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New Ford Mustang May Have Electronic "Burnout" Button
cartechboy writes "Ford has decided to take the burnout into the 21st century for the new 2015 Mustang. The Mustang's new 'electronic' burnout system is intended to enable perfect burnouts every time, much like launch control has made it easier to accelerate quickly from a stop. So think of every new Mustang with a bright red 'burnout' button. While the details on how the burnout control system will work remain secret, it's possible that a combination of the features used in a typical launch control system, including traction and rev-limiting controls, together with a front brake locking system, could enable Ford to pull together existing technology in a completely new way. So far Ford has no comment."
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"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The button is for thrifty people who want to get their moneys worth out of their tires. When you're about to get a new set of tires you do burnouts in the tire store parking lot until metal is showing, rotate the tires and repeat. Then proudly pull in to the service bay with absolutely no tread left on any of your tires.
Man, you really need that seminar!
When I was a teenager back in the 70s I knew a kid who put a solenoid controlled bleach dispenser over his rear tires to achieve that truly obnoxious white smoke burnout.
Why, do you ask? What possible purpose could that serve? Well, when his girlfriend dumped him, he backed up into her parent's driveway and blanketed their house in smoke for ten minutes.
This pretty much shows the level of mentality involved.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Does it have an electric mullet button?
my karma will be here long after I'm gone
Burnouts are a skill acquired when a Bogan (White trash or whatever) is finally able to purchase a vehicle capable of breaking traction on dry ground. After this qualification they are ready for a doughnut (or Dohhy) usually in a carpark where there are plenty of victi^h^h^h^h^honlookers present to qualify you as a full on dickhead.
Like much automation these days, such a feature would automate the process of becoming a dickhead, allowing many more dickheads because, as you are probably aware, what the world needs is more dickheads.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
Show off? It's a mustang. Last mustang worthy of showing off was built 50 years ago
my karma will be here long after I'm gone
Cars are so fly by wire now it becomes difficult to do things like a burnout. You can argue the need for such a thing but some people do value it. Basically the only reason there's a button to turn off your traction control is because some people wouldn't buy the car because they couldn't do a burnout. Then, once they've disabled it and have done the burnout they are now driving around without traction control on. Solution? A button that controls the burnout, does it better than the human ever could, and then automatically re-activates safety systems. Maybe they can even keep control of the car, detect if somethings gone wrong and fail out of the burnout.
I guess I'm underwhelmed. I never realized people were that into destroying tires.
Mustang Cobras are bought as cars you can bring to the drag strip and maintain a factory warranty.
That said:
At a drag strip, generally before your run, you are sitting in line waiting, and waiting, and waiting, allowing enough time for your tires to cool off to ambient temperature. This is terrible for grip off the line. So generally, you'll roll into the burnout box (a small lowered area in the tarmac containing a little water) and perform a burnout. This does 2 things:
1) Warms up the tires to about 120-170 degrees, an ideal temperature for a powerful grip when the light goes green.
2) Clears off any debris you may have picked up travelling in the pit lanes or at the end of the track.
Both of these are for obtaining maximum traction. Traction generally equals safety (unless you're running a twin-turbo or heavily supercharged engine capable of lifting the front wheels off the ground, then you're asking for trouble on a whole new level and will likely never make use of the burnout button.) Considering how many people out there buy a 400+ horsepower Mustang without knowing the slightest thing about drag racing, expecting to show up at the track, put their pedal to the floor and go without so much a thought, this can prevent many trackday injuries caused by people who can't hold a proper burnout.
what is a burnout
An IT worker over 30.
Electric Mullet is the name of my modern country band.
"Last mustang worthy of showing off was built 50 years ago"
There were no 1963 Mustangs.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Where did you get that idea? Watch this video, starting 34 seconds in.
BMW has that. It's called launch control.
Try driving a 4WD Honda Pilot across deep, slushy snow or through a mudhole with traction control on...you'll end up stuck. Turn it off, gun it, sail free.
If you're driving a factory-stock car at the strip to preserve your factory warranty, then the temperature of your tires is not going to be the deciding factor in your performance.
I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
I used to have a Lotus Esprit, but no matter how hard I mashed the pedal, it would never smoke the tires. It would just go faster. It was so infuriating how it would just sprint away from the other vehicle instead of sitting there smoking the tires like the other vehicle.
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
31 year old IT worker here, can confirm. The money is fantastic, unfortunately you trade in your soul.
You're doing it wrong then.
I leased out my soul. I get better returns at the end of each year at tax time.
dump the clutch
In principle I agree with everything you said except that. If you are doing a burnout that means power is already going to the wheels and therefore the clutch is already engaged.
What you are thinking of there is what launch control systems help with (engaging the transmission at the optimal time for the best off the line start) and all of the cars I'm familiar with that have such an option also use transmission and drive line components that can handle torque values much greater than the engine (from the factory) can provide. I expect constant use, however, would shorten the lifespan of wear components (clutch, transmission fluid, etc..) considerably though.