1/4 mile technique with DSG

[alackofspeed]

RWYB trip tomorrow..... so tried the "launch control" function of the DSG in advance. It's pants! The pause between releasing the brake pedal and the clutch biting hard is too long.

Having done a search, not much came up to suggest the quickest method of launching a DSG car.

Any hints / tips - just floor it and enjoy the passenger ride, or short shift to second (and perhaps all gears)? What have folk found to be most effective?

My opponents are:

BMW 130i
Nissan Silvia S15
Volvo 940 turbo estate (don't underestimate the way these things respond to tuning).

[Beddie]

My best times up the 1/4 at GTi international over the last 2 years have all been achieved in 'S' mode auto without launch control 

Found launch control to give far too much wheelspin on launch so just 'mash and go' in 'S' nowadays, allows you to feel for the available grip and feather the throttle accordingly much better imo..

Best so far is 5.4 to 60 and 13.9 for the 1/4 (stage 1 ed30) 

[JackG]

Turn your traction control off and feather the throttle, I managed to change into 2nd early to stop wheelspin but that was at stage 1

[Top Cat]

I never had a problem with launch control, once i had sticky tyres and a good set up. Just use less revs, somewhere around 2000 and short shift first maybe depending on what grip levels you have. 

[RENNTAG]

I would say launch control at lower revs like TC says. much higher and it will just wheel spin.

[alackofspeed]

Cheers - I'll see what happens tomorrow. It's meant to be sub-zero tonight, so grip will probably be noted by its absence tomorrow at the Pod.

[Janner_Sy]

Times 

[alackofspeed]

Times  

Nothing at all interesting.....

My car (K03 Revo Stg1) - 14.4
130i - 14.7
S15 - 15.0
Volvo - blew a coolant hose before he could get his eye in. Did a massive burn out with me as a passenger, then we pulled up to the line and "smoke" appeared.... only it smelt a bit un-rubbery! Looked under the car, noted the lake....  Most amusing.

Short of icy / mud coated roads I've never known such a slippery surface. Utterly bonkers! At times I was spinning up slightly in 3rd!

I'm not trying to use the grip as an excuse, more an observation.

Some other times I saw for reference purposes:

335i (remapped to 400bhp - spoke to the owner) - 13.7
M3 V8 - 13.5
Hilarious Honda Civic - didn't catch the time, but did spot the 150mph terminal!
Crysler 300c (with giant vortex supercharger) - 12.3 sec (i think) and 125 mph
Nissan GTR - 12.5, 125 mph (ran against the Civic above and was made to look slow!). Was crabbing initially as it fought for traction.

There was a manual ED30 there, and the runs I watched were in the region of 15.1. Initial traction appeared to be the enemy.

Vid:

[ROH ECHT]

Any hints / tips - just floor it and enjoy the passenger ride, or short shift to second (and perhaps all gears)? What have folk found to be most effective?

I know this is a really old topic/thread, but thought why not add something which someone may find to be helpful.

You do not floor it and hold the throttle to the floor in launch mode. You bring the rpm to whatever rpm gives you the best 'learned' launch. In that you have different stuff(mods, tires, etc.), tuning and setup than another may have. So you start at holding near 2500 rpm and keep the throttle in that position. You release the brake and work the throttle up to full throttle to avoid spin. Try a different rpm until you find the snappy launch you seek, while avoiding tire spin.

Some may have a DSG tune which raises the launch rpm limit to near 4k rpm. My Mk5 has the K04 and is 340hp and 363 lb*ft. My DSG tune has a launch rpm limit of 3700 rpm, but I usually launch at near 3k rpm. And still, some days at the track, I will watch the lights closely and release the brake when the 2nd(middle) yellow/amber light is dimming or right as the last amber light lights up. Then sometimes I'll do the same but the trans will snap into action and red-light me. This generally happens during semis and finals when launch reaction matters, and I come in 2nd place due to red-lighting the start...thanks to the dreaded "all of a sudden" snappy reaction which evaded me all day.

In short, for the launch to be snappy-quick, try holding the throttle at a low rpm to begin with. Then work your way up the rpm each following attempt, to see if you can find an rpm with the quickest reaction when launched. I typically do not count on the launch being snappy...as it seems to be made to work with a bit of slippage, or with less grab pressure commanded of it, so to not grab and spin tires. I say so because again, mine rarely grabs and when it does...it screws over my 1/4mi race day. LOL

[pudding]

Holy 10 year old thread resurrection Batman 

Useful info as ever Roh 

[JoshB]

I quite enjoyed reading a bit of history! I’m also quite surprised at some of the times…

As part of the Saxo/106 days in my youth, we used to eek every last bhp to break into the 14’s. Only ever did it once myself but some of the other guys could quite regularly get 14.8 / 14.9’s.
Not bad for a 1.6 NA!

[pudding]

I'm not really into competitive numbers when it comes to cars, but what has always intrigued me is how significantly more powerful cars can only be a couple of seconds quicker over the 1/4.  All the gearing, weight and aero differences make it interesting I guess.  Saxo/106s don't weigh a lot and I do remember them being hard work to get past back in my MK2 Golf 16V days 

[LC5F]

Does GTI international still occur?

Saxo/106s don't weigh a lot and I do remember them being hard work to get past back in my MK2 Golf 16V days 

TBF they are just take away food container with wheels

[pudding]

Does GTI international still occur?

Saxo/106s don't weigh a lot and I do remember them being hard work to get past back in my MK2 Golf 16V days 

TBF they are just take away food container with wheels

And not even foil containers. Those yellowish orange polystyrene ones they put kebabs in.

[GVK]

Does GTI international still occur?

Nope , Autometrix the magazine group that used to run it folded, also there was an accident at one of the last 'Inters' where a car veared off into the spectator area!