It may sound stupid, but have you ever wondered what is the point of pressing the brake and accelerator together? Racing fans will know perfectly well.
Of tricks on cars we could tell dozens of them, but maybe this is what it concerns brake and accelerator it might surprise you, unless you are a racing car fan.
Before continuing, however, we remind you that pressing these two pedals together while running is obviously absolutely not recommended: if you are at high speed you could skid and lose control of the car, risking a serious accident for you and those around you.
The pressure of the brake and accelerator when stationary is a different matter and if you are curious to find out what happens we talk about it in the next paragraph. It should be noted, however, that the effect may differ depending on the model of the car, its age, the gearbox and whether it is a front or rear-wheel drive car.
What happens if you press the brake and accelerator together
THE racing car professionals or at high speed they know what it means: pressing the brake and accelerator at the same time allows you to have one important momentum at the start and a sort of sling effect that is therefore useful during a race.
You will have noticed if you are a fan of Formula One or other four-wheeled motorsports: the drivers position themselves on the starting grid, activate the starting mode, engage the first gear and at that point press the two pedals at the same time to have the best possible effect to prevail over the opponents after letting go of the brake.
The effect obtained with a “normal” car depends on many factors: first of all if your car has several driving mode, such as Dynamic, Comfort and Individual. Secondly, if it is a vehicle with automatic or manual gearbox: in the first case, just engage the gear D, press both pedals fully and, as soon as you release the brake pedal, the mode will be activated. Launch Control to leave immediately at high speed.
The same goes for manual cars. But what are the risks? Essentially two.
The first is that continued use of this startup function can easily wear the transmission, especially if it is not a sports car predisposed to such actions. In addition, it is necessary that the parts of the car are heated, so it is practically mandatory to drive for about 15 minutes before trying.
The second risk concerns the eventual activation of the ESP, now standard on many machines, which should first be deactivated. Otherwise, the risk is that the rear tires can overheat and lose grip, launching you into an unnecessarily dangerous start.
The same risk is run by brake discs and calipers, which can overheat and emit smoke during the “launch sequence”.
In short, it is very interesting to find out what happens if you press the brake and accelerator together, ma if you do not have a car suitable for certain actions and especially if you are not racing on the trackit is good not to endanger yourself and the cars in your vicinity.
