Best way to launch a car without destroying it?

[Ultima]

Supposedly the "best" way to launch a car is to rev it to the redline and drop the clutch. At least, that's what appears to be the general consensus. Now, well this may work on cars built for racing, I'd imagine that doing this would place tremendous stress on the clutch, tranny, and engine of your everyday car. I wouldn't be surprised if you busted your transmission doing this.

Now, what if you shifted into first, held the brakes and revved the engine as much as you could as long as the brakes held you steady. When it's time to go, release the brakes? Now, what would be the advantages/disadvantages of doing this?

One last thing: How do you go about launching an AWD car?

Anyway, feel free to post your opinions, I'm a newbie when it comes to the automotive world

 

[punkrawket]

<< Now, what if you shifted into first, held the brakes and revved the engine as much as you could as long as the brakes held you steady >>

how many feet do you have??? that's some feat

 

[Thegonagle]

The procedure is the same for all drivetrains: a ramp angled upward. If you want the car to go further, place the ramp at the edge of a tall cliff.

 

[Viper GTS]

Presuming that you didn't drop your drivetrain & you didn't have wheelspin, dropping the clutch at peak power will result in the best launch.

AWD cars are notoriously easy to launch - no wheelspin. Got an Eclipse GSX? Rev & drop the clutch.

Of course it is awfully rough on the vehicle.

Viper GTS

 

[Ameesh]

evil canievli jumped over 10 school buses!

 

[Zenmervolt]

Road & Track generally launches using trial and error until they start to get wheelspin with a manual, or they power brake an automatic until 1,500 RPM. You should NEVER do a neutral drop with an automatic transmission, an automatic does not handle this like a manual handles a clutch dump. If you are holding the brake on an automatic, I would never go past 2,000 RPM with the brakes on under any circumstances, and I would try to avoid any such starts altogether. The most mechanically friendly way to launch an automatic equipped car is to simple floor the accelerator without holding the brake.

ZV

 

[worth]

You mean Evil Knievel? He's not Italian, you know

 

[EagleKeeper]

Weld a launch hook onto the front frame.
Position auto in front of blast shield.
Get nuke carrier going 30+ knots into wind.
Ignore the brakes
Let out the clutch
Rev the engine
Signal the launch officer when engine redlines

Vola - 150 knot car in under 4 seconds.

PS - make sure you can swim

 

[Haircut]

<< You mean Evil Knievel? He's not Italian, you know >>



You mean Evel Knievel? He's not Satan, you know

 

[Keego]

who cares who he is, he's a stunt man

 

[piku]

Lemme guess - you just got a WRX and you wanna race it.

 

[Ultima]

I should specify that I mean manual transmission ONLY
As for my brake suggestion, that would be shifting into first, THEN holding the brakes and accelerating. Would this be more mechanically sound than dropping the clutch? I really wouldn't like a $1000 repair bill to replace the transmission



<< Supposedly the "best" way to launch a car is to rev it to the redline and drop the clutch. At least, that's what appears to be the general consensus. Now, well this may work on cars built for racing, I'd imagine that doing this would place tremendous stress on the clutch, tranny, and engine of your everyday car. I wouldn't be surprised if you busted your transmission doing this.

Now, what if you shifted into first, held the brakes and revved the engine as much as you could as long as the brakes held you steady. When it's time to go, release the brakes? Now, what would be the advantages/disadvantages of doing this?

One last thing: How do you go about launching an AWD car?

Anyway, feel free to post your opinions, I'm a newbie when it comes to the automotive world >>