[Jyyuen17]

Hi everyone,

I recently got a used M2C and wanted to get some advice from other folks. I've driven a stickshift before with limited experience and never drove one with such a powerful engine.

At a stop and starting in first gear, everything I've read and watched recommend that for a stickshift car, the driver should rev the car to 1k-2k RPM and then slowly release the clutch.When I try to do this in the M2, it bucks violently. I don't know if this is because this is too much power?

Instead what I've been doing from a stop is not rev'ing the engine at all and then letting go of the clutch pedal until I hit the engagement point, which then starts moving the car. From here I start adding rev's to the engine and fully let go of the clutch pedal afterwards.

The problem with what I'm doing now is that I take off from a stop rather slowly. I'm trying to improve upon the take off time in event I need to start fast, but haven't been able to nail it.

Any advice?

[verysideways]

Practice makes perfect 👍

What setting have you got your engine in; efficiency or sport or sport+?
Because the throttle is very sensitive in sport or sport+, so you're better off in "efficiency" for this kind of stuff to give you a more docile throttle pedal.

[Jyyuen17]

Originally Posted by verysideways

Practice makes perfect 👍

What setting have you got your engine in; efficiency or sport or sport+?
Because the throttle is very sensitive in sport or sport+, so you're better off in "efficiency" for this kind of stuff to give you a more docile throttle pedal.

I'm in efficient/comfort at the moment. Trying not to touch the sport and sport+ until I feel confident.

Do you add revs when the cluch pedal is still pressed in?

[///MCollection]

It's kind of a fluid all in one motion. You lift the clutch and then apply throttle at the time it bites then when you've got above a certain point feed in as required!. My old e30 6 cylinder needed a lot of revs to take away so it may be the same. Both the m2 and m4 are dct so not sure but I drive different manual cars everyday.

[Brandt51]

https://media1.tenor.com/images/25ae...temid=13099040

[MyBimmer328]

I would recommend just taking it to an empty parking lot and getting a really good feel for the engagement point. Then you need to get a smooth engagement of first gear. Finally, start adding some more gas both at the engagement point all the way through the release and really start launching the car including a shift to second.

Good luck and enjoy!

[Karmic Man]

Mate very simple...I always drive in Sport+

Flat surface
1. Rev to 1.5k
2. Throttle down AND AT THE SAME TIME, release the clutch as fast as possible
3. The rotational inertia of the flywheel will move the car forward without your throttle input
4. Once the clutch is fully released, (car would have rolled forward by a foot or so), throttle up and accelerate

Steep uphill
1. Rev to 2k and repeat 2-4 from above

It's very smooth when you get the timing right and I can get off the line faster than autos or DCTs

[Moflow]

The M2C has an anti-stall feature, you don't really have to rev it at all. Just releasing the clutch with no gas should not stall it and is acceptable in everyday driving. You might be able to release the clutch faster than you think with this method, as it feels like youre going to stall, but then the ECU automatically adds more gas. I still do traditional "rev it up to 1K-1.5K" sometimes out of habit, but really its all about timing. IF its jerky, you're releasing the clutch too quickly.

[Kankles]

Rev to redline, release clutch quickly, avoid trees. (AKA "spray and pray")

Just kidding, that was from the mustang manual, which some BMW owners erroneously use from time to time.

go to an empty parking lot and practice a bit, you'll get it.

[Jyyuen17]

Originally Posted by Moflow

The M2C has an anti-stall feature, you don't really have to rev it at all. Just releasing the clutch with no gas should not stall it and is acceptable in everyday driving. You might be able to release the clutch faster than you think with this method, as it feels like youre going to stall, but then the ECU automatically adds more gas. I still do traditional "rev it up to 1K-1.5K" sometimes out of habit, but really its all about timing. IF its jerky, you're releasing the clutch too quickly.

Thanks. Do you rev it to 1k-1.5k and let it fall while releasing the clutch?

I found it difficult to keep the rev constant around 1k-1.5k, for the whole duration of time as I release the clutch pedal. When I try to rev it, it's not consistent.

But is sounds like the general consensus is to rev the engine a little bit, just not sure if it need to be constantly at 1k-1.5k or rev it there then let it fall.

[MrOhnoez]

Anyone else have a shudder when taking off with no gas?
I mean I really gotta let out the clutch pretty slow to not have the shudder.
I know some guy found a sticker stuck to his clutch or flywheel or something when they investigated it.
I just don't have another car to compare it to.

[Driver87]

Getting it going is the easiest part. Just ease out on the clutch it applies the throttle for you.

Hardest part for me is getting a smooth shift from first to second. Drives me crazy.

[Moflow]

Originally Posted by Jyyuen17

Thanks. Do you rev it to 1k-1.5k and let it fall while releasing the clutch?

I found it difficult to keep the rev constant around 1k-1.5k, for the whole duration of time as I release the clutch pedal. When I try to rev it, it's not consistent.

But is sounds like the general consensus is to rev the engine a little bit, just not sure if it need to be constantly at 1k-1.5k or rev it there then let it fall.

So, i'd say that i'm revving to 1-1.5k and then not really moving my right foot at all as I release the clutch, if i do anything with my right foot, i give it more gas during this process, not less. The revs will still drop for a second as you put load on the engine, but it's not because i'm backing off the gas pedal.

Remember, clutches are designed to slip. There are definitely things you can do to harm your clutch (riding it, big clutch drops) but if I had to guess, i'd say you're babying it a bit too much. Don't be afraid of a little slippage. It's hilly around here and I would frequently rev to 2.5K on hill starts with my last car (commuted through downtown seattle for a while.) Over 13+ years and 80K miles, it never needed a new clutch.

[Miko M]

On flat surface you don't need any gas at all!!!!!

Just let the clutch go SLOW

Now when you stuck in traffic you don't want to rev to 1.2-2K!!!!
If you live in traffic area, You will smoke you clutch in no time.

Again try no gas and let the clutch go slow and it will go by it self.

If you go uphill this will not, depending how steep it is. 1.5 K is plenty to start

Or you can do this rev it to 6-7K and drop the clutch
This was mine E90

[nioh_lbbm2]

Originally Posted by MrOhnoez

Anyone else have a shudder when taking off with no gas?
I mean I really gotta let out the clutch pretty slow to not have the shudder.
I know some guy found a sticker stuck to his clutch or flywheel or something when they investigated it.
I just don't have another car to compare it to.

Mine does that sometimes

[absessive]

I must be doing it wrong then. I've almost always started from a complete stop in 2nd gear. 1st gear is pretty much for pulling into garage.

[VisualEcho]

No one can tell you this bro, it's just something you practice and feel. And honestly, if you don't get the hang of it within the first week, there is something very wrong.

[pz619]

Practice makes perfect. Don’t get discouraged and just keep at it. Eventually you’ll do it from feel along and you’ll be able to do it practically from idle.

[BlkSVT]

Adding to what others have said about "go practice and you'll get it", I'd also suggest you'll get 50 different opinions here...Not because any of them are wrong, but more because I think we've all developed our "style" or technique based on our history of vehicles driven, how we like to drive on a daily basis, etc. Take it as input and find your technique rather than take what we say as gospel.

That being said, I do suspect you're possibly giving too much attention to RPM before letting the clutch out, and then letting it out a little too quick

My manual style is all over due to the crazy spectrum of cars/trucks I've driven (and years in HS/College shuffling junk, POS cars in and out of the gas station lot...), but I do notice with the M2, in Sport+ but casual driving, I tend to just barely find the grab point while just above idle and roll on the gas as I'm simultaneously, quickly releasing the clutch. There's no "prep", with raised RPM in other words. Several overpowered cars with glass trannies and shit clutches has me more treating it as an almost On/Off rather than a prolonged slip

I dunno. Hope that helps

[Bumpinjeep]

Rev the motor to 1000 to 1200 rpm, release the clutch at a moderate pace & you are off in one smooth motion. I actually watched my tach because of this thread and that is the smoothest way of taking off in this car. If you still have issues, take the car out at night and practice driving with less congestion.

[richard in NC]

I hadn't thrown in my 2 cents since I have a DCT but even that can be jerky if not smoothly applying throttle from a stop. I've seen videos and reviews note that in both the 6MT and DCT.

[Conissah]

Rev it up, and dump it. If done properly, it'll look like below.



In all seriousness, just practice. I've been driving manual cars since before I got my license, and the M2 was the first car that actually took time to learn. I blame it on the clutch delay valve in the slave. It gets better. The car will naturally rev for you as you're letting out the clutch, making it HARD to stall, but not impossible. Just be very slow with your left leg, and you'll get it.