Willytrash

Tried doing a search but couldn't find anything. I never really beat my car but I do a read with interest that 0-60 and quarter miles times are more consistent with an Automatic Transmission car (A6). Just wondering from you smart guys why the A6's don't have launch control like the manual transmisson cars? Or does it not need it? Or is there an obvious answer I'm not thinking of? If launch control is so great on a stick shift would it not be great on an auto. What am I missing? Or is it because only old ladies and old men like myself buy Corvettes with automatic transmissions and there's no reason to put launch control on them because the car never gets abused?

Slammin07

If assume you're talking about a two step controller or something similar?
Nothing is engaged when a manual is sitting there pinned at the predetermined rpm. Automatics are already in gear when sitting in stage. I would imagine that standing on the brakes while revving a couple thousand rpms would be a really good method of destroying the stock torque converter... Or just doing a burnout at the line, there's always that lol.

Willytrash

Maybe I'm just not understanding how launch control works on a manual. Is it just that the tires only spin so much when launching and what would keep an automatic from just spinning it's tires till their down to the rims?

Seadawg

This video may help explain how launch control works on a manual corvette.

Willytrash

So after watching the video I'm seeing what I thought I would see. But I'm still wondering why an automatic wouldn't just spin it's tires to nothing but smoke? I can see why an auto wouldn't bog off the line but why wouldn't it just smoke the tires? Or is it that an auto just hooks up better?

Slammin07

Haha an auto can sit at the line and burn them too! I've done it a few times in my A6. It's just a matter of knowing the capabilities of your tires and knowing what you can get away with. For example, once I've staged my car, I'll hold one foot on the brake and the other on the gas. I only rev to about 1500 rpms because I know that once the green comes and I start getting into the throttle, much more than that can A) damage my car or B) cause me to spin out of the hole.
Going back to your original question, automatics are more consistent because there is no human error involved in shifting. A computer is shifting the gears at the exact same moment every single time. The only thing the driver has to do is be consistent out of the hole.

Willytrash

And that's what I would have thought also. So in order to keep them from spinning it would take a little more driver involvement to keep them from spinning unlike a manual with launch control. So there would be some value to a launch control on an automatic. And the real value in an automatic are the consistent shifts. It still takes some practice to launch an auto while a driver with a manual just sidesteps his clutch and then hopes he doesn't miss a shift.

Don-Vette

Some serious drag cars use a trans brake.

Slammin07

Pretty much!

HOXXOH

Both a manual and auto require driver skill to get the great launches. The relative consistency of the auto and the speed of the shifts are the deciding factor that usually overcome the greater ability of the manual to put power to the ground.