Clutch characteristics and Launching?

[bgomez]

I'm just curious, many on the E-39 M5 board have complained about clutch slipping and difficulty of launching. I have never had any issues with the clutch but the throttle does require some careful modulation to avoid excess wheel spin. What are the 996tt's clutch characteristics and how does it compare to the M5's? What is the proper way to launch the 996tt(rpms ect..) and how difficult is it compared to the M5? Thanks
Bill

[MAVERICK]

I've always read that magazines achieve the best accel. times by side-stepping the clutch at 4000rpms. This prevents the TT from bogging down due to the sticky tires and the fact that the turbos kick in above 3000rpms. However, this technique also reveals some wheel hop during some tests.

I've also heard the clutch is a little touchy. I'm guessing something similar to abrupt clutch of the 540i 6-speed.

[greg]

they are very, very different.

In the 996TT, the distance between "start of grab" and "full grab" at the clutch pedal is much, much shorter. Couple this with less torque in normal launches, and a lighter flywheel for quicker throttle response - and the 996TT is considerably harder to launch until you get used to it. On the other hand these same characteristics actually make it a little harder to allow the clutch slip to get away from you like you can do in the M5.


I tried a 4000RPM, really aggressive clutch-let-up launch ONCE. Wheel hop was AWFUL and I aborted ASAP, thankful I didn't snap a driveshaft or bend a gear. It is posible that you could master this technique - perhaps if I was a little more aggressive i would have gotten enough AWD wheel slip to reduce the hop - but there is NO WAY I'm going to find out on MY car!