New to stick shift, need info on launcing.

I know some similar questions previously, I think mine is different. Since I learnt to drive stick in my high school ten years ago, I've rarely driven a manual car. I bought my 2003 C4S four days ago. I can drive the manual fairly well, except for quick launches. What is the best way to launch a C4S without too much tire burning, for a decent launch in a day to day driving (the porsche way). (I am a newbie to stick, so nothing technical, just wondering as the traffic light is about to change green, should i keep the clutch barely engaged with rpm at X (what is the rpm) , and should i slowly let the clutch go or drop it, and should i floor the gas right away etc.). or is it just a learning curve that can only be learnt over time. Sorry for the dumb question.

Jeeva, never keep the clutch barely engaged for any lenght of time. I don't know about the best technique but the following is what I use for spirited get aways: 1. Figure out the pattern of lights in your area. Ours in Chicago are fairly simple: People turning get to go first and after a small pause, people going straight get to go. 2. This will help you to "be ready" for when the light turns green. Normally, I just leave it in Neutral but put it in gear right before the light is about to turn green. 3. Rev up to 2K and let go of the clutch as fast as you can, as smooth as you can (no dropping the clutch stuff). I can only do this best when I'm *actively* concentrating on getting as fast out of first gear as possible. 4. As soon as you feel engagement with the drivetrain, like the saying goes on this board, "drive it like you stole it!" One thing I have learned is that, unlike the e46 Bimmer, a 996 is VERY hard to stall. So practice step 3 progressivly faster but never abuse your clutch.

Never drop the clutch. Also, the more time the clutch is fully depressed and fully released, the longer your clutch will last. Never ride the clutch. It is similar to life, practice makes perfect. As you feel more comfortable, you will be able to generate faster launches. Lastly, if you bought your Porsche to spin the wheels on launch, you bought the wrong one!

What I do is this (Please correct me if I'm doing the wrong thing) 1-Clutch fully pressed, in 1st gear, RPM @ 2500. 2-Start releasing clutch slowly 3-As the clutch engages, and the car starts going forward, I completely remove my foot from the clutch and floor the accelerator. The result is a fast launch with a small tire chirp. But is this bad for the clutch? Yes, I think so.

That reads okay Leon, hopefully you are fully engaging the clutch faster than you are flooring the gas, and this is not noticeably jarring to the driveline. Apart from excessive clutch slipping, if it doesn't feel bad for the car it probably isn't. Jeeva, congrats on your purchase. I think I would practice getting off the mark quickly at low power for a while without slipping the clutch. I mean, see how quickly you can transition from initial engagement to full without lurching in the driveline, add power as your launches get crisper. You want the clutch partially engaged as briefly as possible, that is when virtually all of the wear occurs. Make sure to keep your foot entirely off the clutch pedal when you are not shifting or stopping, even the most gentle pressure can cause clutch wear.

Thanks for all the help, and no, wheel spinning is not important to me at all, infact i want to minimize it as much as possible. I just want to get quicker with my starts soon ( had it for only 4 days, and everyone wants to race with me off the traffic lights and i am not ready for it yet.)Lately, this maxima must really think he beat a porsche when he screeched off the traffic light. I was naive about the attention this car recieves, i thought only ferrari's draw this much attention, as i drive every joe passing by is staring at it. Lots of thumbs up from kids. Being a modest guy learning to drive stick, I need to get it on par quick. Your suggestions been great, but still having a blast with my C4S, cornering is unbelievable.

Jeeva, unless you drive A LOT in four days, you might just want to accumulate some miles on that new motor before drag racing it. Porsche ships pretty tight, mine was quite a bit quicker at 10,000 miles than new. Ease into it, gets better.

jeeva, you are on the right track. I know it can gat irritating when those socker mooms in the minivans take off from the green light by flooring their automatics you are still modulating the clutch and gas. Just take your time, keep driving that great car, and it will become second nature. Some say that's the reason the break-in period is 2000 miles. Not just to break in the car but to break-in the drivers as well. The C4S is a car that just cannot be ignored on the street. Punks and wannabees will egg you on regardless of the car they are driving. If you bite, it's like a cannon to a mosquito, way overkill. When the car is broken in, and you are comfortable with it, join your local PCA chapter and take that bad-*** car to autocross and racetrack. Then you'll know what that C4S is capable off. After that, next time any other car challenges you at a light, I guarantee you'll bust a gut you'll be laughing so hard.

Jeeva, The great thing about having a Porsche is that you know that you can kick the a$$ of just about every other car in God's creation. Just ignore the bozos that want to race you, because officer friendly will certainly notice your Porsche and probably not the idiot in the Maxima. Besides, drag racing on the street is very dangerous. Personally, I have found that since I have gotten my Porsche, I tend to take off slower than I did when I had my Ausi S4. Maybe it's just because I don't have to "prove" that my car is faster, I just know.

For what it's worth, I've been driving my C4 Cab for two weeks and am still having trouble getting smooth and consistent shifts. The car seems to like quick shifts, but both the throw and clutch are long. It's a good thing practice is so fun.

Yup, except for the 996 C2, GT-3, or any 993/996 Turbo. Or any late model Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Viper, Aston Martin Vantage/Vanquish, BMW Z8, Mercedes SL55 or E55, Audi RS6, some NSX's, Corvette Z-06, or Mustang SVT Cobra. Not to disrespect the C4S at all, just a reality check. We are somewhere near the end of the biggest horsepower race in history, no sense fragging your driveline over that one dimension of the car.

Don't get me wrong guys, I am having an unbelievable time with my 03 c4s cab. I don't need to launch hard to get pleasure out of this mean machine. Just, looking at it in my garage gives me an unbelievable rush, let alone starting that sweet boxter engine and cruising along the highway . It is that one instance that i was not aware of the maxima wanting to drag race, and me learning to drive the stick experience did not sit well with me But, that was two days ago, now i have forgotten all about it, but thanks for all the support <img border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" title="" src="graemlins/bigok.gif" /> iii911ooo, you are right that i know this car is one of the greatest of god's creations, in league with all those NMORE had mentioned, and i am not ashamed to be in the league with those other fine automobiles. Now, that i have taken my friday off, i am going to take this bad a$$ out for what i know will be an unforgettable wknd. <img border="0" alt="[bigbye]" title="" src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" />

To slightly shift this thread, since we seem to have concluded the original - my 01 C2 6spd seems to shift very clunkily in the stop and go traffic of the Nation's Capital. When I can drive on open roads, there are no issues- but when shifting UP from 1-2 and 2-3 at low speeds, when I depress the clutch there is a "clunk" sound / feeling as the car stops accelerating. If I hold my revs with the throttle during the shift, it minimizes this, but it is still there a bit. Any thoughts?

Hey Jeeva, your last post is kinda confusing. You say "Don't get me wrong guys, I am having an unbelievable time with my 03 c4s cab." They dont make a c4s cab.... YET. Just a misprint??? On your topic though, just drive it a lot and you will figure it out...

I don't know what i was thinking, mine is not a cab, it is a 2003 c4s. It is brain fart.

It'll run with most anything, at any even marginally realistic speed on on any public road. Have a ball, you will looking for ways to improve it even further before long, trust me!

On the C4S you've got PSM. Unless you turn it off, there is no way you'll spin the wheels on take off.