0-60 times in Auto GT

Rickycardo said:

I have heard that on here but I have seen no evidence to support that hypothesis. I'd love to see some real data on this, not just someone's mechanic said someone's buddy told him something. The owners manual says:
(D)
For normal driving, and the best fuel economy, drive (D) provides operation in gears one through six.
Sport (S) Moving the gearshift lever to Sport (S):
• Provides additional grade (engine) braking and extends lower gear operation to enhance performance for uphill climbs, hilly terrain or mountainous areas. This may increase engine RPM during engine braking.
• Provides additional lower gear operation through the automatic transmission shift strategy.
• Selects gears more quickly and at higher engine speeds.

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I've wondered if there is any difference in running track or sport mode mode in D vs. S? The only difference I know of is in the S shifter position the paddle shifters will stay on once used. Does anyone know if using Track or Sport + mode on the toggles will see any performance gains having the shifter in D or S?

Here's the thread in question:
http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39090

No, there's no "hard evidence" but there are real world examples-- not just some guy's mechanic telling his gardener's maid's brother-in-law.

The last statement is the most telling,

"My theory on why D runs faster than S is because of the way the torque converter clutch is used. In D the torque converter clutch is not used at all in gears 1 and 2, but is used in any higher gears. This allows the torque converter to "slip" and the engine to operate at a higher RPM in those gears. Just Unlocking the converter in 3rd and 4th (if your car shifts into it) would improve 1/4 mile times. While in S the torque converter is unlocked in 1st but any higher gear causes it to lock. The benefits of having your torque converter locked is improved and more predictable throttle response which would help while racing around corners."

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That's the first I've read of someone saying more than "It worked for me". Though it's a hypothesis and not a theory it makes some sense. The next step is to determine how to test it and see if in fact the converter locks ups as stated and if that creates an improvement in 1/4 mile acceleration.
Then if proven it would be a theory.

Rickycardo said:

The last statement is the most telling,

That's the first I've read of someone saying more than "It worked for me". Though it's a hypothesis and not a theory it makes some sense. The next step is to determine how to test it and see if in fact the converter locks ups as stated and if that creates an improvement in 1/4 mile acceleration.
Then if proven it would be a theory.

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Do the toggle modes on the premium cars change that at all? With the premium you can leave it in D on the shifter, but with sport+ or track mode toggled it will feel like a base model car with the shifter on S. I know even in D the shift points and other aspects of the car are changed in track and sport modes. If so will these toggle modes be more enhanced by having the Shifter in the S position? I won't be at the track anytime soon but I'll have to find a parking lot and try out the track ap timers with the various shifter and toggle modes.

jdoug said:

Here's the thread in question:
http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39090

No, there's no "hard evidence" but there are real world examples-- not just some guy's mechanic telling his gardener's maid's brother-in-law.

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LOL well there you go. Good enough for me.. a random thread says it's better so it must be.

2015Etrac said:

Do the toggle modes on the premium cars change that at all? With the premium you can leave it in D on the shifter, but with sport+ or track mode toggled it will feel like a base model car with the shifter on S. I know even in D the shift points and other aspects of the car are changed in track and sport modes. If so will these toggle modes be more enhanced by having the Shifter in the S position? I won't be at the track anytime soon but I'll have to find a parking lot and try out the track ap timers with the various shifter and toggle modes.

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From my understanding, sport plus and track modes firm up shifts (not sure where I saw that, maybe in the owners manual?). In theory, this should also mean faster shifts and quicker acceleration times. I'm curious to know if paddle shifting in sport + results in quicker times.

should just get 2 autos with similar upgrades to line up and have one on D and the other on sport mode, run 3 times and let us know the results

AEengnr said:

From my understanding, sport plus and track modes firm up shifts (not sure where I saw that, maybe in the owners manual?). In theory, this should also mean faster shifts and quicker acceleration times. I'm curious to know if paddle shifting in sport + results in quicker times.

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Probably not, the auto should always be faster than we can shift, even with paddle shifters.

^^
This
There is no way a human can shift a modern automatic quicker than the transmission will shift itself.

That makes since for something like a manual where you actually have to do physical things, but if I am initiating the shift with the paddle then shouldn't the transmission have at least the same shift time?

2015Etrac said:

Probably not, the auto should always be faster than we can shift, even with paddle shifters.

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EJS2016 said:

^^
This
There is no way a human can shift a modern automatic quicker than the transmission will shift itself.

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I'm pretty sure there's no difference whether you let the trans shift, or you flip a paddle. I think what happens is exactly the same thing.

If there's something technical I'm missing, please explain.

The only thing missing would be the timing of the shift. In a perfect world the computer would read all the feedback from the engine, transmission, tire slippage, etc and shift gears at the peak moment to give the best acceleration. OTOH a person would simply listen to the engine speed or watch the tach and shift at a predetermined point. This may or may not be the best point to shift for optimum acceleration.
That's why the questions of D or S, Sport + or Track seem to be asked and debated over and over. There's so many variables involved that it's very hard to easily determine what setting work best for which car. Remember Ford has other priorities besides quarter-mile performance that guides their hand. Legal issues, CAFE standards, NTSB standards, even things like road course performance affects the programming of the computer and other modules of the car.
The best way to determine how YOUR car is fastest is track time. Over and over. Change only 1 variable at a time. Record the results and repeat. In the 2 years I've owned my car I've only had 1 day on the strip and 1 day on a road course.

EJS2016 said:

^^
This
There is no way a human can shift a modern automatic quicker than the transmission will shift itself.

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Hogwash. No data to support that. Manual vs. auto - yes I agree with that. The auto will shift faster than a human can shift the gears manually.

steven said:

should just get 2 autos with similar upgrades to line up and have one on D and the other on sport mode, run 3 times and let us know the results

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Yup.

This thread is full of well intentioned "what if", "could do", "should do", "might run", etc. All conjecture, no hard data.

Take an auto GT, same time, same day, same driver, make half a dozen runs in D and half a dozen in S.

And there you go ...