On what rpm do you smooth launch your MS3?

hugador

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2009 MAZDASPEED3
Hello all. Considering that these cars idle a 1k or just a little bit under that but not to 0, I launch at and no higher than 2k. Is that cool? I'll take a while for me to get used to this much torque power. This car's a beast(2thumbs). Never driven standard so I ask.(drive)
 
I tend to launch at 2500-3000 but because of the mods and tune that i have i have to slip the clutch. You cannot drop the hammer on our car or you will hop away, or smoke the tires.
 
Hello all. Considering that these cars idle a 1k or just a little bit under that but not to 0, I launch at and no higher than 2k. Is that cool? I'll take a while for me to get used to this much torque power. This car's a beast(2thumbs). Never driven standard so I ask.(drive)

are you talking about daily driving or a "spirited" (race) launch?
for everyday driving i start at about 1500-1800 RPM and shift around 2800-3000. its not a fast acceleration, but for city driving it doesnt matter, also you can try shifting 1,3,5,6 rather than 1,2,3,4,5,6 i do that when im feeling really lazy...
ive never been to the track, but if i am getting on the freeway from a red light, or just want to have a little fun on a closed road (for the moderators) i think a launch at about 3000 RPM is good, and shift just over 5000, the car loses power there anyway.
since its your first stick (it was for me too) when you do launch aggressively, it is important not to just sidestep the clutch, but to let it out quickly but also controlled (does this make sense?) if you just dump it, you will get tons of wheelspin, hop(if you dont have an engine mount) and you will really do a number on all the transmission internals...
until you get used to the torque and FWD i would advise leaving the TC on unless you are in a safe place with lots of room for torque steer...
 
Thanks for the reply guys. Yeah i'm talking about daily driving. And yeah slip the clutch is probably to best method for a casual launch. Definitely gonna get a engine mount upgrade and other mods but after the warranty ends. back on the road again (drive)
 
I bang off my 2 step at 3800rpm and slip the clutch quickly and take off like a motha !! But i have slicks !!
 
Hey tru-boost, doesn't that two step box allow you to shift without taking your foot of the gas?
 
racing - 3k and release clutch slowly, if your modded it will be lower rpms because youll have more power. but same concept, slowly slip the clutch and launch

daily driving - 2k seems fine i go a bit lower around 1.5k, as long as your not slipping it too much.
 
racing - 3k and release clutch slowly, if your modded it will be lower rpms because youll have more power. but same concept, slowly slip the clutch and launch

daily driving - 2k seems fine i go a bit lower around 1.5k, as long as your not slipping it too much.

damn forreals? when you're put-putting around the city you launch at 1.5-2k? I'm launching constantly at about 1-1.1k on flat surfaces, at like 1.3.-1.5 for inclines. seems like 1.5-2k would be a bit too much for just normal driving or is it just me?
 
damn forreals? when you're put-putting around the city you launch at 1.5-2k? I'm launching constantly at about 1-1.1k on flat surfaces, at like 1.3.-1.5 for inclines. seems like 1.5-2k would be a bit too much for just normal driving or is it just me?
I live in a college town where if you don't take off quickly from a redlight you will be rearended because just about all college students think they are race car drivers. This is also my first stick so it's easier to start at a higher RPM... when I am not in a hurry I will start at a lower RPM
 
For everyday start and stop traffic 1500 RPM is a good target right now, though if this is your first manual car you'll probably be closer to 2000 until you start to get used to it, and then you can launch it at even lower revs. And for hard launches launch around 3000.

There are a lot of opinions on where to upshift(regarding fast/race situations), some say at around 5K, other let it go to 6k, so as to keep the car in the strongest part of the powerband when you're in the next gear; my opinion would be to do whatever feels better, if you're going in a straight line, maybe give it a couple of more revs, but this engine doesn't give much after 5500 RPMs and you'll feel it; if you're in a road course with a lot of bumps, shift a bit earlier to keep the car a bit less nervous.
 
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He has just the 2-step box, not the WOT plus 2-step box.

yeah i didnt waste the $$$ for the WOT feature. i always shift with the gas to the floor. i never had a problem. i only lose about 4 psi during my shifts as well.
 
damn forreals? when you're put-putting around the city you launch at 1.5-2k? I'm launching constantly at about 1-1.1k on flat surfaces, at like 1.3.-1.5 for inclines. seems like 1.5-2k would be a bit too much for just normal driving or is it just me?

I usually also launch at around 1.2 most of the time.
 
damn forreals? when you're put-putting around the city you launch at 1.5-2k? I'm launching constantly at about 1-1.1k on flat surfaces, at like 1.3.-1.5 for inclines. seems like 1.5-2k would be a bit too much for just normal driving or is it just me?

That's what I was thinking as well. I tend to slip the clutch in anywhere from 1200 - 1400 RPM depending on if it's flat or if I'm on an incline.
 
2k is a bit much. But that is what I use to launch with on my first days driving stick. Now I realize I do like around 15000 rpm. So i'm getting better at it.
 
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So you just up rev up until 1.5k and just pop the clutch or slip the clutch until it grabs?

(sssh) I was never taught how to drive a stick by anyone in real life. Learned from reading, and I don't want my clutch to die prematurely.
 
So you just up rev up until 1.5k and just pop the clutch or slip the clutch until it grabs?

(sssh) I was never taught how to drive a stick by anyone in real life. Learned from reading, and I don't want my clutch to die prematurely.


Yeah i'ts all about the clutch with these cars. I used to look at the tachometer when I rev to up 2k rpm. Keep it there and pull back the clutch slowly. But in the city you got to move fast so I practice with out looking at the tachometer and notice I launch at around 1,500 rpm. I think the more you think about it more mistakes you be doing. Don't put to much thought into it.
 
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On my commute, I launch at around 1,800, shift at 3,800 to 4,500 depending on the hurry. You don't need mods to do flat-foot shifting, but over time, the drive train won't be happy.
 
15,000 hunh? Man, that's a high-revvin' motor. Mine redlines at 6,700 (sun)
 

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