Automatic shifting keeps accelerating as the variety of manual transmissions continues to dwindle. Slush-boxes can no longer compete with people in performance, but not all contemporary gadgets can. As an illustration, consider the brave testers who drove a Ferrari 488 Pista and tried to determine which was faster out of the hole: launch control or a human?
It seems to reason that the “ringer” in the driver’s seat wasn’t just any “human,” but a skilled race car driver, given that the Ferrari electronics are quite capable of quickly and efficiently defeating a human. Now that the debate over whether or not computerized nannies make us all look like skilled drivers has been resolved,
Professional race car driver Scott Mansell obtained a 488 Pista with a 3.9-liter V8 twin-turbo engine producing 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of twist to test the theory. The 488 Pista is still difficult to drive even though it accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.85 seconds and completes the quarter mile in 10. The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive design of the Italian supercar provides adequate speed, good grip, and quick acceleration with sophisticated launch control.
Ferrari’s launch control system aims to exceed the acceleration of manual control by using computers and sensors to adjust power to avoid wheel spin. For new drivers, the goal is to just press the gas pedal and travel quickly. However, the professional driver completes the quarter mile in 11.18 seconds, just 0.03 of a second faster than the computer.
“That surprises me. I believe I can succeed! As a result of my excessive wheel spin at the time, I truly believe I can defeat it “Mansell” stated. “With a little bit of wheel spin near the top of first, you can feel the system taking over… wheel spin can occasionally be good, but only in the appropriate proportions.”
Mansell was now determined to defeat the Ferrari computer at its own game, though, as he had a greater understanding of how quickly the 488 Pista can travel by merely stomping the gas and avoiding the brake. Mansell easily surpassed it on following runs by attaining an 11.11 second time, while the launch control runs could only boast 11.15-second runs. He finally masters the formula for how much throttle to modulate and wins the race with an impressive 10.99-second quarter-mile run.
Launch control has greatly reduced sprint times in recent years, but this test shows that a skilled person is still superior.
In This Article...
How does the launch control on a Ferrari operate?
A computer program and an electronic accelerator are used in launch control. Based on engine specs, the software regulates acceleration to make the automobile accelerate smoothly and quickly while preventing difficulties with the clutch and gearbox, spinning of the drive wheels, and engine failure due to over-revving. Only at the beginning of the race, when the car is still on the starting grid, is this capability available in racing cars. The program is turned off after the car reaches a specific speed.
What is launch control used for?
Pressing a button is all that is necessary for activation. Or at least that’s how the series starts. Dynamic stability control must be off, the engine must be warmed up, and the automatic transmission must be put to sequential mode with the vehicle in first gear on a BMW M vehicle. The next step is as follows:
- firmly apply the brakes.
- Accelerator down till it kicks down, then hold
- A start flag should eventually display in the driver information screen.
- Control the beginning speed and rpm.
- As you release the brake, keep your foot firmly planted.
- Once the clutch or gear engages, you can start moving.
For Dodge Hellcat automobiles, the procedure is the same, and the vehicle information center also provides instructional help. With the sadly defunct Challenger SRT Demon, which includes a transbrake feature, a little modification is necessary. The transbrake locks the vehicle’s output shaft and enables a launch without using the brakes when the launch control is engaged using the paddle shifter. The initiation sequence stays the same everywhere else.
What does the Ferrari 458’s PS button do?
A red dial to switch between the F8’s numerous drive modes is located on the crowded Formula 1-style steering wheel alongside the buttons for the turn signals and windshield wipers. Select Race by switching from Sport mode. Push the PS button on the center console with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission now in manual mode. Partenza Sportiva is referred to as PS. This is Ferrari lingo for “sport departure,” which is another word for “launch control.” When you turn it on, the tachometer in the center of the F8 displays PS. Note how its redline at 8000 rpm is essentially straight up. At the top of the small-diameter steering wheel is a row of shift lights. They will be necessary as the F8 launches off the line. Pull the right paddle shifter and move into second gear when they turn on the full red light at about 45 mph. But remember to steer, as the rear tires on this Ferrari will begin to spin at about 5000 rpm.
When pushed aggressively, the Ferrari’s transmission lacks the seamless finesse of the PDK dual-clutch gearbox from Porsche. Even in Race mode, the F8 will upshift when left in Auto. On the other hand, when you manually select one of its closely spaced ratios, it makes crisp, quick gear changes. The F8 accelerates to 60 mph with its tires on fire in second gear, keeping the experience on full boil until third gear is required. It all takes, in our estimation, 2.7 seconds.
Keep your foot down, and the F8 Tributo should keep up with the 488 Pista’s acceleration, which can reach 100 mph from zero in 5.2 seconds and complete a quarter-mile in 10.1 seconds at 144 mph. Due to their all-wheel-drive traction, the Lamborghini Huracan Evo and Porsche 911 Turbo S are a fraction quicker to reach 60 mph. However, the F8 requires more driving effort to move swiftly, which gives its pilot a higher exhilaration.
Don’t get us wrong. Even at extreme speeds, the Ferrari F8 Tributo is a simple vehicle to operate. However, it is not a supercar that can perform all of your tasks. Work up to the Tributo’s boundaries and get in tune with its personality if you want to get the most out of it. Feel for the balance of it. And if you intend to use its throttle, you had better be prepared.
Can a car be launched without a launch control system?
Without a lot of practice, launching a car with a manual transmission can be challenging. Even without a complex launch-control system, the work at hand will be much simpler if your automobile is an automatic.
Just use your left foot to depress the brake pedal and your right foot to depress the throttle to increase the revs. Push the throttle pedal hard after releasing the brake.
Now, there is undoubtedly more going on beneath the car’s sheet metal than what you could feel from the driver’s seat. By using gearing and the torque converter, your transmission modifies the amount of torque sent to the wheels after absorbing it from the engine.
In the video above, our friend from Engineering Explained, goes into much more detail on that subject.
But what we admire about this clip is the deeper exploration of the mechanical details. It’s a good idea to be aware of what you’re doing to your car and which sections you’re stressing if you’re going to conduct specific tasks in it.
So enjoy your journey while you’re out there, but be aware of the things you’ll break if you only launch your automobile.
The 458 has launch control, right?
– “Manual” mode on the gearbox is required. – depress the brake pedal while shifting into first gear. – click the LAUNCH L button on the center console’s left to turn the device on, which is indicated by an audible signal and the word “launch” appearing on the gearbox display.
Is there a manual launch control?
As well as requiring more expertise than an automated launch, launching a car with a manual gearbox has the additional problem of having to wait for the turbo boost to build up. The majority of manual transmissions lack this functionality, in contrast to many automatic gearboxes that offer launch control settings that permit boost accumulation while the vehicle is stationary. This implies that they lose some time waiting for the turbo to spool up and deliver the needed boost.
However, you can still benefit from launch control on manual gearboxes thanks to our tuning for it.
With our setup, all you have to do to get rid of turbo lag and enjoy blazing-fast acceleration is to simultaneously hold the throttle and clutch. In order to give you the desired boost without going too far and wasting time on excessive wheel spin, revs will rise to the level we set and not surpass it.
When you’re ready to take off, just let go of the clutch to enjoy the prepared turbo’s quick boost and complete control over the predetermined RPM limit.
Should I set the launch control at what RPM?
The sweet spot appears to be 5400… Though always adaptable, ensure sure the traction control is turned off. At the track night, I committed that error and lost some time because I was unaware that it needed to be corrected. When I took my car to the test and tune night, I didn’t even consider that because I never launch it on a regular basis, but it kicked my behind!
The clutch also needs to be slipped a little; else, it would just grab and fall on its face.
When my car was still white, scroll down to see a video of me utilizing launch control. And yeah, I came in last, but to be fair, it was my friend’s 500 horsepower M5. lol
Is the Ferrari 458 available in manual?
Typically sacrilegious, the tuned Ferrari 458 scenario. Sometimes it entails adding a few turbochargers to the 4.5-liter V8 engine located amidships, which is fantastic as-is. Others interpret this as having to pound on a body kit or garish color that would look awful on a Saxo VTR. Sometimes it’s both.
However, this modified Ferrari 458? Just have a listen to the soundtrack in the trailer. It’s elegant. The engine has been largely unattended to. The body is still as beautiful as it was when Pininfarina originally sketched it out in pencil. This is a 458 Italia manual, ladies and gentlemen.
Let’s go back to 2009 for a moment. a chaotic year. It’s true that the credit crunch—remember that?—was in full force. Ferrari debuted their base V8 supercar without a manual transmission option for the first time, which had a significantly greater influence on our lives. The 458 Italia had a wondrous appearance and was in fact wondrous, but it only had a seven-speed DCT paddleshift transmission that it shared with a genuine Mercedes.
Apart from a small number of California taxis, no stick-shift Ferraris have left Maranello since, therefore it was very much the beginning of the end. However, one Texas-based business, the prosaically called European Auto Group, has determined that it is now necessary to rewrite history.
Does launch control speed up the car?
Launch control is essentially software, much like the changeable driving modes that are also starting to catch on. According to CarThrottle, its primary objective is to aid in a vehicle’s quickest and smoothest possible acceleration off the line. That entails maximizing power transfer to the ground while avoiding inefficient wheelspin.
The amount of power or torque your car possesses is not the only factor in acceleration, as we have addressed with reference to 0-60 mph times. You can’t simply push the throttle all the way down and expect to move since your tires have a limited amount of traction. In addition, smooth shifts and clutch action are important considerations if you have a manual transmission, according to PistonHeads. Launch control, according to Car and Driver, is used because there are too many moving parts for a human driver to keep track of.
Launch control is linked to a number of your car’s components, just like driving modes are. According to Car and Driver, the specific ones depend on the model and manufacturer of the vehicle. Launch control, in its most basic form, prepares the engine to rev to a particular RPM before the computer or you let off the clutch. According to Haltech, the right RPM is needed to allow the engine to develop power without smoking the tires.
However, as electronics have been incorporated into cars to a greater extent, so too has the software that links and controls them. The response of the engine is frequently coordinated by modern launch control systems, but they also manage the transmission, traction control, all-wheel-drive, and even the suspension.