What does sports mode do

At its simplest, it was pretty much a direct correlation: push the gas pedal down 20 percent of the way, and the throttle opens up 20 percent as far as it can, etc. By manipulating the linkages and cams, however, engineers could change this so that the car pushed proportionately more gas into the engine at the beginning of the pedal's travel — i. This relationship between the pedal and throttle position is known as the throttle map.

This, effectively, made the car feel peppier than a linear throttle map, as it took less force on the gas pedal to get the engine up to or at least closer to maximum power.

Most internal combustion engines make maximum horsepower at high rpm; by tweaking the gas pedal so its travel was effectively front-loaded, it meant the car would accelerate more quickly at anything less than half-throttle or so — the zone of pedal travel where real-world drivers spend most of their time.

The flipside, of course, is that pushing the pedal deeper into its travel produces proportionately less effect than it would otherwise — but for many people, the only time they push past half-throttle is to floor the gas, and that still produces the same result. Still, the relationship between gas pedal travel and throttle openings was always fixed: a certain amount of pressure from your right foot would always result in the same. Starting in the s, though, carmakers began to move over to electronic throttle control , sometimes known as drive by wire in reference to fly-by-wire systems used in airplanes.

In a car using ETC, there's no mechanical link between gas pedal and engine; instead, computers detect how far down the accelerator has been pressed, and use an electric motor to open the throttle and let fuel into the combustion chambers. Specifically, since it was all just computer programming, you could offer more than one program.

Additionally, using sport mode extensively may cause accelerated engine and tire wear in comparison to "traditional" mode. Of course, safety needs to be paramount regardless if you are driving in the sport mode or any other mode. For the best performance with and without sport mode, your car needs to be adequately equipped.

That being said, driving in sport mode on the wrong tires or worn tires is like training for a marathon while wearing flip-flops: you'll never achieve the best performance possible without changing that one critical element.

Tires developed for sport performance , like Bridgestone Potenza tires and Firestone Firehawk tires, are specially engineered with a tread pattern, shoulder stiffness, grip, and more that provide the handling, traction, and responsiveness required to get the most out of sport mode whether you're sticking to the streets or challenging yourself on the track.

As sedans, SUVs, and even minivans get sportier features — drivers have to make sure their tires are up to the task! Take your vehicle's sport mode to the next level with the right performance tires for your car. The pros at your local Firestone Complete Auto Care can help ensure you make the right choice. Blog Categories Blog Home. What is Sport Mode? However, it can use fuel more quickly as well. If your car is an automatic, then you probably know that it shifts at certain points automatically.

In a normal setting, your car will shift at the most optimal point for fuel efficiency and acceleration. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Driving. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. This website uses cookies to personalize your content including ads , and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here.

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