Yes when you press the button in twice as stated you get competitive mode, and also everytime you stop in goes into Launch control.....I usually use the 'I" gear on the trans when driving in this mode under 45 mph around town or local driving. When on the highway at higher cruising speeds, I then shift into "D" for better mileage. When downshifting, I either press part way or WOT to engage passing gear, or shift into the "I" position to engage passing gear. You can have fun either way.
From a standing stop, I don't know if I would bring the r's up to 4000 or above for that matter to launch. I either use "L" "I" or "D" depending on what testing I want to do and mabe bring the r's up slightly before launching. Check out an earlier thread I did last year on my 0-60 runs before and after the Hahn (BSR) tune, they were done the same way I described above and I enjoyed my best to date (haven't tested lately) 0-60 run of 5.6 sec. I am sure if I played around more with the Launching, and now with the spring installed and the bolts tighten, I just might be able to improve on that time...

 

Holding the brake and mashing the petal is not the best way to launch,especially for a timed run.It loads the motor and torques the motor over against the mounts ( and lets not forget what it does to the suspension!). It be better to go a lower rpm..some experimenting needed here to see where the tubo is getting spooled up enough for usuable power. A trans brake is the best way. Never do a gear drop...its sure death to some parts whether it be tranny or half shafts.I twisted a trans input shaft in my younger not so informed days.

 

Launch control isn't just for throttle control for the manual.

It also keeps the wheels from spinning to get the best traction for fast acceleration. I would suspect that it does the same in an auto from a stop.

 

With FWD it is a balancing act between traction and power.

Get the turbo to spool too much wheel spin and to little into the traction control ypu lose time.

Usally a little spool up and a little reaction on thr throttle to keep it form spinning too much but not kicking in the traction control too quick.

Often shutting the traction control in most cars result in better time.

For the most I will not do many starts at a dead stop. Even with all GM has done it is still hard on this little tranny and half shafts.

Rolling starts are a lot easier on drivetrains and I have another car to play with and if it breaks it is not my daily driver.

 

I may be wrong here, but doesn't the owners manual explain how to use the launch control? I would asume that it would explain this for those that have questions on the proper use of this feature.

 

getting a decent launch with m/t and theese michlen tires is very tricky and hard to do, the sidewalls of the tire dont have much give so the power goes directly to the tread and viola wheel spin, I guess if you wanted to go play at the track on the w/e the best thing would be a 15 or 10 inch drag radial, something with a sidewall and some grip. I know my car would be much faster with some grip. I got pulled over yesterday because I acclerated past another car so I could make a right turn and in doing so my tires had some slippage and I wasnt even trying to make then spin , well a cop heard it and came over and almost wrote me up.

 

The sidewall has little to do with it. The Pilots are junk OE tires. They just don't have much grip period.