Have a Lust for Launching? Try Doing It in These Rides...
Today is your day to drive. Despite a hectic work schedule, shuttling the kids to and from school, and innumerable chores, you've managed to set aside a sliver of quality time to enjoy your newly delivered 2011 Corvette ZR1. That's Z-R-1 -- the mack-daddy of all Corvettes. Last year, you spent an entire week just mulling the color scheme: Arctic White with a Dark Titanium interior and Competition Grey wheels. She's your personal Bowling Green behemoth.
Finally, the twisties await. But just as the green hills fill the windshield, another local in his Ford Performance Parts-modified 2011 Shelby GT500 pulls up on the right. Well, well, well.
As you wait side-by-side at what seems to be the longest light ever, his supercharged 5.4-liter bellows, gulping air as if it were a prizefighter trained for this very bout. Your force-fed 6.2-liter bounces off its 6600 rpm limit, roaring menacingly. Bystanders run for cover. Mothers hide babies in their Range Rovers. It's a colossal clash of American muscle.
"Launch it well. Don't miss a shift. Launch it well. Don't miss a shift," you keep repeating. Below your right foot is more than 600 horsepower on the brink of explosion. The "launch it well" in particular has got you worried.
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Front Three Quarters
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But then you remember that the ZR1's Performance Traction Management (PTM) system now comes with launch control. The Shelby doesn't. You engage PTM. So much for the 'Stang.
Given its name, launch control is pretty self-explanatory. The basic idea is to help operators achieve the best acceleration times and diminish the likelihood of a mistake and resulting damage to the vehicle. It's important to note, however, that launching puts enormous stress on the entire powertrain -- just ask a couple of Nissan GT-R owners.
More specifically, launch control helps to optimize a vehicle's straight line acceleration from a standing stop by utilizing a setup of tiny computers and sensors measuring wheel slip, throttle inputs, brake usage, transmission vitals, engine speed, etc. Each automaker's launch control system operates differently, yet ends up with roughly the same result.
2009 BMW M3 Rear Three Quarters View
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For your enjoyment, we've collected a list of today's Top 10 rides equipped with a launch control-type setup. There are seven dual-clutch gearboxes on the list -- a testament to the transmission's efficiency and performance benefits. Only two single-clutch automated manuals (both from Audi family products) join the twin-clutches, and a single, regular old-fashion manual slushbox finishes off the list.
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/features/performance/1007_top_ten_launch_control_equipped_cars/index.html#ixzz0v8Cp1Bwf
