check your drift control setting . tires were still cold , pressure,in trac active dynamic,?
but yes, 710hp can do that.

 

Tires were not cold (more like medium cold) and psi at 30 on all fours. Didn’t know the drift settings. Was not in active dynamic. I didn’t think there would be 710hp being in normal driving mode. So when you WOT the car your rear end kicks out too?

 

That is definitely not good behavior
I would think if you were wot, the shift would produce the car stepping out not as you approached the redline.a violent shift in track mode can definitely cause the car to step out especially when the ground is “cold” and the tires below well warmed.
Damp conditions also can contribute to this action.
But, I would lose my shit if it happened to me as redline in third gear.....you were going fast

 

Your tires were probably not warmed up and you had no traction. Even with TC on the car will still step out.

 

What tires exactly?

Personally I always turn on active - and never run 'normal' or comfort powertrain unless you are only driving straight and want to save fuel. It makes the car too unresponsive to drive easily if you are going to use the power. 'Normal' or Comfort handling is OK, it just softens up the dampers.

Also check your settings - there's a menu point for the type of tires fitted. I have a feeling this has some effect on traction control settings. Choose the tire that is nearest to what you run.

Regrading pressures - if you are on standard P-Zeros (not the Corsa version) then you need to do two things:

1. increase warm pressure to about 32-33 PSI
2. buy better tires sooner rather than later.

 

The car has the P Zero Corsa. The pressure was 29-30psi cold, so I think it would be 32 psi when warmed up. I think restosud may have the correct answer about the drifting settings, I will need to check on that. Is there a good place/source to show tips and tricks on the 720s?

 

you will get max hp in normal mode and esc keeps it all in check for the most part as long as tires will allow.
what yours did sounds like normal behavior. warmer tires make a tremendous difference.

 

I think without 'active on' the car defaults to sport/sport anyway - I don't really see the point of ever driving without active on and the aero active.

I drive most of the time in P: Sport and H: Comfort - but switch to H: Sport on the Autobahn.

Race/Race is best for smooth tracks.

 

One that got me (twice now) is passing on a road where the center line has those frump frump divots dug into the centerline. Once the tires hit those, they break traction. So, watch out and pass with a little less power.

 

probably tires too cold... be careful.

 

I agree the tires were too cold. This is a serious car you have to be aware of conditions. You don't just get to smash it any time you want without consequences.
If you turn it to race mode it will tell you if the tires are warm or not. You don't have to keep it there it just gives you more information.

Good luck and be careful.

 

Hammond played with the drift settings at 38 about a third of the way here,

But I saw somewhere that 5 was recommended for most driving conditions.

 

Go get a superbike, come back to 720S and read this joke:

Moishe has a problem, so like any good chassid, he goes to visit his Rebbe.
Moishe: Rebbe, my apartment is very crowded. Besides me and my wife, there are also my children and my mother-in-law. I don't have enough room! What should I do?
Rebbe: Bring a goat into the house and let him live with you.
Moishe: But Rebbe, there's no room for a goat.
Rebbe: Bring a goat in the house, I tell you!
In a month's time, Moishe returns to the Rebbe.
Moishe: Rebbe, things are much worse now. With the goat in the apartment there is no place to move.
Rebbe: So get rid of the goat!
The next day, Moishe returns to Rebbe smiling.
Moishe: Thank you, thank you Rebbe. All of the sudden, our apartment is huge.

Our cars are high powered lightweight RWD cars, dont forget that, 720hp alone on a heavy E63S, M5 or even 992TTS with 4x4 won't be the same. You have to be careful on the low grip surfaces (paint, dirty road, etc) especially when the tires are cold, I don't think there is anything wrong with the car, maybe get some better tires and warm them up a bit before pushing.

 

Should have got rid of the mother-in-law before the goat

 

....I might even ditch the wife before the goat. of course that can get expensive...LOL.

 

FWIW, the car can always step out before TC kicks in. How far did it step out? I mean was it a full on sideways drift or would a little lift correct the issue?

 

I don't understand what most of you guys are talking about regarding grip. Traction control is for controlling traction. That's like saying "oh yeah, you can't count on traction control in the rain". Then why does it exist?

Having said that, manufacturers can't seem to figure out how to make traction control (or stability control) that works, and it makes for scary times when it fails to do its job.

 

Coming from high-HP cars and superbikes, traction control is in your right foot/right wrist.

IMO, a lot of people need to learn to control the car/bike instead of relying on computer nannies to keep you safe.

 

What Anthony Said above. You have to learn car control, which is no small task in a car with over 700 HP. Today's cars have so much power, it's important to learn car control, counter steer and other measures. It's worth taking a high performance driving class if you haven't.

Now, Traction Control is and still should be there for those "oh sh*t" moments. Personally, I think McLaren's TC is the best I've ever seen, and I've driven a good assortment of supercars. I think McLaren using race experience has the most well balanced and least intrusive system I've ever driven.