Ok, just for fun I thought I would try to do a 0 - 60 mph run with PSM on. I have a 997.1, CS Cab Manual. Getting onto a highway from a stop sign, I reved to around 5,000 rpms, let the clutch out and essentially had a slight wheel hop - may have been PSM kicking in but no lights came on. Shifted smoothly to second and then as I was approaching 60 hit third. Then once at sixty backed off. Exited a few miles later at destination and the stench from the molten tires was pretty bad. I have Conti's which came with the car.

If you need or have the desire to "launch" from a stop - what's the best way to do it?

 

I have NO technique for you on this...but that smell.......probably was the clutch!

That may have been your most expensive launch yet,you have alot more 'guts' than I do,LOL!!!
Have fun and be safe!


Stacy

 

I don't launch my car either, it is a sure way to wear out the clutch quickly!

I would agree with Stacy, the smell isn't going to be from the tires, it is your clutch.

 

Wow! I wouldn't do it to my car either...

One thing I would like to mention is that these cars don't come with LSD as standard, so you should be a little careful. Also I would try to launch at 3,500 RPM or around there, would be a lot easier on your clutch.

 

Guy who gave me co-rides in his '07 GT3 at auto-x did that several times with me and does it on his own, as well as many other people do it.
Clutch will be OK if you will not just drop it from its lowest position - it has to be hair off from engaging point, it is easy to do when you roll into starting position - to stop you foot right when you lost clutch traction then slowly touch it up to feel where it has to be stopped. Then full throttle and drop it.

Smell from melted tires - gosh, easy. PS2 melt like butter after such kick start - real axle will be kangarooing first 6ft then you`ll feel how your *** 'floats' left and right - because tires are melted. You need to have R comp in rear to benefit from this trick - hoosiers just get to right temperature after this and it results in better lap time. Usual street tires just get destroyed.

 

Everyone, this is great advice all the way around! I really appreciate it, and will leave these quick starts to the person next to me in the Mustang (not that there's anything wrong with a Mustang).

 

These cars are made to be driven hard. You should still be able to reliably 0-60 your car...and not worry too much about the clutch. Definitely warm up your car first and drive it a bit, before you excercise it through the gears.

The clutch will burn a little on hard 0-60/100...but the assembly will last much longer if you work a little on timing. I find that I tend to engage at the right point on early gears...but disengage and lag at the wrong RPMs. When I rip through my first 3 or 4 gears...it sometimes feels a little choppy (lurches a bit) and I'm not happy with my performance.

See if you can do some laps with someone that club races. Nothing beats riding with an instructor or seasoned GT3 guy. Some instructors can go through the gears with such finesse that it feels almost like a 7speed lexus.

After 2 decades, I still don't have it perfect: There is always room to improve. (Much like golf).

 

These cars are meant to be driven hard but not to be abused. To pop the clutch at 5kRPM is abuse. Not only the clutch but rear axles/joints/tranny. I used to launch my 996C4 smoothly engaging the clutch at 1kRPM and my 0-60 time was very close to the factory spec... No abuse, great performance.

 

Car and Driver method.

 

Ooops.... I just re-read the start of the thread---You are lifting the clutch at 5,000? Don't do it too often. Try 'launching' at a slightly lower RPM....but the rest on timing and taking laps with instructors still apply.

RJ

 

I agree. I leave the drop-clutch starts to magazine editors and just thinking about them is why I didn't buy a car from the demo fleet, despite the warranty. Cindy and I get around 90,000 on our clutches, and short clutch life is just a visible symptom of the stress you put on the entire drive train with starts like that.

Personally, I find that I can beat most people from a standing start without abusing the drive train. I use moderate throttle for the first half second until I can get the clutch fully engaged the normal way. Then I roll in full power over a further half second. This doubtless gives up a second to someone who knows how to do a magazine start, but very few people really do. Practicing it uses up cars. Honestly it doesn't come up often. I don't remember CalClub track days ever including acceleration runs, though I'm sure there have been a few. And drag runs are definitely not for the street. That's why we built dragstrips back in the fifties for people who enjoy the sport. Putting two cars in the same performance class as a 911 on a city street at full power is terrible public relations for all owners of exotics.

Given a choice, I prefer cars with close-ratio gearboxes, which means second gear reaches to 70 or 75 on a street car. For an impressive run to that low a speed, sixty I mean, you need second gear to reach the power peak shortly before reaching sixty and that means it is not as useful a gear for everyday purposes, let alone a race track event. On most tracks, my Formula Ford was geared to reach 80 mph. In first gear. It could reach the redline in four seconds geared that way I was told, but I never cared to damage the drive line proving it.

Gotta run. Will prove later,