What RMP do you shift your C7?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 262
From: swoyersville pa
What RMP do you shift your C7?
autocrossing ( 15 events) i have noticed that short shifting (5500) rmp has gave me better times than hitting top of red line (6500), i have a a6 auto but also would like to hear about m7. truth be told i have only red lined 2nd gear going into 3rd at pocono track. the fact that my 2nd gear go's to 80mph keeps me out of 3rd in parking lots, ect.-- also would anyone know how much less MPH till red line a auto a6 z51 car get's than my non-z51 car in 1st and 2nd gear? ( they have a lower rear gear) it seems i get 40 mph out of 1st. thank you
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,074
Likes: 309
One of the things I picked up while trying to figure out how to compete against lighter, more powerful cars was that the shift point should occur so that the rpm drop puts you at peak torque. The car I was driving at the time needed a different shift point for each gear to do that, so I calculated each shift point and started using them as much as possible and I did pick up some time.
The difficulty comes where you are just too busy steering to do a shift. What you might do then, is find a place where you can short-shift so that you can continue accelerating without hitting the rev limiter.
The difficulty comes where you are just too busy steering to do a shift. What you might do then, is find a place where you can short-shift so that you can continue accelerating without hitting the rev limiter.
Intermediate
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 37
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Borrowing from a I post I made in another forum:
Take a look at the dyno and gearing map:
According to the dyno graph, the RWHP drops off to about 390 at redline. This is about the same power the car is making at 5k rpm. Now look at the red (base) and blue (Z51) lines representing manual gearing in the second graph (sorry, I don't have the A6 or A8 ones).
Every shift 1st through 5th (and you won't be using 6th or 7th on the track) drops you below 5k rpm, even at redline. If you shift before redline, you'll be giving away horsepower.
That said, unfortunately banging out laps at redline in this car seems to overheat the engine, so some strategic short-shifting isn't a bad idea for longer sessions. There's also the possibility that shifting in the middle of a particular corner might upset the balance of the car, and making the shift early could help settle it through that corner resulting in a net positive, despite giving away power.
However, for pure acceleration, going to redline is the best.
Take a look at the dyno and gearing map:
According to the dyno graph, the RWHP drops off to about 390 at redline. This is about the same power the car is making at 5k rpm. Now look at the red (base) and blue (Z51) lines representing manual gearing in the second graph (sorry, I don't have the A6 or A8 ones).
Every shift 1st through 5th (and you won't be using 6th or 7th on the track) drops you below 5k rpm, even at redline. If you shift before redline, you'll be giving away horsepower.
That said, unfortunately banging out laps at redline in this car seems to overheat the engine, so some strategic short-shifting isn't a bad idea for longer sessions. There's also the possibility that shifting in the middle of a particular corner might upset the balance of the car, and making the shift early could help settle it through that corner resulting in a net positive, despite giving away power.
However, for pure acceleration, going to redline is the best.
