How to Perform a Launch Control?

[McEmiliano]

Turn off the vehicle's ESP stability system (if equipped); Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot (this is crucial to prevent the vehicle from lurching forward dangerously when flooring the accelerator). Press the accelerator pedal to the floor with your right foot (engage KickDown if the model is equipped with it); When the RPM climbs to the optimal launch RPM, abruptly release the brake. Activate the launch control mode (or select a driving mode that includes launch control); Disable the vehicle's ESP stability system (if manual deactivation is required). Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot; Press the accelerator pedal to the floor with your right foot; When the RPM reaches the optimal launch RPM, abruptly release the brake.

[DiLaura]

Having played with cars for so many years, I consider launch control a basic skill for performance car enthusiasts. First, turn off the electronic stability control, press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot, and floor the throttle with your right foot until the revs reach the upper half of the redline—the engine will roar like a beast being choked. Hold it for two seconds to let the turbo build full boost, then instantly release the brake with your left foot while keeping the throttle pinned! You’ll feel like a cannonball being shot out, with your back slammed into the seat. Honestly, though, most modern cars now come with a launch control mode—for example, my Golf R activates it just by pressing both the brake and throttle simultaneously. But a word of warning: doing this three times with a dry dual-clutch transmission will pretty much kill it, and each launch shaves off at least 3,000 km of gearbox lifespan!

[LenaRose]

The most crucial factor for a successful launch is actually tire temperature. Last time I took my friend's Civic Type-R to the track, launching with cold tires was just a tire-smoking show—the smoke was so thick it looked like a fire scene. The proper method is to warm up the tires by doing two laps in Sport mode first, letting the tire pressure drop to around 2.0 for optimal grip. The moment you floor both the brake and throttle, you can feel the clutch discs grinding like red-hot iron. That launch moment is all about synchronization—releasing the brake too early results in insufficient RPM, while releasing it too late damages the clutch. Once I saw a rookie attempt a launch by releasing both brake and throttle simultaneously, and the car just stalled embarrassingly at the starting line.

[AbigailMarie]

As a seasoned driver who has owned three generations of Subaru STIs, launching is a completely different experience between AWD and RWD. When launching my friend's Mustang GT, it felt like riding a crazed bull - the steering wheel fought back violently, requiring me to pre-emptively turn it 15 degrees just to go straight. Our racing team always installs launch control systems when modifying Japanese performance cars - this magical device precisely controls clutch engagement timing and RPM. However, last month a heavily modified WRX launched too aggressively and instantly turned its transmission gears into metal shards, costing over 4,000 yuan just for roadside recovery.