Being Quick Off the Mark

I don’t know what it is but it seems to me that everybody wants to accelerate from a stop light as if they were a Grand Prix driver, doesn’t matter whether they are in a Kia, a F-250 truck or a Lotus Elise; gotta put your foot down and go. This presents me with a problem as (a) I find the MINI not real good at quick starts and (b) I hate being beaten off the line by a pissant car or truck. Sometimes, usually if they have moved over to the outside lane just so they can beat me to the next block, I’ll take part but I won’t break the speed limit just to get ahead, and if the distance is long enough I am usually caught up by the time we get to 40mph or so. But I do wish I could get a better start off the line. Or that I could just let them go and not care about it. Or maybe even both.

7 thoughts on “Being Quick Off the Mark”

  2. Maybe you need to learn a little clutchwork…practice a little. I’m definitely one of those who likes to be first off the line, and rarely is anyone close to me. The speed limit is more than enough. Granted I have a JCW but I used to do the same with my last car which had hardly any power. It’s more of just having a manual and a clutch. And I don’t need to turn off DSC. Yeah you could rev to 4k and drop the clutch, but it is better for your clutch and everyone’s ears if you master the art of the clutch release while accelerating and releasing from about 2k.

  3. I’m finding since I put on the Dinan CAI my off-line is mucho better, still no rocket but about 20% better than stock. The noise from the supercharger is more intense now also but not abusive.

    PISSANT!? Love it.

  5. Jumping off the line was a lot of fun in my fathers ’67 chevelle with 350 hp, but as time marches on it’s a lot easier to just not care. Buying fuel efficient cars may have something to do with that as well. Maybe that fun will return when I get my 2007 MCS.

  6. My ’02 MCS has the stumble and definitely could not go fast off the line but I figured I should have no excuse in my ’05. I’ll just have to practice faster revs and a later clutch release.

Comments are closed.