[Overdrive]

Regarding your question about what rpms to start at from a stop...well, that's really dependent on your skill and the situation you're in. I usually try to get the car moving from a stop with as little throttle as possible, though sometimes I end up giving it a bit more than needed and having to ease the clutch a bit more. If you know the car well at this point and how the clutch behaves, you should be able to get moving easily and without a whole lot of unnecessaty noise and clutch wear. It's very easy to get this car moving just on the clutch alone, so no need for an extra 1000rpms to get moving.

My commute does involve a mean hill, and my turn is right at the crest, which is a non-issue when going down it, but can be hairy when the light at the top turns red when I'm on my way up it. Even automatic cars roll back on this hill, and yet people always love to get right behind you when you're stopped at this light. In these cases I end up launching the car rather hard at a higher rpm and a quicker dumping of the clutch so I roll back as little as possible. It's not a frequent thing, but it does happen. These types of things are the exception rather than the rule, though, so what I said above is more relevant to your question.