Cars With Launch Control: Houston, We Have Lift Off!
January 10, 2011 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Automotive, Automotive Help, Featured, Technical
[original post date: 02/10/2009] I honestly believe that the new Nissan GT-R has sparked quite an interest and crave for launch control. Many cars way before the Nissan GT-R have had their own system for a launch control either in a SMG transmission in the E46 BMW M3 or the Volkswagen’s early DSG found in the GTI.
The ultimate crave for launch control baffles me but you have to understand that I would take a full manual transmission any day over a, what Jeremy Clarkson calls them, floppy paddle gear box. Even with Nissans woes with grenaded transmissions in the GT-R, launch control is still a big hit. Even Hitler “had to launch it”.
Ever since the introduction of drive-by-wire, auto manufacturers have been toying with new electronics that improve upon the over-all safety of a vehicle. New systems come standard in many vehicles now such as dynamic skid control or also known as vehicle dynamic control or electronic stability control (name varies from each manufacturer). Many of these new systems utilize a combination of computer operated units from the ABS braking, traction control and accelerator control. I am sure if manufacturers thought they could play with these systems and make a car safer then why not develop a precise method for accelerating a vehicle with a computer to make it faster.
It is all a numbers game if you think about it. I am sure many car enthusiasts, including yourself, may have experimented with dropping your clutch at a certain RPM to get the full potential out of a launch from a dead-stop. Even you guys with automatics have almost perfected holding the brake pedal while stomping on the accelerator in preparation for a ‘launch’. What if your car could do this for you? Well, many new exotic and sports cars can but it does take the use of a special transmission or a manual transmission that is controlled by a computer, except in Porsches’ case with their newest launch control system on a full manual transmission.
Where did this idea and technology come from?
If you think about it, F1 cars among other racing cars were already using a type of the technology that we see in today’s cars fitted with dual clutch transmissions and SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) units. Racing is where it begins… most times. From the F1 cars now shifting well under 60 milliseconds to the Nissan GT-R’s dual clutch shifting time of around 200 milliseconds, computers have taken cars to a new level of performance where a human just simply cannot match yielding a much higher level of performance.
Cars with Launch Control
Many of the baby boomers know ‘launch control’ to be something only NASA quotes in the control room during a space shuttle launch. Now we can all experience a ‘horizontal’ launch in many of today’s technologically advanced performance vehicles.
So which cars have launch control? Below is a short list that we have compiled of all vehicles with an available launch control. If we missed any please post a comment below and let us know.
Please note: Some of the vehicles included on the list may only have a staging RPM setting which some may call “launch control” but it is not as involved as a fully automated launch control or uses a sequential shifting transmission (paddle shifter) such as in the Nissan GT-R.
- Audi R8
- Audi TT
- BMW M3
- BMW M5
- BMW M6
- Bugatti Veyron
- Chevrolet Corvette/ZR1
- Ferrari 360cs
- Ferrari 599 GTB/GTO
- Ferrari F430/Scuderia
- Ferrari 458 Italia
- Lamborghini Gallardo/LP560
- Lamborghini Murcielago/LP640
- Lexus LFA
- Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR
- Mercedes Benz SL63 AMG
- Mercedes Benz SLS AMG
- Mitsubishi Evo Lancer Evolution/MR
- Nissan GT-R
- Porsche 911/Carrera/S/GT2
- Volkswagen GTI/Golf/Rabbit/R32
Various videos demonstrating launch control below after the jump…
Frankfurt Motor Show Preview: Porsche 911 Sport Classic
September 2, 2009 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Auto Show, Automotive, Featured, Porsche
Comments Off
Okay, did I really have my head in the clouds when we posted images and video of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS? It is a nice car with a “nice” price tag. Speaking hypothetically, what could I get from Porsche, in the same body style, that costs even more but brings back more of that classic look but without compromising the technology found in other Porsches of today? How about the Limited Edition 911 Sport Classic?
2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Revealed – I Swear It’s Not a Toy w/ Video
August 19, 2009 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Automotive, Featured, News, Porsche
After the updated Porsche 911 Turbo, comes the newly updated 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Porsche has always made small subtle changes and the newest 911 GT3 RS is no exception to the rule. Using the same new 3.8-liter naturally aspirated flat six as the normal GT3, the RS edition adds another 15 or so horsepower, totaling around 450hp, while continuing to push the envelope in the weight savings department.
2010 Porsche 911 Turbo (997) In Action – Videos
August 8, 2009 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Automotive, Featured, Porsche, Video
As a follow-up to our post on the new 2010 Porsche 911 packing 500 horsepower, a few new videos of the 3.8-liter beast have appeared. Here is the newest 2010 Porsche 997 911 Turbo in action below. The 911 is truly remarkable and always an instant classic in my opinion. Enjoy the videos below!
New Porsche 2010 911 Turbo now has 500 horsepower
They are getting rid of the 3.6-liter six. Here comes a new 3.8-liter directed injected flat-six from the Carrera S. Coupled to two variable-vane turbos, power is now 500 hp. And because it’s direct injected, mileage increases from 22.1 mpg to 24.1 mpg with the manual. Should you opt for Porsche’s 7-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (dual-clutch) gearbox, mileage improves from the old Tiptronic’s 20.8 mpg to a very impressive 24.8 mpg. Also gone (kinda) are the silly dual-action faux-paddle shifters. Replacing them are F1 style right-is-up, left-is-down wheel-mounted paddles — a welcome improvement, though we’d still prefer column-mounted shifters like on Ferraris and Godzilla. And you can still opt for the inferior dual-action buttons if you like. Read more
Porsche 911 GT2 Video: Jay Leno Takes the GT2 Out For A Spin
January 29, 2009 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Automotive, Porsche, Video
One of the rawest 911’s that you can buy, the Porsche 911 GT2, with rear wheel drive and a manual 6-speed gearbox and a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds. It does not get any better than this when you are looking for a drivers machine. I guess Jay Leno knows that when he takes out the new Porsche 911 GT2 for a spin.
Enjoy the video below after the jump…
2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Gets New Facelift
January 29, 2009 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Automotive, Featured, Porsche, Video
Facelifts are so overrated but not the one on the newest Porsche 911 GT3. You have to admit that the Porsche 911 was and still is a true classic with the evolution taking small steps with each being a slight improvement. One can argue that the changes to the recent Porsche 911 models are too drastic and others may say they are not drastic enough. Either way, we all know what a 911 looks like and it seems we always will.
The 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 will get a 20hp bump from the previous model year totaling 435hp but do not let that fool you, the GT3 is still a GT3 and we all know it hangs with the best of them that put out even more power. Come on, it is a Porsche, a Porsche GT3!
View the new promo video of the 2010 Porsche GT3 and press release below after the jump…
Look Ma, I Can Drift: 2009 BMW M3 and Porsche 911 Track Drifts
January 15, 2009 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Automotive, BMW, Porsche, Video
So you thought the guys at Car and Driver could drive? Well, by the looks of this video they really can’t! Below is footage of some folks at Car and Driver messing around on the track in the new BMW M3 and Porsche 911. I hate to be the one to say it but these guys are ROOKIES! Maybe they are interns. Gosh I hope so for the sake of Car and Driver readers.
Enjoy the video after the jump…
