If you read our full test
on the 2008 Subaru WRX STI, you'll see we list a 0-to-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds. But do you know how that time was achieved? Well, here's the quote from the testing notes:
"The STI's six-speed gearbox isn't the easiest to shift quickly despite its direct linkage. The best launch came by dropping the clutch at about 6,000 rpm." As impressive as 4.8 seconds is, a 6,000-rpm clutch drop isn't a technique a WRX STI owner is going to be doing on a daily basis. Well, not unless he or she plans on replacing driveline components on a regular basis, that is.
Turbocharged, all-wheel-drive-cars like the WRX, Lancer Evolution and even the old Diamond Star cars (Eclipse, 3000GT and associated Chrysler products) are notoriously hard to launch from a start in a dragstrip situation if they're equipped with a manual transmission. The extra traction provided by AWD can be great, but it's also a detriment. All that traction and a bad launch technique can lead to massive bogging/jerking, a fried/stinky clutch or even broken driveline components.
Our Senior Road Test Editor Josh Jaquot told me about launching the STI for the 4.8-second 0-60 time. He said it's "very aggressive" and he certainly wouldn't do it "if it was [his own] car."
I'm thoroughly enjoying our long-term WRX STI. But when you see those published acceleration times, know that real-world times are considerably slower unless you're willing to put your car at some risk of increased wear or even breakage.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor
estreka says:
03:13 PM, 06/19/08
Absolutely. When comparing cars I try to look at the automatic times rather than manual. There are many cars (like the ones stated) that are difficult to launch and 0-60 times can be all over the place.
SubyTrojan says:
03:22 PM, 06/19/08
I'd say I've done less than 10 hard launches with my 2004 WRX over the course of almost 93K miles. I've never taken it to a dragstrip. I don't plan on ever taking it to one, either.
That said, I'd gladly let Josh or Chris beat on my car with the VBox to tell me what it's really capable of!
I'd love to have a high-res copy of that photo of Josh!!!
chavis10 says:
04:00 PM, 06/19/08
Good post. Street start times (5-60) are much more indicative overall expected real world performance than ridiculous clutch drops. Small displacement, high revving engines usually see a steep drop off in performance with this test.
Conversely, automatic cars can reliably perform aggressive launches with much less damage to their drive train. You can easily match the manufacturers performance claims without a problem. For as much flak as automatics receive, they are completely superior to manuals in this regard.
slickersdrip says:
04:11 PM, 06/19/08
I attempted a 5500-rpm clutch drop to see how it helped my acceleration in my SRT-4. All it did was a massive burnout-- that with 225 BFG KDW's. Damn FWD, at least the AWD launch doesn't do that, right?
m_thrizzle says:
04:13 PM, 06/19/08
As said above, the street start or rolling start times are more realistic. I'd imagine the best 0-60 time for an RX-8 would be an 8000 rpm clutch dump but not many RX owners will want to do that.
kurtamaxxxguy says:
05:06 PM, 06/19/08
Perhaps for AWD this sort of benchmark/measurement is meaningless anyway?
Would it be that what "saves" the other vehicles from frying their clutches or blowing driveshafts/etc. is that their tires fry instead?
trasy says:
04:55 PM, 07/ 5/08
I have owned the new STI since february and driven it hard since day 2. I traded my 03 STI which had 140,000 klm on the speedo. I had 03 STI at the drag strip 4 times, and had a tonne of street races. Actually I don't think there were many weeks were I didn't do an aggressive launch. After 5 years I still had the original gear box and had replaced the clutch once with another genuine subaru clutch at 90,000 klm.
The key is to have a hard launch but not an abused launch, there is a difference. Dropping the clutch at 6000 will cause damage. When I do a hard launch I let the car bounce on the limiter add then, all within a second I'm one quater off the clutch ( this starts whhel spin ), then halfway of the clutch ( To continue wheel spin ) then off the clutch totally. Don't ride the clutch as it will let to much heat into it and you will burn the clutch out quickly. Instead, by getting the balance right you can get a hard launch with out dumping all the power through to the gear box in one hit. This way the launch's pressure is spread over the clutch, driveline, tyres and geabox. Get it right and you'll nail 60 in 5 seconds or less.
I never did consecutive hard launch's and I always let the car cool down after hard driving and before turning the car off. 140,000 klm ( which i think is around 85,000 miles ) with one clutch replacement in a manual car is acceptable. Driving the car smart and hard is fine but not abusive!