ABS ON vs ABS OFF | What's Really the Difference?

We tested braking with and without ABS, with the same car, on the same surface, with the same driver - all to see what the real difference is. We also tested this in a straight line test, a curve braking test, and a braking lane change.

ABS systems are immensely effective in road cars now, but what happens when you disable this? Is the difference really that big?

Today we have set out three challenges to test this out. And I’m going to drive the same car, on the same surface, both with and without ABS - to see exactly what the difference is.

And to be honest - the difference really surprised me.

⭕ Superkart vs Ferrari 488 Pista
   • SUPERKART vs Ferrari 488 Pista | DRAG...  

⭕ No ABS Formula 1 Car vs Tesla Drag Race and Braking test!
   • Formula 1 Car v Tesla Model S | DRAG ...  

ABS is enormously clever, in that it extracts almost the maximum braking potential from the tyres - whilst not relying on the driver to control the grip.

I’m a pro-racing driver, and many of the race cars I’ve driven, like Formula 1 cars or Radicals, don’t have ABS. But despite this you can actually brake much more effectively than with ABS.

It’s called threshold-braking, and it’s where you aim to press the brake pedal as hard as possible, but whilst staying just below the threshold at which the tyre will lock up.

But the important difference here is that on a track, you do many many laps straight after one another. So you know the turn, and you know the grip level.

But what about on the road? If you’re taking a turn, you often haven’t driven it before. Or if you have, you don’t know the exact conditions at that point in time, or if there is now something in the way.

So ABS replicates a pro-driver, but on any surface, in any condition, irrespective of the driver’s skill. It’s very clever, so let me show you how it works.

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#ABS #ForScience #Engineering