Launch control (automotive)
Encyclopedia
Launch control typically refers to an electronic aid which is used to assist the drivers of various motorsport
s at the start of a race.
Launch control also refers to an electronic setting on many modern sporting saloons and coupes which help the driver accelerate from a standing start, to gain the most effective "launch". Popular automobile
s with launch control include the BMW M series, certain marques of the Volkswagen Group
with Direct-Shift Gearbox
(most notably the Bugatti Veyron
), Porsche
911, Panamera Turbo, and certain General Motors
products. Mitsubishi also incorporated launch control into their Twin Clutch SST
gearbox, on its "S-Sport" mode, but the mode is only available in the Evolution X MR and MR Touring (USDM). The Nissan GT-R
has electronics to control launch but the company does not use the term "launch control" since some owners have equated the term with turning off the stability control
to launch the car, which may void the warranty of the drivetrain.
. The software drives the accelerator according to engine specifications to make the car accelerate smoothly and as fast as possible, avoiding spinning of the drive wheels, engine
failure due to over-revving, and clutch
and gearbox problems. This feature is only available at the start of the race, when the car is stopped in the starting grid. After the car is running at a certain speed, the software is disabled.
, it led to the introduction of this type of software.
's RE60 F1 car stored information on a diskette which was later unloaded at the pits
, giving the engineers detailed data about the cars' behaviour. Later on, telemetry
allowed the data to be sent by a radio connection between the pits and the car. The increase of electronic-driven devices on the car allowed the engineers to modify the settings of certain parameters on the car while it was on the track, this being called bi-directional telemetry.
Among the electronic driving aids were a semi-automatic transmission
, an anti-lock braking system
(ABS), a traction control system
, and active suspension
. The pinnacle of the automated driving aids was achieved by Williams F1 team on its 1993 FW15C
model, which featured them all. This rising trend was put to a halt by the FIA by outlawing them for the 1994 season, considering that it took too much work out of the drivers' hands. Bi-directional telemetry was also forbidden, which was soon reinstated as the FIA found it too hard to analyse the engine programmes in order to search for hidden code that could be found breaking the rules.
Fully automatic transmission
and launch control were allowed again from the Spanish GP 2001 onwards, but as of 2004 those are forbidden for the sake of budget reduction of F1 teams.
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
s at the start of a race.
Launch control also refers to an electronic setting on many modern sporting saloons and coupes which help the driver accelerate from a standing start, to gain the most effective "launch". Popular automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s with launch control include the BMW M series, certain marques of the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
with Direct-Shift Gearbox
Direct-Shift Gearbox
The Direct-Shift Gearbox , commonly abbreviated to DSG, is an electronically controlled dual clutch multiple-shaft manual gearbox, in a transaxle design - without a conventional clutch pedal, and with full automatic, or semi-manual control...
(most notably the Bugatti Veyron
Bugatti Veyron
The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of . The original version has a top speed of...
), Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
911, Panamera Turbo, and certain General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
products. Mitsubishi also incorporated launch control into their Twin Clutch SST
Twin Clutch SST
Twin Clutch SST is the brand name of a six-speed dual clutch transmission developed by Getrag for Mitsubishi Motors...
gearbox, on its "S-Sport" mode, but the mode is only available in the Evolution X MR and MR Touring (USDM). The Nissan GT-R
Nissan GT-R
The Nissan GT-R is a sports car produced by Nissan released in Japan on December 6, 2007, the United States on July 4, 2008, and the rest of the world in March 2009.-History:...
has electronics to control launch but the company does not use the term "launch control" since some owners have equated the term with turning off the stability control
Electronic stability control
Electronic stability control is a computerized technology that may potentially improve the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and minimizing skids. When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver intends to go...
to launch the car, which may void the warranty of the drivetrain.
How it works
Launch control operates by using an electronic-driven accelerator and a computer programComputer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
. The software drives the accelerator according to engine specifications to make the car accelerate smoothly and as fast as possible, avoiding spinning of the drive wheels, engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
failure due to over-revving, and clutch
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...
and gearbox problems. This feature is only available at the start of the race, when the car is stopped in the starting grid. After the car is running at a certain speed, the software is disabled.
Reason for use
In high-performance racing vehicles, the driver has a very small threshold when it comes to acceleration. High power delivered by the engine to the gearbox and driven wheels cannot be easily managed even by the most experienced drivers. Faced with this issue, and with the growing development of electronics during the 1980s1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, it led to the introduction of this type of software.
History
In 1985, RenaultRenault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
's RE60 F1 car stored information on a diskette which was later unloaded at the pits
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
, giving the engineers detailed data about the cars' behaviour. Later on, telemetry
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
allowed the data to be sent by a radio connection between the pits and the car. The increase of electronic-driven devices on the car allowed the engineers to modify the settings of certain parameters on the car while it was on the track, this being called bi-directional telemetry.
Among the electronic driving aids were a semi-automatic transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
, an anti-lock braking system
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
(ABS), a traction control system
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
, and active suspension
Suspension
Suspension may refer to:In science and engineering:*Suspension , in mathematics*Suspension , in mathematics*Suspension , mixture of two chemicals with the property that one does not rapidly settle out...
. The pinnacle of the automated driving aids was achieved by Williams F1 team on its 1993 FW15C
Williams FW15C
The Williams FW15C was a Renault-powered Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey and built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. It was raced by Alain Prost and Damon Hill during the 1993 Formula One season....
model, which featured them all. This rising trend was put to a halt by the FIA by outlawing them for the 1994 season, considering that it took too much work out of the drivers' hands. Bi-directional telemetry was also forbidden, which was soon reinstated as the FIA found it too hard to analyse the engine programmes in order to search for hidden code that could be found breaking the rules.
Fully automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
and launch control were allowed again from the Spanish GP 2001 onwards, but as of 2004 those are forbidden for the sake of budget reduction of F1 teams.