I've said it before, and I'll say it again... you can launch the car repeatedly without worrying about the clutch if you do it right. Sure, you will affect the longevity, but by a reasonable amount. Our autocross car has logged over 700 launches from over 6k rpm... with sticky autocross tires. Even if you launch once or twice a week, and do it properly, you will be fine. Our original clutch is still grabbing as well as day 1.

BTW, a correct launch is to get the wheels spinning by popping the clutch... that way most of the stress gets dissipated through wheelspin. The launches from 4500 are WAY more damaging, because the tires grip and the engine bogs and the shock of the clutch dump goes through the driveline. As long as you get the tires aggressively spinning right off the bat, it won't hurt your car as much as you think... remember 700+ launches. Orginial clutch.

(Remember, we *needed* to launch to be competitive, so for the normal street car you don' t have to do it that often... but it's very fun, so once in a while is fine!)

 

Here's a quote from a Car and Driver comparison test:

"Because it doesn't come to life until its electronic tach hits six grand, the S2000 is extremely tricky to get out of the starting blocks in a major hurry without frying the clutch. Schroeder extracted a 5.8-second sprint to 60 mph by using methods we don't recommend unless you want to be on a first-name basis with your parts man."

These guys are car guys, many of them do some racing, and they use an electronic fifth-wheel as the instrumentation for their tests. Of course, they're testing one individual automobile provided by the manufacturer's publicity department. However, they do say that they try whatever method produces the best 0-60 times, lifting off the throttle for upshifts. And the traction coefficient will vary from one test location to another, but they do (I believe) apply standard SAE corrections for temperature, altitude, etc.

The point is that the S2000 is no dragster; they went on to rave about the car's performance on a road course, rating it ahead of a Boxster and and an M-roadster. (Not the 315 hp new M-roadster.)

I'll probably never get up the nerve to wind it up and then drop the clutch, but to those who do so I say, "More power to you." (Pun intended.)

The car is still a blast to drive. I don't think that anyone can come close to this much fun in a car for $10,000 more.

 

Thats odd, I've never seen Honda make this claim in any of the literature I read in magazines, at the dealership, on television ads, or on their web site. Can you point to a specific quote from them that originated with their testing and is not simply a regurgitated quote of a 3rd party magazine that did independant track testing? The dealer was unable to provide me with performance statistics measured by Honda...they gave me a page out of Car and Driver.

-B

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bguernsey
[B]

Thats odd, I've never seen Honda make this claim in any of the literature I read in magazines, at the dealership, on television ads, or on their web site.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jzr
[B]Have you been to the Honda website?

 

Excuse me for being naive, but can someone explain exactly what constitutes "dropping the clutch"? I mean, you can go from foot off the gas, easing out the clutch (just plaing driving), all the way to super high RPMs and just popping it out ... where does "dropping" start?

 

Dropping is the technique for popping the clutch all at once without ANY easing out. If you ease out at all at high RPM's you'll likely burn up the clutch. You generally move the tip of your toe off the edge of the clutch (harder to do with those pedals in the S2000) after revving to high RPM's. The difference between this and popping isn't that great- but popping implies no technique- just letting the clutch out at high RPM's. Dropping implies that you do not move your foot out with the pedal, but simply let the pedal go so there is no resistance from your foot at all.

At least I think that is the definition...

-B

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bguernsey
[B]

Dropping is the technique for popping the clutch all at once without ANY easing out.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bguernsey
[B]
But touche'! Honda's Flash designer claims the car can do 0-60 in 6 seconds, and his work is indeed an official representation on the Honda site.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bguernsey
[B]
But touche'! Honda's Flash designer claims the car can do 0-60 in 6 seconds, and his work is indeed an official representation on the Honda site.