Launch Control

[Clarkey]

That's the whole premise of launch control, to control the engine rpm to minimise slip at the wheels and maintain a constant state of traction until the car is fully moving. Without it, you're relying on your own throttle pedal modulation through the revs as you drop the clutch.

I've used the launch control in a BMW and all it does is dumps the clutch from a set rpm (DCT). It requires you to turn the traction control off to use it, and it will quite happily leave a fat number 11.

 

[DRZ]

I've used the launch control in a BMW and all it does is dumps the clutch from a set rpm (DCT). It requires you to turn the traction control off to use it, and it will quite happily leave a fat number 11.

It doesn't require you to turn it off, just to reduce the aggression. Sport+ doesn't turn it completely off, DSC won't allow you to spin etc in that mode but it does allow you to get well out of shape.

It can and will allow a certain amount of slip but it won't let you just sit there with the wheels smoking away behind you! It definitely does try to optimise things to get you moving, even if the wheels are slipping.

I'm sure I read somewhere that a certain percentage slip is desirable when launching as that's where maximum traction is attained. I could have dreamed that though...

 

[Lashout_UK]

I've used the launch control in a BMW and all it does is dumps the clutch from a set rpm (DCT). It requires you to turn the traction control off to use it, and it will quite happily leave a fat number 11.

I've found that - but only when launch control is improperly triggered. That's in an M3/M4, mind - very fiddly system.

 

[Howard]

I'm sure I read somewhere that a certain percentage slip is desirable when launching as that's where maximum traction is attained. I could have dreamed that though...

Makes sense tbh, if it bogs down due to too much grip or too intrusive a traction control system (like a regular modern car in OMGSAFETYFIRSTLOL mode) then you lose power for that brief moment.

 

[Clarkey]

Yeah I'm sure the old adage is 10% slip. To me it seems like it manages the throttle for a split second because the initial acceleration from a stop is quite impressive but after that it just lit the tyres off and went diagonally down the road just like a car without any TC. A gimmicky feature and too complicated to engage it for it to be any use apart from demo'ing it. If you punch the accelerator into the kickdown switch from a stop it will rev up the launch a bit anyway and take off nicely without faff.

 

[ianh]

I mainly use it as a reverse horn when there's someone sat up my backside, it generally pops and bangs rather a lot with spark cut (decat so it would spit flames would be more useful)

My de-catted R34 would pop out little flames (spark cut) but with the PowerFC hand commander I could force the ECU to dump fuel during the over-run and you'd get 2-4ft balls of flame out the back once the exhaust was warmed up (like a ghetto Flamer kit without propane or a spark plug in the exhaust). It was terrible for the engine so I only used it rarely but it was great for tailgaters!

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