Zax63

I'm trying to figure out the best launch technique for my new e63.

New member, but have been reading your threads for a few months while making a car purchase decision. I've never posted to a forum before, but this is perplexing me. I have drag raced a series of cars before, but they have all been manual shift. On all factory stock cars, I could run the magazine published number or better. Skipping that pesky clutch during shifts and not lifting always helped. I became a Benz owner in '01, but they have all been slow ones (e320, e500).

I spent months looking for a clean E55, but kept getting dissapointed during inspection - various forms of beatdowns kept me from buying each car. I am both helped and hampered by the fact that I only buy cars from my local MB dealer who is a friend of mine. After the last 2006 e55 came in looking like it had spent the past three months in a high school autobody shop, My dealer friend cut me a break on a 2007 Black/Black e63 p2 pano. Love the car, but definitely not the brute down low the e55 was, as anticipated.

With the E55, the monster torque was addictive. At 40 on an onramp, hammer down, rubber. The E63 develop massive hps, but the launch has been less than impressive. I raced a buddy of mine in a Cherokee SRT8 just to see how I could stand up to a four wheel drive launch and owned him by 30 feet. He got a half car length at launch, then power to weight took over. Launch was ESP off, manual mode to assure full RPM shift, no brake torque, peddle the car at green.

But even the e550 loaner car I drove while waiting for my car to arrive would light the tires with trac off with abandon. With trac off, the 63 will briefly light a tire or two and then go. The car only has 500 miles on it. Is there an abuse algorithm built into the computer that keeps the car from developing max torque for the first 1000 miles? Is it just because the car has a steep torque curve due to a hot cam or the four valve head? (More absolute power, but 1000 RPM suffers? Should I load the brakes, or is the computer going to not like that? Lock up torque converter with brake, 1500 RPM Launch? When I get over 1000 miles, I'm taking it to the track, and I'd prefer not to get killed by every e55 I run into. BTW, I don't normally break a car in this hard, but from what I have read here and from talking to my dealer, the motor was bench broken at the factory, and I always make sure the oil is warm. I'm eagerly watching Vadim's thread on perfomance mods. I'd appreciate any thoughts!

Vadim @ FD

Zax: Give until 1200 miles. Still drive it hard, but I would not be surprised if there are break-in limiters of some kind.

juicee63

I find the 63 gets off the line better than the 55. Power braking is futile unless you can hold her at above 2500. I have gotten some good launches @ 1200, but they seem equal to leaving off idle. Your car is not going to do anything remotely close to the 55 with 500 miles on the clock. I can melt my tires off, can smoke them at 70 mph and have some very long burnouts , 330 plus feet. You will beat plenty of 55's once your car reaches near 2k. Drive it hard and watch your shift points closely. Temp is critical and my car seems quickest at 50-63 degrees and oil temp under 90 C. Here is the best way to get the Torque. USE D/S but downshift to 1 then let the car shift out @ 7200. If it shifts pre 7k you need to work on this . This is the most critical shift. In second and third similar 7k plus shifts should occur. Good luck , do not let the infant 63 concern you.

Zax63

Thanks Vadim and Juciee63... two replies from the posters I wanted replies from. You got to figure "fastest cls63" has figured out launches. And Vadim, people seem to have serious respect for (should I say fear of?) your skills. Too bad I'm on the East coast or I'd pay for to go for a ride in your 911. I'm watching what you come out with for the 63 motor. And I'll post my first run below 12.7. I'm thinking first mods - powerchip, remove charcoals, LSD, drags on lighter wheels?

juicee63

There is always room to improve. Training your car to drive how you like is is #1 on the importance meter. You are lucky you are East Coast, (access to higher Octane) which I believe will help your car up top. Your car will be rocket fast with the simple mods you lkisted. If you get the lighter wheels and some sticky tires, well I can say you will certainly have a chance to be "the fastest 63". The launch , the perfect launch for me came off @ 1100 RPM AND rather than mashing I moderately stepped on the pedal. I have yet to be consistant under 1.9 60 fts. This car is new so get in the game and it wont be long till you will be achieving RECORD RUNS.

TopGun32

you will beat plenty of 55's??

ok...

disclaimer: just hope the E55 are stock and the driver gives you the jump. Other than that.. its a drivers race does not matter how you slice it and dice it.

juicee63

You will lose to plenty as well, but learning to get the car out w/o traction loss is the most critical aspect of a race. I dont give a sh*t what mods you have, you lose traction you lose the race.

chiromikey

i wouldn't be too quick to say that. a mid 11 second car with traction problems and a decent driver will have no problem catching a mid 12 second car by the end of the 1/4mile.

juicee63

LOL,

would a decent driver lose traction?


I guess all the folks I have raced have been bad drivers.


"no problem catching a mid 12 second car"

Wonder why they never catch me if it is "no problem"

I agree in principle it should be no problem, but heck an 11 second car should beat a 12 second car by 100 plus feet. Losing traction makes for a difficult race IMO , it is a problem and not one you want to have on the race track. I lost traction and was beaten by a MAXIMA, it is embarrasing and not something you should try and make up with your mods.

night

chiromikey

everyone loses traction from time to time, even professionals...so YES a decent driver could easily do it too. you've run at lacr so you should know better than submitting that question. you should also understand that my point was that a decent driver can respond to the situation and correct it quicker than an inexperienced one.

i made no comments about any of your races and don't know anything about the drivers you've won against or cars that couldn't catch up. in my experience, unless i give up after losing traction, i've not had much trouble reeling in mid 12 second cars before the traps.

there's a pretty big difference between a 12 second car and an 11 second car so for you to say you don't give a **** and will beat anything that loses traction is like asking me to believe a "one that got away" story.

and do you really expect me to believe that you think we're trying to make up for lost traction (or the implied poor driving) by modding our cars? i'd have an easier time believing you if you said we were compensating for something else.

we can debate this over beers when you make it to phx on your drag racing tour!

Zax63

Topgun 32...I agree with you. Losing to a e55 is my primary concern because they are so easy to mod- that's why I spent so much time looking for an unmolested one that I could mod. I love that low end, and the tranny is like an old mucie M22 Stonecrusher in terms of torque handling capacity. (albeit not a manual 4spd) A guy posted fairly recently that he ran the same track I run and ran a 12.4 bone stock in an e55. That would be a tough car to beat with a bone stock e63 unless I got a phenomenal launch. He also said he was coming back with more firepower ( chip, pulley, etc.) I figure he'll be back running 11.8's if he can launch. and it sounds like he can. I don't want to rely on the guy I'm racing having a sh*t launch to beat him. That's like saying I'm going to get into a gunfight with a guy who has a much faster gun/draw then me and hope he gets hung up. Not too smart. So I posted here to figure out how to launch this b-tch right. And I've got to figure out what mods will get me down into the high 11's if I launch right. And that way I'm the one with the luxury of recovering from a bad launch and reeling the other guy in if I can, Chiromikey. And btw, I'm pretty sure that the minor mods I listed in my first post ain't getting me into the 11's. But I'm being premature. Let me get over 1500 miles and run some baseline numbers. I'd be happy to lay down a 12.6 in my first five runs.

juicee63

No I was not suggesting that at all. Having mods is great and obviously puts your car in a different league. Losing traction is as frustrating as running with a bad pump. All I am saying is it makes the slower car more equal. You putting the power to the pavement with minimal to zero traction loss would result in a nice waxing of my CLS. I would be happy to meet ya and run, and I would hope you could have a good day and produce some times w/o any trouble. Could I beat you ? uh yeah if you lost traction or your car broke. Learning to launch is really IMO the most important skill.

Have a great day

Zax63

Juicee63, its way too early in CA... what the hell are you doing up? I agree about the launch being the most important part of racing your car, I've beaten vipers in my vette when the viper guy can't drive. But a whole heapload of power sure helps. I'm going to work.

juicee63

Off to work bro!

Power helps but dam do not make it useless. The 63 is very smooth, its really trying to get out @ max torque with the least amount of spin. Practice on the street from light to light see where you can hold the car (power brake) w/o spinning. Have a great day

TopGun32

11's...

I'm with you on that.. I hoep you complete your project.

next year I want to pick up a used CLS63/e63 or new C63.