Fast start off the line in a 360 F1?

I am interested in this as well. I have gotten a bit better at it by turning off the ASR. Having the ASR off gives faster take-offs. I drove most of the time now with the ASR off. The ASR makes the car not so much fun.

I had thought about revving it up to 2 or 3 thousand rpm in neutral, then shifting into first, but I would like to hear from some other people who know better.

 

Thats the best way to do a big tire smoking burnout but is is not by any means the best way to do a fast start.

Which are you interested in doing, a fast start or smoke the tires?

 

I don't know about a F1 but I recently took my manual car to a drag strip and got to play with the drag launch techniques. In a 6 speed the fastest way is to launch at low 1200 rpm. I got my best time of the day with that style of launch. I tried 2500 launch and 3500 launch and it bogged and the 60-ft time was slower. If I was Road and Track and didn't care about the car I would have did a 5k or 6k launch and I'm sure I would have been much faster. At that level somethings going to break. My best time was 13.07 and that was with a poor 2.2 60ft time. I was trying to get into 12's to save face but I got slower 60ft times with the higher rpm launch. ( I wasn't dropping the clutch just letting it out quickly) 2 Porsche 997 tt's where smokin off 10's and 11's all day.

I understand its not a drag car and thats why I didn't push it anymore and I won't take it to the dragstrip again. It was fun but I can attest its not made for dragracing. Next time I'll bring something else to the track.

 

When I had my 360, I decided to see what would happen if you switch off traction control and mash the gas pedal to the floor.

This is what happens... I had to lift for fear of leaving another $100 worth of rubber on the ground.
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I've got an old road & track book and they got the best times with a stickshift '99 dropping the clutch at 4,100 rpm. Don't get me wrong- I would never do that with my car....not even once. I'm surprised swilliams found 1,200 to be the best (unless as he says in the post he didn't want to go higher like the magazine testers.

I would think twice before doing these starts with the F1- it just seems so abusive to the clutch...you'll be replacing it at 5,000 miles!

Now, if I could get my beetle on a drag strip I'd like to see what that could do....48 horsepower...doesn't sound like much but it's a torque monster at 75 ft lbs- top end is 80 mph (with no uphill or wind and no extra passenger weight)

 

That's a good way to find the weakest link in your drive train also

The 360 wasn't built as a 1/4 mile dragster and treating it like one can result in very expensive repair bill if you aren't careful.

"Take care of your clutch and it will take care of you"

Ray

 

Honestly I think the best "fast start" in a 360 F1 - short of really abusing the clutch - might just be a careful one. With traction control on, don't floor it! Traction control cuts in immediately (as it should, given fc2's post) and shuts down power. With traction control off, it clearly just turns into a tire-squealing mess.

Practice a few times trying to figure out the most pedal you can give it without traction control stepping in and ending the fun. That's the best start in a 360 F1.

 

I tried a "fast start" once in my F1 360. It was not really exciting and I smelled the odor of brake (probably clutch), and I vowed never to try that again. Not worth a $3000 clutch job.
There's enough thrill losing the rear end around a turn (semi-intentionally) to last a while!

Ray

 

One time I tried a "launch" at a stop light when no one else was around ('02 360 Spider F1). It was quite violent. When the light turned green, I kept my left foot on the brake. I lightly pressed on the throttle, then I mashed the throttle and let off the brake at the same time...AND WHAM!!!! The car spun its tires are shot forward like a bullet. That is how 4.5 0-60 times are done. It was probably the fastest I've ever accelerated in a car, including a Z06. It really took me by surprise. I'd do it every day if I could afford clutch changes every year.

 

I believe the modena was rated by car and driver at 4.2 0-60..

I too do not know the best way to launch a 360 f1... but I can live with not bothing to do so

 

How about a little reverence here? I had a 1966 VW, 1300 cc's, almost as much as my brother's Harley. I just looked up the specs - 50HP, 23.0 seconds 0-60. It really didn't feel that slow! But, I could really drift that car....

 

Who really has the need for off the line tyre smoking anyway? You'll look like a cock and you're gonna' knock your clutch out in record time. Best to get your foot off the clutch, or with an F1, feel when the clutch is at the end of the engagement process, then by all means mash it!

 

Splitting hairs (since it matters with so few horsepower-ha), the 50HP rating you are referring to is a gross SAE horsepower figure. The highest power vw motor is the one I have at 48HP SAE net HP, offering neck snapping acceleration qualities if you fall off a cliff say For comparison purposes, the '71 VW was rated at 60hp gross, and the '72 which as far as I know is the same motor was rated at 46hp net.

They don't feel as slow at the 0-60 time/HP would suggest since around town they are OK up to about 45, then from 45-60 it takes awhile. I apologize for hijacking this thread with senseless vw talk- especially on a ferrari forum, and especially on a thread asking about how to best smoke the tires in a 400hp 360! My bad