Drag strip advice for the Mercedes E55 AMG

Best way to launch an W211 E55 AMG
A great launch optimizes as much power as possible for the available traction.

Can you please tell me the best way to launch my car at the drag strip? I’m running bone stock.
Thanks in advance,
F. Goico

The supercharged V-8 in the W211 E55 is rated at 469hp and 520 lb ft of torque. Despite all that power, there are some established techniques to obtain a very good launch. Measured as the time to reach 60 feet, your goal on a decently prepped track should be 1.8x seconds.

A couple of essential basics are good tires and not letting the tires get too wet from the water box or too hot from spinning too long to clean and warm them up. Track surface, weather conditions (humidity and temperature), tire construction and tread will determine the best tire pressure to use, but start at the recommended pressure for your car/tire and drop 5psi and 10psi increments to find the best pressure.

Drive around the water box because the front tires will shed water that the rears will pick up. If you’re not allowed to back into it, smoke the tires at a standstill just a little to get the rubber temperature warm and therefore sticky. Too much heat and they will get slippery.

Make sure you put your suspension in Comfort mode and also Raised. The reason is to transfer weight to the rear during the launch to increase rear wheel traction. Some report on the MBworld.org forums that they didn’t see a benefit with the raised setting. If it increases consistency, that can be important if the number of runs you can get is many times limited. Note that in some cars with independent rear suspensions, the rear if the rear squats too much, the suspension camber changes and that is detrimental to traction. In other words, stance is stupid.

Put the transmission in sport mode for optimal shifting. Do not manually shift the car. The next step is to left foot brake and with your right foot raise the rpms to a suggested range of 1100-1200. On the last yellow light at the dragstrip, release the brake while applying the throttle. This is where you’ll have to learn to manage the power applied versus what the track and tires will support.

Check out this link for even more tips and experiences by MBworld.org forum members:
http://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/236339-drag-racing-how.html
Good luck and have fun!
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