Nailing the perfect start

[Touring Mars]

I'm sure the answer to this is probably hidden somewhere within these forums (fora?) beyond the reach of my simple searching skills, but is there a knack to consistently getting a flying start from stationary (in license tests)?

Obviously, a flying start has a huge impact, especially on the shorter tests, but I can never seem to find the ideal conditions. Do you need to keep the revs between a certain level, for example? I'm well aware of what NOT to do i.e. spinning the wheels by over-acceleration, but have yet to discover the secret(s) of the elusive 'perfect start'...

TM

 

[DQuaN]

2nd gear launching normally minimises wheelspin and aids a smoth launch off the line.

 

[Tedehur]

Originally posted by DQuaN
2nd gear launching normally minimises wheelspin and aids a smoth launch off the line.

I tried the 2nd gear start on license B2, but I never could beat any of my 1st gear starts. However, I've always found my starts awful on this license and I wish I had a trick not do spin the wheels and lose precious 1/10ths.
BTW, 'fora' would be the grammatically correct form, but it really looks weird to me. I prefer to stick with 'forums' and look illiterate.

 

[3rdgenracerX]

Try to start at certian RPM's and see what nets the best results. OR if your using your own car's then go the the 0-400m test and work on it there. I used the 0-400m test to figure out what RPM to start at in my F094/s.

 

[Duke]

It really varies by car. And not to be picky, but a "flying start" is where you cross the start line at a roll. What you're talking about is called a "standing start".

I tend to use 1 of 2 styles for throttle control at launch: for low-to-medium power cars, I launch off the rev limiter. If that doesn't work well, I do a "flash" launch: I sit at idle until the last countdown number disappears, then I punch the throttle before the bell. If you time it right, the engine is just coming up to the power band when the timer releases the clutch, and you get a good stiff launch without too much bog or wheelspin.

For FWD cars I almost always start in 2nd gear, using one of the two techniques above.

For AWD cars of reasonable power, you can usually launch of the rev limiter in 1st gear, or 2nd gear for something with big muscle.

For RWD cars, it's very dependant on the car. LAst night I was redoing the golds for the A license (AGAIN-grrrr), and for the Midfield/S2000 tests I got my best times doing a flash launch in 1st gear. For the 2 RX-7 circle tests, I did better launching off the limiter in 2nd.

If the car bogs too much when using the limiter/2nd gear techniques, sometimes you can hold the throttle down while the car gets rolling in 2nd, and then bop down to first when the revs fall most of the way down. That way you've got more momentum and you don't get as much wheelspin.

 

[ESMLefty12]

I've wanted to know about this as well. I'm getting better off the line, but some cars have got me fooled on how to start with little wheelspin. I was also wondering when the best time to shift is, like 1st - 2nd, 2nd - 3rd and so on. Should I shift before the rev-limiter, at the redline, before the redline, I don't know. I usually shift before the limiter, but I've heard that that wears your car out faster or something.

 

[Duke]

No, it doesn't really wear the car out faster. Only marginally in real life, and not at all in the game. If you could stand it, you could drive the whole 300km in 2nd gear bouncing off the rev limiter, and it wouldn't affect the game car at all.

Without power curves for the cars, it's very difficult to tell where the best place to shift is. Consequently I usually shift after redline but avoid hitting the limiter.

The only car that I've really heard that benefits from being shifted early are the JGTC Skylines. Some people I trust have said to shift them at 5500 or so.

The best thing to do is to go to the 1000m test track, set TCS up to 3 or so to make the launches consistent, and make some sample runs shifting at different points.

 

[Sven]

Find out what the peak torque is for the car, and try to launch at that RPM. You don't need to eliminate wheelspin so much as you need to just keep it from hitting the limiter, I think. Also, maximizing each gear is a must, either by using a manual or the shift inhibitor.

 

[tshhater]

remember that gearing plays a big role also, so make sure you set it up right if its your own car

 

[Mustang_lover]

hmmm, i remember when i was doing the rally license and i shifted a little past the redline, i finished up. and got a bronze, then i redid to get a gold...i shifted right when the needle hit the redline and noticed the ghost car fell back everytime i shifted RIGHT at the redline.