Marantz2270

After many months of ownership and the return of warmer weather, I decided this evening it was time to try launching my C2S. I depressed the brake, pressed the throttle, and the car did what I've seen a 911 do in plenty of other people's YouTube videos. However, I realized that I launched in Sport Mode, with winding up to 4,000 RPM, and there was no 'Launch Control Activated' notification on the dash. I then remembered reading that I need to put the car in Sport Plus for a 5,000 RPM launch and full activation of Launch Control. It just slipped my mind. I then launch the car in Sport Plus, and it launched as expected.

My question then: Does launching in Sport Mode damage the clutch in any way, versus launching in Sport Plus? Other than pegging at a different starting RPM, the behavior of the car accelerating from launch in seemed roughly the same to me. I just wasn't sure if, in Sport Mode, the computer is controlling the release of the clutch in a similar manner in Sport Plus so as to prevent burning up the clutch or causing any undue damage. I wouldn't be asking about this if my cursory research so far didn't lead me to the 992 TTS forum where one particular forum member was pretty emphatic that Sport Mode launches are very bad for the car. Sounds like BS to me, I would be surprised if Porsche didn't allow the computer to control launch attempts in all drive modes...but wanted to float the question here amongst the folks in this corner of RL.

Let me emphasize: I am not concerned about the potential for general wear that could be caused by launching the car...I was just curious if anyone knew if the computer does what it is supposed to do in controlling launches in all available drive modes so as to prevent the brake and throttle from fighting each other in a manner that would cause severe damage to the clutch.

Thanks all in advance for any insight and wisdom on this matter!

M3Inline6

Regardless of how you launch it, you are wearing the clutch, so the answer to your question is “yes”. That’s just part of launching a car. The computer will do its thing.

AlexCeres

This isn’t damage. It’s just wear. The TTS can do dozens of launches an hour. It will last longer than the human subject to so many g and negative g so rapidly. To be clear, launches are harder on the clutch than a most other activity, but this isn’t damage so much as a consumable. A launch or two vs a clutch dump or two isn’t going to make a difference to the lifetime of the clutch. Doing a lot of them would, I suppose, but the pdk is very durable.

mferris

After having a Tesla for many years then getting a 992 (for quality and driving dynamics), I can’t bring myself to launch the 992 without feeling like it is causing undue wear. The binary massive torque of the electric feels soulless but I didn’t think anything of wear.

shrimp money

I’ll be at PECATL tomorrow for an hour and half. Will see how many launches they let me do with the GT3.

I did 6 in the Turbo S last year.

CanAutM3

A 5,000rpm launch will put more wear on the clutch than a 4,000rpm launch. Don’t worry, just enjoy the car.

Richard_Wallace

Porsches PDK is really amazing and very very durable (probably one, if not the best overall transmission made in a sports car).

Here is a number of older topics on how durable it is: These are older, but R&T tested a GT3 PDK launching over 1000 times, and it still was working (not saying launching isn't wearing your clutch or punishing on your transmission) but a few hard launches is not going to hurt at all.

https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3-...any-times.html

ScottTurbo

Car and driver (I think it was them) did 50 launches in a row with the previous model with zero issues, that is what sold me on getting the 992 TTS.

Marantz2270

Thank you, though my uncertainty is not whether a 5,000 rpm or 4,000 rpm launch puts more wear on the clutch.

What I hope to know for certain is: Does a computer-controlled launch sequence of some sort occur in Sport Mode, even though the "Launch Mode Activated" only reveals itself in Sport Plus? I would hate if my attempt to engage a launch (foot on brake, depress throttle, release brake) was just causing the brakes and throttle to work against each other and leading to shock-loading the clutch in a manner that is not orchestrated by a computer-controlled launch.

Hope that makes sense. If the only difference in mechanics and sequence of a launch in Sport Mode versus Sport Plus Mode is that one goes to 4,000 rpm while the latter goes to 5,000 rpm at start, then I can rest easy knowing that the car can be safely launched in Sport Mode.

CanAutM3

From what I gather, even the non-sport-chrono equipped cars have this "softer launch" feature. The Porsche engineers know what they are doing. If the 4,000rpm launch was damageable, they would not have programmed it.

dhirm5

I would encourage you to go to a Porsche high performance driving event; the driving school in Burmingham is supposed to be fantastic. I have done the BMW M driving course and it was eye opening. I used to worry about hurting my car. After that, no longer. These cars are run at 8/10s, often by novices, every day, day in day out. It is incredible what they take and keep on giving.

You doing a few launches is going to amount to a hill of beans. If that.

Marantz2270

Yep, definitely considering it at some point.

Also: I am not worried about a few launches. I am worried about whether or not attempting to launch in Sport Mode ACTUALLY engages a launch similar to what occurs in Sport Plus Mode. In other words, if attempting to launch in Sport Mode is akin to crudely power braking the car off the line, I'd feel pretty awful about doing that to the transmission and other drivetrain components..

dhirm5

Seems to me you're overly concerned about the car. You've had plenty of responses telling you not to worry. You remain worried. The car was designed and built to be driven hard, and the launch control is a feature the engineers designed for you to enjoy. Nothing more to be said.

Yes, driving hard adds more wear to the car's componentry than not. That was considered when they specified various components and tolerances.

You can leave it in your garage and never worry, or drive the snot out of it, and enjoy the hell out of it, while observing proper maintenance recommendations. I recommend the latter.

ipse dixit

People should the OP's query.

It's not whether launch control will wear out the clutch. Yes, it will. The OP gets that. In fact, just driving the car will wear the clutch. The OP also gets that.

What the OP wants to know is if launching in SPORT mode will wear out the clutch more than launching than the Porsche approved SPORT+ launch.

And, as others have hinted, it will not. The programming in the drivetrain programming (either in MT or PDK trim) is smart enough to figure out the most efficient way to launch the car. Launching the car in SPORT+ simply maximizes the acceleration of the car from a dead stop. The clutch wear will be the same either in SPORT or SPORT+.

dhirm5

I'm not sure anyone in here can possibly know the answer to that rather specific, unwarranted concern. If I had to guess, I'd say clutch wear is indeed a bit more from a 5k rpm launch. If you know differently, then I stand corrected.

The point here, though, is not to worry about minutia. The car has been tested and shown to withstand way more than OP is ever going to dish out, even if he moves on from his current concern, and starts doing daily ***** out launches.