[Frankie P]

Some of the SMG manufacturers have programs or instructions to maximize acceleration in a straight line for 0-60 mph or 1/4 mile times. Is there a concensus among the membership as to how to launch the Maserati from a stop? My car won't move if I give it significant throttle from a stop. I presume the software is preventing the clutch from engaging and burning. If I roll forward slowly until the clutch has engaged, I can then floor it, but that technique is guaranteed to lose the all-important traffic-light drag races. How do we launch aggressively without frying the clutch? Any thoughts?

Grazie,

Frankie P

 

[MikeA]

Turn off MSR

I have found I can smoke the tires if I put my Spyder CC in Sport
and turn off MSR. This removes the computer monitoring and
correction for rear wheel spinning, so it is also 'easier' to lose control
on turns and spinout.
Hope this helps.
Mike

 

[Frankie P]

Thanks, Mike. You are correct that the car is more driver-controllable in Sport mode with the anti-slip turned off. My question refers more to launching the car. If you are at a traffic light, and you floor the car when the light turns green, what happens? My car doesn't move. It's not the intervention of the anti-slip that prevents it from moving. Rather, my car requires a judicious application of the throttle first to allow the clutch to hook up. As I said in my first post, then I can floor it and spin the tires and everything else. It's that initial delay that concerns me. Perhaps it is my car. Presumably, one could apply brake, then apply light throttle to get the clutch hooked up, then floor the accelerator and let off the brake. This has got to be hard on the clutch, but I don't see another way to instantaneously accelerate.

I realize this issue is perhaps in the fringe, but we've got performance cars and I like to know how to wring every last bit of performance out of my cars. It's not that I want to accelerate like this every day. Just knowing how to is important to me. I wonder if this issue comes up at the Maserati driving experience in Italy.

Thanks Again,

Frankie P

 

[scott]

On my M3 SMG we had that feature, You could hold gear lever forward and hit the gas and car would drop clutch at 1800 RPM. Even with that I still did not like and was a big reason I went the GT on my Spyder. The numbers for the M3 showed that SMG outperformed the regular on the track but was a little slower from 0-60 then evened out on the 1/4 mile. I have done a lot of searching online for these comparisons on Maserati but have come up empty. Overall I found the SMG to be a great feature but also am enjoying having the 3rd pedal again. This is making me start to think already which set up I will go with when I order a new Spyder next fall. If Maserati would give us two ways to shift, with paddles and lever like BMW, I would definitely go with Cambio.

 

[WDMinnow]

Frankie

I believe that the "lag" you are referring to when launching the car is the computer-controlled clutch take-up. I believe there were a number of complaints by owners of the first version of the Sofast software about the initial lurch on launch. Also, I think the software setup was burning out clutches in less than 10k miles. So the launch program was changed to allow for a much more progressive take-up. The downside is the "lag" on launch.

It is unfortunate that even though Ferrari and Maserati are really sister companies, Maserati does not employ the launch features present in the 360, 430 and Enzo.

I have floored mine from a standing start with MSP turned off, and there was still a lag off the start, but I could feel the rear tires breaking loose in first gear once the tach hit about 5000-5500 rpm. So while that punk in the hopped up Civic will smoke you from the line, rest assured that if you drive in a spirited fashion (read: 5000-7000 rpm) you'll leave him in the dust.

D.Min
Tulsa, OK
04 Porsche 911 GT3
04 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
05 Hummer H2

 

[cueball123]

This is exactly why i bought a GT

 

[marcw]

I haven't found any launch problems or hesitations in my 04 CC coupe. Of course since I always use my left foot for braking, I do start the gas slightly before lifting the brake pedal. I definitely don't try to rev the engine with the brake on and I don't floor it.

Marc

 

[sjohnston]

Acceleration from a stop

Has anyone tried "power braking"? Theoretically, it should work, releasing the brake as soon as the clutch engages, timing it with the "start". Scott J

 

[sjohnston]

Acceleration from a stop

Has anyone tried "power braking"? Theoretically, it should work, releasing the brake as soon as the clutch engages, timing it with the "start". Scott J

 

[thebimbo]

blah blah blah

 

[v12gte]

Re: Acceleration from a stop

this technique is probably guarranteed to fry the clutch, or so the owner's manual implies. The 20K clutch life is short enough on the CC...We will see how long my 6 speed lasts.

Has anyone tried "power braking"? Theoretically, it should work, releasing the brake as soon as the clutch engages, timing it with the "start". Scott J

 

[sjohnston]

I tried sport mode, and turning off MSP, there was still a delay on my CC. I don't think this was meant to be a drag racer..... oh well, stll love it.

 

[shifter]

Might want to try a throttle blip to about 3k rpm just before take-off (foot on the brake) then nail it. I do not mean to hold the throttle down while your foot is on the brake, as that would fry the clutch. Just blip it to 3000 rpm or so, then nail it. Getting it above 3k rpm is key since the clutch engagment hesitiation is taken up.

I can light up the tires with MSP off in sport mode using this process. Timing takes practice.

-Joe