[hun77777]

Originally Posted by AutopiaDR

Thats what i thought, but i asked because i had heard that it didnt make a difference. If there's no difference, whats the point in having a sport mode right?

to satisfy your butt dyno...

no, it will make difference in gearing and such but when you floor the qtr mile and such, usually the difference in time is very minimal to notice...

[McLuVan]

Originally Posted by sleepdoc

Best way to launch is in manual mode, M1, powerbrake to about 1500.

1500 or a bit higher if you "want to get down crazy ese"

[sflgator]

Originally Posted by AutopiaDR

Thats what i thought, but i asked because i had heard that it didnt make a difference. If there's no difference, whats the point in having a sport mode right?

Yes, there is a difference; compare D mode and DS Mode in a tuned 335i. Personally, like others have said, I only use Manual Mode with the Paddles, but again, it's still in DS and then I click the paddles to start. And btw -- yes, when starting from a standstill, I start out in M1 or M2 even; then WOT to redline and flip the paddle into the next gear.

[StarrDlux]

ds always starts in 1
d always starts in 2nd gear

ds will hold revs at 5000rpm after you let off after driving very aggressively for a few seconds in case you need to get on it again.

very different modes. for the most part i like DS for city driving (breakin' the law) and D is nice for everyday.

the paddle shifters seem backwards. i think because i used tip on the audi and its ass-backwards or bmw is ass-backwards. so i have to re-learn from scratch

for some reason upshifting seems more natural to push the shifter forward and pull back for downshift. the paddles should be left and right imo. i bet you could rewire them if you dare so they are like typical paddle shifter cars.

what about holding both paddles back and flooring it they forgot to implement that one

[sflgator]

Originally Posted by StarrDlux

ds always starts in 1
d always starts in 2nd gear

ds will hold revs at 5000rpm after you let off after driving very aggressively for a few seconds in case you need to get on it again.

very different modes. for the most part i like DS for city driving (breakin' the law) and D is nice for everyday.

the paddle shifters seem backwards. i think because i used tip on the audi and its ass-backwards or bmw is ass-backwards. so i have to re-learn from scratch

for some reason upshifting seems more natural to push the shifter forward and pull back for downshift. the paddles should be left and right imo. i bet you could rewire them if you dare so they are like typical paddle shifter cars.

what about holding both paddles back and flooring it they forgot to implement that one

Actually, I think the Paddle Shifters as BMW set them up are very inuitive and easy to use. Since both the left and right paddles do the same thing (pull - upshift and push - downshift), you can use just one hand on the wheel for 'around town' easy driving if you need to (although I hold the wheel with both hands ~ 95% of the time and shift using the right paddle) and shift up/down using the same hand whether left or right. Also, the groove in back of each paddle makes it easy to grip for an upshift. Pushing the paddle with your thumb to downshift feels very normal with your hand on the wheel as well. Anyway, it's quite easy to get used to, imho.

[Heat00]

funny I still have that prob sometimes.... my previous cars' paddles were reverse and sometimes I still hit forward instead of backward lol...and downshift instead of upshift...it is quite annoying and 100% operator error...

I got so used my G35S and the paddles were reverse, I'm not sure which are a$$ backward..

bottom line is... the only 2 races I've had, left it DS both times and didn't mess with the paddles... and I am 2-0. It seems just fine letting it shift automatically however in the turns etc, it is fun to take over with manual (paddles).

[Heat00]

I agree with starr, I do think downshift should be upshift, it does seem backward to me.

[trueblue]

Originally Posted by StarrDlux

ds always starts in 1
d always starts in 2nd gear

As someone already state it, when you floor it (the kick down activates in D), both D and DS will start in 1st gear. This is very easy to verify by slowing down the throttle press just a little and still flooring it at the end, you will feel the kick down into first (this was also proven at drag strips already, nearly identical ET, difference comes from reaction time). When done fast you can't feel the difference.

The difference in the D and DS mode has absolutely nothing to do in a "drag racing" scenario (which is the OP). It only comes into play in cornering situations such as spirited mountain twisties, or on the track. DS simply selects the lower gear and shift at higher rpm to keep the car in the power band longer (better corner exiting speed).

[StarrDlux]

how do ralley cars operate? i guess if audi and lexus are opposite bmw must have a reason.

i'm gripping the steering wheel at wot maybe my hands are too small to get good position.

it would be nice if you could just use i-drive to remap +/- to shift in the positon you like as thats quite nice for just trucking around and thumbing it.

i dont plan to ever track the car but do enjoy steptronic sometimes. guess its just a steep re-learning curve.

someone make a product that inverts the flappy paddles i'd buy that

i love how it rev-matches on downshifts and blips the throttle even in "D" when you let off the gas on aggressive driving. pretty slick.

[Jeff335i]

Originally Posted by trueblue

nearly identical ET, difference comes from reaction time

At the dragstrip, reaction time is NEVER included in the ET. Timing for ET only begins when the car moves out of the staging light beam. Reaction time is the time between when the green light illuminates and the car leaves the staging beam. You can have a 2 hour reaction time and it won't change your ET by a nanosecond.

For serious drag racing your staging strategy can have a significant impact. A real drag race is won by the car that crosses the finish line first, not the person with the lowest ET or quickest reaction time (unless the same person has the quickest reaction time AND the lowest ET of course). It's possible to lose a drag race but have a quicker ET than the winner if the winner's reaction time can make up for their slower ET. That's called winning by the holeshot.

Most people here seem to be looking for the fastest ET because that's where the bragging rights lay unless you are in organized racing.

To get the fastest ET and trap speed at the dragstrip, you want to stage "shallow" or at the start of the rollout distance. Since most street cars have about 12 inches of rollout (the front-to-back distance where the tire blocks the staging beam), if you stop the car just as the staged light illuminates that means that your car will accelerate for the 12" (or so) rollout distance before the ET clock even starts, essentially giving you a running start. However this makes your reaction time (as measured) correspondingly longer. But who cares about reaction time when in this case all that matters is ET and/or trap speed?

If you stage "deep" (i.e., car at the far end of the rollout) then your ETs will be higher and your trap speed lower but your reaction time will measure better. Staging deep is usually the best strategy for a real race between two very closely matched cars because in that case the driver's reaction time plays a bigger role in who gets to the end of the track first.

[lablueboy]

Originally Posted by StarrDlux

how do ralley cars operate? i guess if audi and lexus are opposite bmw must have a reason.

i'm gripping the steering wheel at wot maybe my hands are too small to get good position.

it would be nice if you could just use i-drive to remap +/- to shift in the positon you like as thats quite nice for just trucking around and thumbing it.

I like the idea that you press the Paddle forward it goes forward and pull it back it goes forward.. on both sides.. u can't miss, even while turning.

[Wires]

Their paddles do match the shift lever (forward downshifts, back upshifts), and it does make sense from the you usually thrust the manual stick forward into a lower gear, and back for a higher (1-2 shift for example),

But I had major issues getting used to the direction, and I have no idea why. I want to pull back to downshift (like Audi and Nissan), and I've never driven either. Weird.....

[StarrDlux]

i think thrusting is a more natural action than pushing so in the heat of the moment pushing the shifter forward requires less thought to get +1 gear.

i guess i'll go find somewhere and work it out over the holidays