OK I am prepared to be ridiculed but got only my 2nd auto and it is very noticable that when you pull away it is a bit sluggish for the 1st 6 feet or so. This makes pulling out of a junction a bit exciting. So as I have the expertise of the auto loving Americans here, what is the best method for a rapid pull away. I have been told (by an American) that the best approach is to hold it on the brake with my left foot and give it a bit of throttle before stepping of the brake. Is this my best bet?
cheers
Darren

 

In an auto, to increase the accelleration you would want to hold the brake while giving it gas. Give it gas until just before the car starts to move. When it is time to go, let off the brake quickly. This will launch you at the highest rpms in an auto (well, unless you go the route of the neutral drop but I wouldn't recommend that). You also have the downfall of the auto picking your shift points, which can be overcome by manually shifting the tranny with the j-gate (basically you can ride the gears out to a higher rpm).

That will increase your take off, but you will never be able to get to the point of even being close to matching a manual gearbox. The only route that would match it (and actually surpass it) would be to install a high stall torque converter and change the shift points to their ideal settings for maximum performance through a tune. That is going a bit extreme for what your goals are though.

Also, I wouldn't use this route on a regular basis, as it will create stress on both your motor and brakes.

***Edit: And don't lie.... you know you are going to use this information to race. lol

 

There shouldn't be any hesitation. You running crap gas/petrol in that car?

I will let you in on a secret, left foot braking in the slushbox car is the way to go.

 

cheers sbxt.
Cosworth car is a diesel so this will emphasise the initial slow pull away, as it would in a manual diesel as well.

My wife tends to left foot brake quite a bit. She did not even realise she was doing it. But think that will take a bit more time before I do it after 23 years of driving manuals.

 

I know what you mean! My left foot is useless for braking... I am so accustomed to using a clutch (pushing all the way in) that when I try to brake with my left foot I end up emergency stopping, hahhahaha!

 

Even as a diesel, you should not have any hesitation.

BUT - what you are feeling is turbo lag. Normal. I have a turbo car that makes abotu 400bhp and it has some lag, but anyone that complains about turbo lag AT SPEED doesn't know how to drive. From a dead stop? It's ok.

Left foot braking - handy for emergency braking, inducing understeer when needed etc. BUT - keep your foot off the brake of course while driving normally.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-foot_braking

 

Ahhh, I didn't realize that he had a turbo. Yes, you could definitely be experiencing lag. Unfortunately, there isn't too much you can do about that - but on a stock setup there shouldn't be too much lag anyways.

 

Exactly. It's twin turbo diesel. One very small turbo for low end and a larger one that takes over on higher load.

There really shouldn't be much lag, but it's a subjective thing. You may find a weak wastegate on the primary (smaller) turbo that doesn't trip a code (yet). This is most likely NOT what you're feeling but a statistically probable cause.

 

am sure the car does nto have a fault. It is just that a dsl auto will not pull away initially as quick and a manual petrol.

 

Ya, you may just be experiencing the slushbox buyer's remorse. It happens to me with every automatic I own.

 

Maybe stick it in "sport" for good. I assume the diesel has sport mode...

 

The BMW 535d has this set up, the Jags 2.7 turbos are both the same size

 

Same size externally but they have different A/R rarios.

 

Expand please ?