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Launch Control

9K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  CCPotenza 
#1 ·
I recently purchased a 2005 Gransport. I bought the car to drive it to its full potential. However, I cannot figure out how to launch the damn thing. If anyone knows how to launch this Italian hunk of steel please let me know. I am growing very frustrated after paying 100,000 and having little BMW M3's beat me off a launch.
 
#2 ·
Put it in sport, stomp the gas. It'll go just fine. Don't try to "ease" the gas in.
 
#3 ·
I don't know if the GranSport programming is different, but there is no launch control on the Coupe. With regard to M3's beating you off the line, I'm afraid even lesser cars can accomplish that. Interestingly, the M3 and the Maserati post nearly identical times to 60 mph. The Maserati pulls only slightly ahead in the 1/4 mile, being a couple of tenths quicker. Obviously, then, the Maserati makes up for it's lack of launch control once the tires hook up. Having owned many M3's, I feel the Maserati is quicker gear for gear in various speed intervals, 30-50, 50-70, etc., though this may be more perception than reality on my part. In any event, many cars are now in the sub 5 second 0-60 mph range, performance once reserved only for cars baring German and Italian names. Many of these cars cost well under 100k; Corvette, Subaru WRX Sti, various Dodge SRT products, etc. I initially found the lack of a more agressive launch frustrating as well, but ultimately, I don't engage in stop light racing to often. Been there, done that. Enjoy the car for the experience it brings; high performance, exclusivity, Italian craftmanship in the hand-made sense of the word, beautiful design, etc. Should this not work for you, but you otherwise like everything else about the car, I suggest you order a Coupe GT. With just a few modifications (many of which have been discussed and enjoyed by members of this forum) you will have better-than-GS performance and the ability to launch aggressively. Good luck!
 
#4 ·
I agree......I recently purchased an 06 GranSport and get beat by most every car off the line. It becomes the sadest when I know I am trying to beat a car off the line, but they are not, and I still can't.
Oh well, it sure does look and sound cool. And, you can't put a price on not seeing them all over the road (like M3's and such).
Enjoy!
 
#6 ·
m3 vs gs on track

i believe the gs is the best out of the 2 cars on race track, road and track has the gs slalom at like 72 or 73 mph and the m3 isnt even close. If the tires gt hot and then the gs starts to get into itw own, the m3 has no chance no mattter how good the m3 launches
 
#8 · (Edited)
May I suggest the eurotek mod... plenty of info about that on this board.

It converted my relatively sedate GS into the car I thought I purchased.

RQ

P.s.: I am sooo tired of hearing comments preceded by the ubiquitous "on a 100k car..." - they range from "...should have a cup holder / stereo / great NAV" and so on.

My old 2001 Z06 would smoke most anything and you can get it for about 35k today. Spend 2k more and you can smoke 99.1% of anything on the street and even on a straight track. So what.

P.s.s.: I kept my new e46 M3 less than 4 months because as big a BMW fan as I have been the thing just bored me to tears, that beautiful I6 engine was just spread much too thin on that iteration. Have you tried keeping your GS in sports mode, no MSP and stomping on it?
 
#10 ·
The Maserati has the same problem the last gen. Mustang Saleens had...that is, too much power and too light of a rear end. Best way to solve the 0-60 issue is to buy some fatter shoes. I think if you put on 295 or 315 width tires, much of that wheel spin issue can be solved.
 
#12 ·
Well thanks for all your input. Its not the fact that those all those JDM cars are lighter and some of them can beat me, it just upsets me that most of them have a launch control feature and we do not. And those who say just stomp on the gas and see what happens believe I have driven this car in ways that would probably make the Pininfarina guys cry.

But, for track purposes like quarter miles I was hoping to have an easier way of launching. Hopefully next time I go I will try and get some videos of the Gransport taking the M3's and Evo's. The only car I fear for now is the z06 (being a previous owner). Anyway, thanks again for the input.
 
#14 ·
In my view, Launch Control is just a gimmicky way of chucking a load of power into the gearbox from high revs. I have used it in an M3 and while is is brutal on the componants, I dont think it launched the car any quicker than I did it manually. It is like holding the revs high and just dumping the clutch. It is so brutal that the M3 wont let you do it consecutively - it makes you wait until the warning light dissappears and LC is available again.
In my car (a 4200 CC), it goes very well simply by planting the accelerator on the floor in Sport mode. The car manages the grip pretty well however, with the MSP mode off, you will smoke the rears.
 
#15 ·
You CAN smoke the tires if you want to, and have a blistering launch (not with 'launch control'). This is for CC cars.
Put the car in Sport, turn off MSP (this is the most important step), and stomp on the gas. If you want to use the clutch a bit to get the most out of it, keep the brake depressed and run up the rpm a bit and then stomp it.
You can smoke the tires for a loooooong way if you really want to.
That said, track time is more fun and proves more of the heritage of the car than 1/4 mile drag races.
Mike
 
#16 ·
What it's capable of...

I was out at a track day today, and saw a Red GranSport consistently running down, catching and passing 360s as often as the driver wished to. He just had to modulate power coming out of turns or it would oversteer. This is strictly down to driver talent. The LSD makes brake torquing rather a bit much. You can put down the power, you just have to handle it gently.
 
#17 ·
considering the very similar engine specs of a mid engined 360 vs a GS which is 600lbs heavier, i am amazed that it is passing the 360s as often as the driver wishes.

driver talent for sure would be one thing. guts another. cost of replacement or repair would be another reassuring factor to really push a GS compare to a 360.
 
#18 ·
haha said:
at over 3800 lbs. almost any JDM's will beat you off the line as well... stay away :)
What is 3800 lbs? A GS? I doubt it. Curb weight for my coupe is listed as 3510.
 
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