Other than just tromping on the gas pedal, is there a driving technique that improves the standing start of the 1999 SL 500 (R129)?

I don't want to cause unnecessary wear and tear.

Not that standard 6.1 to 6.5 standard 0 to 60 time (as written in the magazines over the years) is bad. But in reality that seems to be a bit elusive.

The performance varies a lot from run to run. Sometimes close to 6.0 and other times up to 7.0 seconds.

That was befor MB replaced a air mass sensor on the extended warranty inspection / final standard warranty work visit to the service dept.

After that work I senced (or imagined?) better performance, but really have not timed accurately since then.

Some time in the future when it really counts (like maybe holding my own with a Mustang GT or other common sports / sporty car), with confidence, I'd like to be the best I can be off the line.

A professional car test drive article I read once (not Mercedes) claimed to achieve the best performance off the line with that particular automatic car by holding the brake and building revs before popping the break pedal.

I understand the basic numbers ... the 1999 R129 has 304 HP and 342 ft-lbs of tourque, the tourque being plentyfull and steady after 2,500 rpm. Not jumping off the line is a fairly often documented characteristic of the R129.

I imagine it would be pretty hard on the transmission to rev to 2,500 rpm while standing on the brake ... or dropping from neutral into drive at 2,500 rpm (I'm not 18 burning fish hooks any more).

Does switching off ESP on hot & sticky roads boost the initial tourque delivery? Wheel spin of cource is no good.

Not having any street racing experience, I wouild like to illiminate some trial and error.

Feedback would be appreciated.

 

i think holding the brake all te way down, then revving till 2500-3000 is the best way, just make sure you dont hold it for a long time at once. switching from N to D i believe is real bad for the tranny.

 

better to turn ESP off because it limits the throttle when you floor that pedal

 

OK. ESP off. I thought so.

A calculated short stint of hard breaking while reving to 2,500 rpm ... then a quick release of the brake. Left foot brake, right foot gas pedal would be best I supose.

That probably takes a bit of practice to pull off in a short sequence of motions when trying to time a green light change.

Is that the automatic transmission equivelant of popping the clutch?

I wouldn't be doing this very often ... but I wonder if anyone has experienced premature trnsmission problems for using such a brake stand approach.

 

Pretty much as you described it: hold left foot on brake, right foot on throttle, hold revs up, and simultaneously lift foot off brake while flooring throttle. Traction control off.

The trick is to limit wheelspin: too much and you'll lose time, as you're not moving much while your wheels are spinning; too little and you won't get out of the hole as quickly. You want just a bit of spin off the line, but not *too* much.

So, the optimum rpm is the highest you can hold it at without getting excessive spin! Experiment: 2,500 may be too high and cause too much spin; if so, drop down. Before I put 265's on the back of my CLK55, I could not use this procedure at all, as it would simply result in too much violent wheelspin. Now, it varies: sometimes I can get up to 1,700 or so, but more often, I still need to launch at 1,200 or so.

As long as you don't do it excessively, it shouldn't harm the tranny. Good luck!