returned today with a round trip journey of 110 miles.
Before I left yesterday my range was showing as 167 miles then when I returned today it was showing 147 miles.
I certainly couldn't have achieved that in Sport + mode.
Sport + does have its place, but only in very small doses for me.

 

[rf065]

Sport + does have its place, but only in very small doses for me.

On mine, Sport+ means traction control cutting in pulling out of junctions without even trying, more noise from the exhaust (and car stereo), and generally a more manic type of journey. If I was on a track day it would be perfect, but for normal driving its just too much.

 

[Ron240]

On mine, Sport+ means traction control cutting in pulling out of junctions without even trying, more noise from the exhaust (and car stereo), and generally a more manic type of journey. If I was on a track day it would be perfect, but for normal driving its just too much.

I agree with you about it being a more manic drive, and it is too much for me also.
I am surprised about what you say regarding traction control because I would have expected its influence to he reduced in sport modes?
What car do you have please?
I did look at your profile but could find anything because I (maybe mistakenly) thought that Sport + mode is only on AMG models?

 

[rf065]

I agree with you about it being a more manic drive, and it is too much for me also.
I am surprised about what you say regarding traction control because I would have expected its influence to he reduced in sport modes?
What car do you have please?
I did look at your profile but could find anything because I (maybe mistakenly) thought that Sport + mode is only on AMG models?

I'm referring to the SLC300, sport+ alters the throttle openings to the extent that even a gentle opening of the throttle produces almost maximum power, meaning that any exit from a junction produces wheel spin and the traction control having to kick in.
It's not just an AMG thing, both of mine have Sport+ options and they're only AMG line models.