R-Tronic Launch Control 101

[FiftyPence]

Here is a shot of the launch control instructions from the manual, can someone please clarify if these are precise because I feel that perhaps the ESP button needs to be held down to properly turn it off rather than the single press the instructions suggest.

I attended a local charity sprint event today and tried to use launch control on one of my 5 runs but it didn't seem to work as per these instructions.

Pics and video from the event will follow later.

1) Press the ESP button whilst the engine is running - CHECK
2) Press and hold foot on brake pedal - CHECK
3) Select a gear (I chose auto) - CHECK
4) Press Sport button - CHECK
5) Press accelerator all the way down - car just rev'd and didn't hold revs. Perhaps I didn't press it far down enough as I was too concerned about running over the guy who lines up the front of the car.

[Maverick]

It may be you didn't turn off the ESP fully, you have to hold the button until it goes through two stages of turnoff, first ASR I think, then ESP. I've done it on my car, once, but now its supercharged and this is pretty tough on the gearbox I've not tried it. Good luck.

[cavaret]

You only have to be in sport mode and press the ESP button once... it does not have to be fully shut off. While holding the accelerator down the revs initially redline but then drop and hold steady at 6000 RPM, and then you are ready to go (ie the drop in RPMs is programmed). Really anticlimactic!!!

[AnOutsider]

My experience is that of Mavericks. ESP button down until you get ESP and ASR off. That's the only way I could ever get it to work properly.

[harrison]

Maybe launch controll works better in manual/sport mode.

[FiftyPence]

Thanks for clarifying guys, I'll have to give it another try sometime.

[Monkey boy UK]

I thought you had speed restrictions at around 25mph on your island!?

[FiftyPence]

The speed limit in some areas is a maximum of 35mph but this was a special charity sprint event.

Usually, the local Guernsey Motorcycle and Car Club (GMCC) hold organised hill climb and sprint (quarter mile) events on the island but this is limited to special motorsport cars and motorcycles only. The events take place on regular public roads which are closed off especially for the events because Guernsey isn't big enough to have its own drag strip.

After 2 years of organising and getting through alot of red tape, they managed to organise a sprint event open to just 100 members of the public who were invited to use their own road legal vehicles for the event. We had 2 Audi R8's, a Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari F430 F1, Nissan GTR and numerous other vehicles which I will cover in a later thread. Applications were received from over 200 people so if they had all entered we might also have seen the likes of an Audi R8 V10 if the owner hadn't been too scared to enter. A classic Lamborhini Diablo was also due to take part but the owner backed out due to bad weather.

It was all in aid of the Pink Ladies Breast Cancer charity so we all entered and had to raise as much sponsorship as possible. The person who raised the most money wins an all expenses paid trip to a track day in france including accomodation etc.

After this event I would love to do more. Sadly alot of people opposed this event but fortunately it went ahead anyway. It is hoped that there will be two such events in 2011 but we shall have to wait and see.

Here are maps of the sprint and hill climb areas, you can see the sprint isn't a regular straight quarter mile, it's on a curved coast road so the times can't really be compared to regular straight line quarter mile times.

In both cases, the start is at point A and the finish is at B.