Clutch smell on hard launches?

[djprov431]

At first I thought it was an oil leak, then I thought tire smoke, but finally realized I'm getting a quite nasty smell of what I imagine is the clutch during certain hard 1st gear launches -- especially with a slower pedal release --- more gas w/ slower release is more notable. I should clarify, I'm not driving this car any different than any of my prior manual cars - I'm not holding at the friction point or doing silly things, just driving it (hard-ish) - I wouldn't expect the observation I have and I'm wondering if anyone else has noted it. Thanks!

 

[Nova]

I think every car/clutch is different and would require some judicious adjustments to launch technique. If you are doing hard launches, my thinking is that you should be letting the clutch fully lock up pretty quickly, generating some slip from higher initial engine RPM and then transitioning quickly to wheel spin. I don't think you want the clutch to be the thing that's slipping significantly during a hard launch.

 

[jjslat]

After hearing about the $10k + cost to replace the clutch I've stayed away from trying hard launches. I do find that well executed hard shifts (not launches) and aggressive heel-toe shifts can be done with zero clutch smell.

 

[Six Speed Stephen]

I would be careful on hard launches from standstill in an Emira. My axle snapped, and I've seen reports of a couple others. My dealer has as well.

However, I have noticed much more clutch smell recently when down shifting. The shifting hasn't been as sharp as it once was. I wonder if there's a fix for that besides being more careful.