Legoland951

5-6k rpm, release clutch just enough not to spin tire too much slipping clutch through most of 1st gear keeping the rpm close to 6k the whole time to keep the hp and torque up. Then power shift to second with gas floored during shift and you will spin tire in the beginning of second gear. It will blow up your clutch or transmission eventually, but you will be able to launch. I have spare transmissions and still don't do this......

ahofam123

On cars that I have driven for many years, I usually just let off the clutch and give it gas at the same time. Since I've only driven my 944 for a few months, I find myself reving it to about 2000 and then letting go of the the clutch.

coolhand

I think we're getting two kinds of responses here - was the original question how to "launch" the car like in a drag race, or just a normal start?

P944forScott

Yeah, my post was for a normal start... this thread has recommended everything to a 2000 RPM slow clutch to 6000 RPM drop clutch!

Kelly Chiu

normal start, least wear, just got back from getting the car aligned and rear-ride height adjusted.

The 6K launches sound terrible, I would never do that to any car...

Besides don't want to drag race, would rather learn how to heal-toe brake. The 951 is my first manual car... hence drive it like a granny, match revs on every shift. Just looking on tips to drive this car "assertively".

iloveporsches

I'll build it
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ight=trebuchet

I've done a burnout in my car once, and that's the only time. Just had to see what it'd do. I do, however, have some hard shifts into 2nd, enough to chirp the tires for a sec or two....how bad is that on the transmission/ clutch?

Peckster

Yeah, launch was probably not the right word.

My mechanic, who also races a quick 968, uses low revs and good balance with the clutch to get the car off the line. It's probably easiest on the car all round. I'm trying to teach myself to do that without thinking.

Bruce '89 s2

For the 16 years prior to my moving back to Scotland to “Retire”, build and run the Motel here, my daily bread was earned as a Department of Transport Approved Driving Instructor (ADI #25456) so I’m probably qualified more than most to put in my two pennyworth about smooth starts – the other “Rubber Burning Transmission Destroying” type of start has been ably described by the people with LOTS of money to spare for replacement parts. Not saying I haven’t done it – just that one doesn’t need to.

A Normal Start. (For the complete beginner or someone new to a stick shift)
(a) Rev’s steady at 1,200 to 1.300
(b) Bring clutch to the ‘biting point’ and feel it bite – the revs will die slightly and the font of the car may rise slightly
(c) Simultaneously releasing the handbrake
(d) Release remainder of clutch travel smoooothly (If a complete beginner at this point you count up to six as you come off the remainder of the pedal travel)..
In addition of course, at “b” above you check all mirrors and turn head to visually check any blind spots not covered by the mirrors.

With practise this will become totally automatic taking no more than a couple of seconds and won’t even be thought about unless driving a strange car when one must get a “feel” for the controls. As we all know some clutches are SMOOTH and some can be VERY sudden.

There you go - that’s my two pennyworth. Off with ADI hat and back on with fly covered fishing hat.

Bruce

sybelix

amen to that.

DanD

Kelly,
Your asking about a normal start.
Usually I touch the gas slightly to about 1200 rpms. Slowly let out the clutch letting the engine rpms drop slightly. You can add more gas to keep it about 1000 rpms. Even my weak little turbo had enough torque to pull from 1000 rpms. That would be the least wear on the clutch.

If your in a hurry run it up to about 2000-2500 rpm and do the same procedure. A bit more slippage will occur.

Clutches are tougher then people think. If you smell them, you're doing something wrong.

You can actually practice letting out the clutch without even hitting the gas at all. These are great cars.

DanD

"(c) Simultaneously releasing the handbrake "

Handbrake? Did I miss something?

ahofam123

It's an old trick so that you don't roll into the person behind you. I use to practice in an empty parking lot on a hill so I never had to use this trick.

DanD

I know the trick. I just didn't hear a hill mentioned. Sounded like it was being recommended for every start...

DanD
Driven in SF before... Even Lombard St.

Bruce '89 s2

OK. You guys'll call it the emergency brake.
Same thing.
Sorry - I speak and write English, with a Scottish accent after a few drams.

Bruce '89 s2

Surprisingly, perhaps, it IS recommended that each time a vehicle is stationary for more than just a couple of seconds the handbrake is applied. – stops you running backwards on an incline into the vehicle behind – and to avoid being pushed into the vehicle in front if you should be rammed by a vehicle behind – or pushed over a stop line into the traffic flow.
It also saves all that clutch wear when you lazy guys just hold it on the clutch on an incline while waiting for the lights to change or the traffic to clear. If you can smell your clutch you’ve just knocked about 4k off its life – at least.
Bruce