If anyone has read anyone my previous posts they would know Im still really new to driving a manual. I've already had tow different people try to race me at a red lights(one was an Evo 8 and the other was a mustang gt.) I've wanted to. Just to see if my car would win but I'm still really slow at starting out in first gear. After I'm moving the transition between gears is smooth but the initial take off is where I come up short. So I was wondering if anyone could give advice on launching from a complete stop. I don't plan on doing this often, and its a pretty deserted area so there shouldn't be any cop trouble or other cars around. Any advice on starting out quickly is appreciated.
Be safe and MINI on

 

keep your rpms around 2500 or so, ride the clutch a little at launch, flutter the gas to make sure you don't spin to much after launching, then make sure you wot shift.

if you do a burnout or the tires start slipping do NOT let off the gas completely or hit the brakes. ride it out.

it just takes practice. you aren't going to hurt a fwd car by launching it. you might glaze your clutch if you ride it too much, but that's not as big a deal as it sounds.

 

Wot shifting won't hurt anything?

 

Your JCW has a dual mass flywheel, and a stock clutch.

If you like your car, don't hard launch it.

Don't race on the street.

Both those parts are very expensive to replace.

And "glazing" a clutch is a bad thing, and yes, unlike PSI Chick says, its a fairly big deal. Clutch glaze is the glazing or shinning of the actual clutch disk(s) friction surface.. When a clutch is over-worked or slipped it builds heat, that heat burns the clutch disk surface allows the surface to get real shinny loose it's friction coefficient. (IE start slipping under load).

You can't "unglaze" it without removing it (Which involves pulling the trans), and often a new pressure plate release bearing, and flywheel.

There is a reason drag cars are AUTOMATICS.

 

You could just decline to do something as uncouth as street racing.

If you really want the fastest launch and don't care about the life of you clutch, my method is this.

1. Hold the hand brake with the button pushed in
2. Wind the revs to 4k
3. release the clutch so its just starting to bite
- (You may hear the engine note start to die, or the front rise slightly)
4. Hold as necessary.
5. Simultaneously:
- a. Drop the handbrake
- b. rapidly coming off the clutch
- c. feather the accelerator to control wheel spin.

That's a minor variation on the method I was first taught to do a clean start from a stop (approved by British driving instructors and examiners), but with more revs. Its also a useful technique for hill starts (again approved by British instructors and examiners), but with more revs.

Personally, I don't do that on the street, I use less revs. I only do something similar to that for a fast launches at autocross, when the timing lights are a straight shot from the start line. However, I only use 3k revs, I've never had the courage to go for 4k, and only in the MC, not the JCW.

You also have to have the traction control turned off, or it'll spoil your fun, unless you've beaten it into submission (like our 07).

That's how I'm launching in this video: http://btwyx.com/Movies/BMWTDSPMBest.mov (at 3k in the MC).

 

Geez if I launched our JCW at 4k I'd be spinning the tires for the next 30ft. Now that we have a diff (Quaife) it launches significantly harder. Unfortunatley I haven't been to the drag strip and we didn't do any more Pro Solos after the quaife install so I don't have any 60' times. Even with the open diff (ok ok we do have the crappy EDLC) I was cutting 60' times comparable to the RX-8s/325s/FRS/BRZ also in STX. Maybe a tenth slower.

With the EDLC I was launching around 2k. The car makes plenty of torque down low and has no issues spinning tires on launch. The key is feathering the throttle so you don't spin them too much.

Honestly reading all this stuff on the internet doesn't teach you anything. Head to a drag strip and practice.

Hold RPMs to 2-2500. Release clutch pedal slow-ish till you feel it start to grab. Then swiftly exchange less clutch for more gas. Practice as necessary.

But if you think you're ever going to beat an Evo or a mustang in a straight line then you're sorely mistaken

 

Maybe search the forum for JCW clutch issues as well. Just had mine replaced, with the flywheel, at 18k miles. Fortunately under warranty.

Mini has not officially acknowledged an issue but they replaced mine without being able to replicate the failure, no questions asked. I still enjoy the car and will still be doing the odd track day but I would avoid stop light drags like the plague for this car.

 

Like I said before I'm not gonna be doing this all the time. The car is still under warranty so clutch replacement would be taken care of by the dealership if it did get glazed. On another note in my '13 justa I raced a 2003 BMW 5 series and won and a guy talking smack in his chevy venture only saw tail lights so I figured I would have a shot against the gt or evo in the jcw.

 

There's some good advice above, but ultimately you just have to learn the feel of it. BIG kudos for getting a manual and learning the fun way to drive.

 

It definitely is more fun to drive a stick, it helps you to tune in with the car

 

No...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Stock

"NHRA Pro Stocks utilize a Liberty or G-Force five-speed clutchless manual transmission."

 

Good luck with the dealer replacing a glazed clutch. I just had my 2013 MCS clutch replaced at 13k miles due to defective springs and worn throw out bearing. The dealer mentioned that glazing in the clutch is not covered by warranty as it's a wear item, and is caused by driver abuse, such as fast launching / racing the clutch.

 

Yea, because that's JUST like a conventional FWD 6 speed with a dual mass flywheel.

http://www.gforcetransmissions.com/productoverview.asp

 

No, your statement that drag racing cars are automatics was incorrect. Some are, but not in the upper categories. And before the Liberty and the G-Force, it was the Lenco. It had nothing to do with what's in MINIs...

 

You don't even need to get anywhere close to 2500 RPM for 99% of your launches. There is so much low end torque that 1500RPM is plenty. If you start launching at 2500 RPM all the time don't expect your clutch to last into high miles. No wonder so many peoples clutches wear out at low miles...

Also don't expect to be faster than a lot of cars out there once you get above 70mph. My 2004 BMW 330i with 6sp manual is a good bit faster above 60mph.

 

I think the Coopers are geared higher in the upper gears, solely for efficiency of course.