Originally Posted by
BMWDriver
So that's with your e30 then ? Nicely done. Well, you do have 170 hp and a lighter car than he would. Torque is key, and high reving is also better if you want a quick start. I think people don't get that part very often, or they're afraid of pushing their new toy. Or they just don't know the figures on their engines and don't use it accordingly.
So, if you keep your hand on the shifter and shift speeds yourself, maybe you'll get a better response. You could chip it if it's limited. The idea is getting to the red limit and shift as late as possible, which automatic won't always do.
If I want a real great start with my e34 M50 (190hp @5900rpm 2.5L), I have to clutch in at around 4000-5000 rpm. Then I get sucked into my seat. If I really want to keep the power up, I shift around 7000. I gotta be careful because the limiter kicks in and I lose power. And when I hit the legal speed limit, well I go to fifth and cruise.
I surprised a 'vette once, kept up with him, and I could tell he really wasn't pushing his rig. T'was no real race, I just like a quick start, and I respected the speed limit as I always do. I suspected he was trying to get ahead of me from the right to get onto a ramp on the left to the highway, where I also was going. I suspected his move and did not accelerate further to counter him if; and sure enough, he let his engine howl up and passed me from the right instead of relenting behind me. "I thought so," said I to myself.
Well it was fun to hear his engine. What would have been had I a 540, I sometimes wonder... not to say an M5.