jrgordonsenior

It takes some getting used to after all those years of downshifting, but once you practice it a few times you'll never go back to downshifting again. Heck I hardly ever downshift on the street anymore though sometomes I just want to hear the engine rev up....

grussell

Nice Simon!

You need some gloves, they will make you faster!

C.J. Ichiban

actually JR I do that in the mx-5 on one turn- you slow down so much there's no need to rev-match through each gear. I practiced it on the street in the RS the other day (there's a nice cloverleaf exit near the stadium that's always unoccupied.

it works really well for huge braking zones but for going from 4th to 3rd I'd still rather rev match with heelie toe things.

Mike/A.W.E.

That is for people with little to no coordination! You need to watch more in-car race footage. That is not how it is done.

jrgordonsenior

Well thanks for setting me straight Mike....

grussell

this should be good

Mike/A.W.E.

I think I may have sounded a bit like an *** after I posted. Let me clarify.

Go to a professional race and talk to some drivers. You will get many opinions why downshifting while braking is the preferred method. This is also something that is taught at all of the accredited racing schools.

I do it primarily for safety.

Here is an example of why I would never enter a corner that way. Let's just say someone is spinning in front of you in a brake zone and you are in neutral or in now too high a gear. Let's say for arguments sake that a quick burst of acceleration is going help you avoid contact.

If you blip and downshift as you are braking, chances are you will much more likely be in the right gear for your given speed and are now able to hit the gas. The consequences may be grim if you are now having to find the right gear for your speed and having to concentrate on making sure you avoid locking up the tires because you picked a gear too low for how fast you are going.

Can you imagine that scenario in a car with a sequential gearbox??? Whoa...

Again, I came off a little rough. Sorry about that.

grussell

Nah, John just doesn't take advise well.

Mike I agree with you and I have talked to Craig Stanton and others about this at length. After our conversations I now try to hit every gear on my downshifts. It is not easy and it is costing me time and some close calls but ultimately I will be a better driver once I have mastered it.

You can see/hear me trying to do it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-EUsAIejzc

Mike/A.W.E.

Yes, I have seen that video before. It's odd because in some corners you seem to nail it, but in others your timing is very far off. Practice, practice, practice!

I was taught rev matching by a friend of mine when I was 19. I am now 33. I practice constantly. It is now second nature. I do it at both low and high speeds. I do it in any car I get in and out of.

The car that I learned in was a 1987 Scirocco 16V. I had gotten so good that I could threshold brake, heel/toe and downshift WITHOUT using the clutch. I found the sweet spot where the shift lever would just fall into the next lower gear. No clutch necessary.

They were seamless gear changes. There was no violant chassis movement either. The only thing you would notice is the change in engine note.

I was very proud of that.

crispenigl

Is this a good idea? (not using the clutch?)
Even if I could do that, I would be worried that missing the downshift would burn out the clutch system.

grussell

It's not "odd" it's just novice driving!

Carnerd

[QUOTE=Mike/A.W.E.;5564368] Practice, practice, practice! QUOTE]

Yup and some day you'll be able to do this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UjnbIuJNuI

grussell

Wow!!!!

Mike/A.W.E.

I don't recommend it, but you can both upshift and downshift WITHOUT using the clutch. Reason I don't recommend it is because if you do not match perfectly you will grind up the syncros and the gears. It takes allot of practice, but it's perfectly possible. Some cars are far easier then others. Going from 3rd to 4th is the easiest. If done right, it will be seamless with no grind or whining.

No burning of the clutch either! The clutch is just what connects your motor to your transmission. The surface of the clutch wear when it makes it's initial contact. Initial contact happens when you are in gear and you lift your foot from the floor and the car begins to move. It will also wear lightly from acceleration. Most wear takes place during initial contact. By shifting without the clutch, you do not wear it!

That is why you must make sure you are not spinning the motor too fast, or too slowly when engaging the clutch. If you are heavy footed at stoplights and give it alot of gas, but don't let the clutch out quickly enough, that clutch disc will be just wearing away during initial contact.

AGAIN, this takes practice! I do not recommend doing this nor is there any real benefit. I only do this simply to practice in case I were to ever burn up a clutch. I like knowing I could still get home without it. I will not even bother going into how to come to a stop and then start again without the clutch. That is a whole new can of worms I don't have time to open...

Mike/A.W.E.

[QUOTE=carn3rd;5564458]Leh can certainly downshift quickly. However, this is a skill that is easily learned AND can be learned while driving on the street. Practice by just doing one gear at a time. Once you can get one clean gear, begin doing two. You can even practice without using the brakes. You could do it at a steady state cruise going down the highway.

Then practice with light to moderate braking.

As you get better, you will find that you can apply more brake pressure and will instinctually now how hard to blip the throttle for the given speed. So when you release the clutch pedal, you will not disrupt the chassis. In my opinion, it is far easier to rev match under heavy braking then light braking.

Lastly, DON'T OVER THINK IT. You goal is to make this action to be as simple and seamless as the trillion of upshifts that you have done since you learned to drive a manual transmission car.