ironhead

I'm a fairly new owner of a Winning Blue RX8, and i wanted to know what is the best way of Launching a RX-8 to get the best accelleration from a stand still.

i've searched everywhere on these forums to find out good techniques, but haven't been very successful.

i read somewhere that dropping the cluthch at 5000Rpm is the best..
i'm a newbie when it comes to rear wheel drive cars, so do i completely dump the clutch? is wheel spin optimal? how much wheel spin? what is tyre hopping?? what can i do to avoid it?

do i leave traction control on?? do i hold the traction control button down for 10sec?? so many questions!!

i've seen some japanese videos, where the drivers have the handbrakes lifted up at the start.. i'm guessing so theres power at the wheels already?

i need all the help i can, don't want to embarass myself at the lights.. :D

HardHitter

Hm, if you're talking about just starting, you definatly do not need to launch at 5k. When I am just driving, I usually have my rpms around 2-3k and I slowly let out the clutch until it catches and then just drive off.

From the looks of it though, it seems as though you want a launch as if you're going to drag, with this car, you usually want to keep the revs high and then let out the clutch to where it catches and then keep adding gas. That's usually what I do, I don't want to totally drop the clutch because, well I don't know, I baby my 8 way too much, plus it's easy to wear your clutch that way. You want to try to get as little wheel spin as possible because the more your wheels spin, the less traction/time you have going. You basically need to find that "sweet spot" of the brink right before your tires spin and you'll have the perfect launch.

I've only really launched this car a couple times, and my best one felt great, no tire spin and I flew off the line with no rev drop, it felt good :-)

7andan8

I'm going to agree w/hardhitter. Dumping the clutch is a bit harsh. I would much rather ease the clutch out, but do it quick enough to get into the race. A long drawn out clutch release will have you reading someone else's license plate. 5k is a good area for your revs. Your tire quality will have a lot to do with wheel spin and wheel hop. Make sure the rubber is warmed up too, drive around a bit instead of punching it as you leave the neighborhood. I might suggest a couple of moderate starts it a parking lot (empty parking lot). Maybe even when it is raining or wet so as to get a feel for the car and the rear end spinning. You'll soon be addicted!

alderran

What you are doing will ruin the clutch a lot faster than a dump. Clutch dumping will ruin your transmission more than the clutch.

Normal driving you should let the clutch out asap. What I do is

1) get the car rolling slightly
2) let off the gas
3) let the clutch out completely
4) step on the gas again.

The only time I would use the hand brake with a manual would be on a steep incline. You can use the hand brake to hold the car then give it some gas and let out the clutch enough so that when you release the hand brake the car won't roll back.

Probably old news but normal driving don't downshift to slow the car. Brake pads are cheaper than a clutch.

FoxTypeR

You edited your post, but at any rate...

For a RWD car, the handbrake would be useless for a "brake torquing" proceedure or launch because the e-brake only applies the rear brakes. The whole idea is to keep the car in place while the rear wheels spin (also called a burnout), so you apply the regular brakes (to lock the front) and moderate the gas and brake so that your front wheels stay locked while your rear wheels spin freely. It's a great way to launch an automatic without traction control, but it puts excessive wear on your tires and brakes naturally. I used to do it every once in a while in my '94 Cougar.

KYLiquid

8500RPM, dump the clutch, and push the accelerator thru the floor!

thats how they get the fastest times in the magazines.

It will work, but it will be hell on the car for the 5k miles till the trany falls out or your LSD explodes from wheel hop!

Nubo

If you want to ruin a car, a old used vehicle would be cheaper.

beachdog

And clutches are cheaper than transmissions so don't dump the clutch.

alcimedes

If you want a car that launches off the line, you should have looked at a Vette or a Mustang. Don't really think the 8's a good car for straight line launches.

ironhead

Thanks for the replies guys, i was just looking for the best method to realize the maximum potential of the car. I know its not the fastest car, but its not that slow is it?!

so dumping is a no go... 5K slow clutch release..

QBallz

Save your car the agony all together and do 5mph rolling starts.

rotarygod

Not sure about the Renesis but with my old 13B I had to rev it to about 7000 rpm, say a prayer, and dump the clutch. When the redline buzzer went off, I slammed it into the next gear without using the clutch and without taking my foot off the gas!!! Don't know how many clutches I killed that way but I did have a run of 3 clutches in 3000 miles. That's how to abuse your car so don't do it that way. But it was the fastest way to get the car moving which is my answer to the original question.

ironhead

LOL! thanks for that Rotary God, but i think i'll have to pass on that option! :D

it looks like i'll be avoiding those traffic light drag situations from now on eh?

Traction control on or off?

youpey

traction control should be off. once the wheel spin happens the car will slow down significantly due to the traction control. obviously if it is raining or wet out this is a bad idea all together.

make sure you have broken in the engine first, dont mess with it at all if it is in the break in period.

icyur2

Just out of curiousity, when I'm at a stand-still, I build pressure by stepping on the gas pedal lightly and getting it to 2k-3k RPM, then slowly releasing the clutch. Is this bad? From what I'm reading, it sounds like what I'm doing is bad..I have to release the clutch faster? Basically, I step on the gas, release the clutch slowly @start, all the time slowly feeding more gas, as I change gear with the clutch being released more quickly than the initial start-up. Again, bad for clutch/transmission??

seymore15074

Alternatively, brake pads are becoming cheaper than gas... :o

youpey

the way things are going a new transmission is cheaper then a tank of gas

Brice-RX8

I am not sure why some of you are using 2-3k for normal takeoffs, from a stoplight on flat ground it only takes about 1500 rpms to get going. Anymore rpms than that seem unnecessary.

8is>enuff

I launch my 8 at 1000-1500 rpms. I like my clutch.

However, if I was launching your 8, I'd rev to about 7500-8000 and let it out as quickly as I could without bogging or generating too much wheelspin. I don't care about YOUR clutch. :p

wedge357

We all try to launch at around 1-1.5k rpm, but this car revs so fast that if you really pay attention you'll see that by the time you press the clutch pedal/pull the gear into second the rev needle have gone up a few hundred rpm more. In the morning I tend to rev a little higher to launch the car so I don't bog down. As the car (and my legs) warms up I shift at a lower rev range.

For a peppier launch use the 5k rpm launch. I use this when I'm doing my daily redlining so I get up to desired RPM quickly before the next stoplight.