Driving Promotion
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CHANGING
gears
Driving a car with a manual transmission is easily one of the
most rewarding aspects of driving. Maybe because it connects you
almost directly with one of the most fascinating parts of your
car, or it could be the satisfaction of performing such a complex
part of the driving experience. Apart from accelerating hard out
of a corner, there’s probably nothing more rewarding than
nailing the perfect downshift (and hearing the engine revs spike)
or the tactile sensation of snick-snicking through the H-gate.
For this section, we’ll give you some pointers on how to
extract the most performance out of your transmission, to help
you make smoother, faster, more enjoyable progress.
Some of you have an automatic
transmission, or a semi-manual:
read on. We cover your cars, too. Just because you own an automatic,
doesn't make you less of a driver, or driving any less fun. It's
just a different flavour. A huge amount of fun can be had in an
automatic that might be too tricky to pull off in a manual.
Manual users read on, otherwise click here for driving
techniques for automatic transmissions.
manual transmission - shifting techniques
By using the techniques in this section, you'll be able to perform
swifter, more accurate shifts, prolong the life of your gearbox,
and improve your overall speed on the road and track. Not only
that, they will allow you to get more in tune with what the rest
of the car is doing, while still enjoying the cog-swapping process.
Here are the techniques as follows:
Lever movement and Hand
Position
Smooth Shifts
Heel-and-Toe Downshifting
Matching Revs
Manual Gear Changes and Cornering
Lever movement is
the first key to a clean, accurate shift. On all modern cars,
the 'box is designed so that forcing the movement of the gear
lever is a relatively effortless process (thanks to a components
called synchromeshes, or synchros for short). The key is to guide
it around the H-gate with a smooth but firm push or pull, and
not to try and force it to the slot you want. Most gearboxes should
allow you to do this with just two fingertips. Because of this,
there's also no need to literally trace the H-pattern as you move
the gear lever around the gate; the only movements should be forward,
backward, and gentle diagonals across the gate.
Good hand positioning
is the next key. It will make your shifts faster and more
fluid, and cuts out all unnecessary movement, reducing the risk
of a botched shift. Proper hand positioning also contributes to
a more fluid transition between steering and shifting. When you're
shifting during hard driving, your palm and fingertips should
only ever touch the top edges of the shifter. The technique works
like this:
- first to second: hook your fingertips
over the top edge of the shift knob; firmly guide the lever
into second with one smooth tug (note:
after performing a shift, your hand should immediately return
to the steering wheel - don't leave it resting on, or holding,
the shift knob)
- second to third: cup your palm over
the top of the shift knob (no fingers involved) and push the
lever diagonally into third - only shifting from third to fourth
should be easier
- third to fourth is just like first-to-second,
and by using your fingertips instead of grabbing the lever,
you'll be able to fire off a truly lightning-quick shift with
no fuss at all
- fourth to fifth requires a bit more
effort than a second-to-third shift, but the principle is the
same; a smooth but firm diagonal shove across the gate should
get you there in all but the most stubborn cases
To downshift, simply reverse the process. In fact, if you're
braking and downshifting for a corner at the same time, this technique
becomes even more crucial, since missing shifts or coasting while
out-of-gear leads to longer braking distances.
^ Back to manual techniques menu
If you want really
smooth shifts, a good technique is as follows (shifts are
not as quick, but great for situations with sensitive passengers):
- as you get near to the moment of the
shift, smoothly begin to release the throttle; it reduces that
first lurch between shifts
- as you're about to come off the throttle completely,
dip the clutch pedal right to the floor in a very clean, crisp
movement, to further reduce that initial lurch
- once you've selected you gear and are letting the clutch
back in as normal, introduce a tiny amount of throttle at the
same time, and squeeze the pedal until you have the amount of
acceleration you desire; if this is done quickly, but very smoothly,
then with a bit of practice it will almost completely eliminate
that second lurch you experience by reintroducing the clutch
and power.
^ Back to manual techniques menu
Heel-and-toe
downshifting is a technique in which your right foot is simultaneously
operating the brake and accelerator pedals. The goal of this technique
is to maximise braking performance going into a corner, and to
set the car up to give the driver optimum balance and control
while travelling into and through that corner.
To do this well requires a huge amount of practice, but before
long can become as easy as a basic gearchnage. This is how it's
done:
- Begin to brake as normal.
- Dip the clutch pedal and move the
gear lever into the next lower gear.
- Here is the difficult part. Before you let in the clutch and
engage a lower gear, quickly blip the throttle
so that the engine and gearbox are rotating at the same
speed (also known as matching revs). This must be done while
your right foot is still hard on the brake pedal. To pull off
this double duty, use the left side of the ball of your foot
to brake, and at the same time use the right side to squeeze
the throttle until you have the amount of revs you need to let
in the clutch for a smooth downshift. Note: it's also possible
to actually turn your foot so that your heel blips the throttle
(hence heel-and-toe) but most pedal configurations make the
'ball-of-foot' method far easier.
- At the moment the revs rise to the right speed,
let in the clutch. For every downshift you perform during
braking, repeat the process.
Before heading out to try this driving technique, it has to be
mentioned that many cars that aren't performance-oriented will
have pedals which aren't really sized or spaced for effective
heel-and-toe downshifting. Those of us who own such cars may find
it very hard to do perform the technique. You can easily fix this
by having the pedal spacing adjusted, or by purchasing wider and/or
longer pedals that make it easier (and safer) to perform.
Avoid heel-and-toeing in extreme situations until you can perform
it seamlessly. It's very easy to get confused at first, upset
the car's balance, or have your foot slip while you're trying
to brake hard while blipping the throttle for the next downshift
Finally, if you get it wrong, your main priority
should always be braking. If you lose your rhythm or get
confused, forget about blipping the throttle or changing gears
and concentrate solely on your braking to avoid disaster. If you
can use a manual transmission, you'll also be able to heel-and-toe
with some practice. Once you get the hang of heel-and-toe downshifting,
it will become one of the greatest sources of driving satisfaction.
To nail a perfect 4-3-2 downshift and hear the revs spike between
each change before diving toward the apex is brilliant!
^ Back to manual techniques menu
Matching revs is
the simple technique of quickly revving the engine (or blipping
the throttle) so that the engine and gearbox speeds are the same.
Doing this between shifts, for that brief moment when the gearbox
is in neutral, allows for smoother up- or downshifts.
With modern synchromesh transmissions, matching revs between
shifts isn't really necessary, but during hard driving, matching
revs between downshifts has the advantages of making the car more
stable, aiding the braking process, and reducing the wear on your
clutch and gearbox (see heel-and-toe downshifting
for an example of how rev-matching can be used effectively).
^ Back to manual techniques menu
Manual gear changes
and cornering looks at the best techniques manual users
can employ to for faster, more fluid cornering. As a general rule,
it's best to dedicate both hands to steering the car into, through
and out of corners during hard driving. For that reason, no shifting
should be done while cornering. Choose the right gear before you
enter a corner, so that you have optimum car control going in,
and optimum power coming out.
In extreme cornering situations, when your car is near or at
its cornering limit, any sudden changes in weight transfer, grip
or wheel speed will unbalance it, and cause a loss of control
that's sometimes very difficult to recover. Shifting during extreme
cornering can badly upset the balance of the car, because as more
weight is thrown forward during the shift, the front tyres can
suddenly find more grip, and the rear tyres may simultaneously
lose it, resulting in a spin or slide. However, the further you
are from the limit of grip, the less likely this will have any
effect on your car's cornering balance.
If you are able to select the right gear for the corner, and
then concentrate on manoeuvring the car around the corner, you'll
have more control and more speed into, through and out of the
corner.
^ Back to manual techniques menu
^ Back to top
automatic
transmission - driving techniques
Because you aren't involved in changing the car's gears, all
that's usually left is steering, brake, and throttle control.
But while automatics are usually not as efficient as a manual
(due to their torque converter or the lack of ability to change
gears at precisely the right moment during hard driving) there's
still massive fun to be had that most manual drivers couldn't
manage.
Left-foot braking is one of them. It
is what it sounds like: using your left foot to operate the brake
pedal, instead of your right. There are certain benefits to his
technique, like being able to brake deeper into a corner, or even
using the brakes to adjust the balance of the car in mid-corner,
at the same time as the throttle! As many race cars now do without
manual clutches, some racing drivers use their now-free left foot
to their advantage (Michael Schumacher is one of them). It's great
fun to feel a car's cornering attitude change by subtly modulating
brake and throttle inputs during hard cornering.
Semi-automatics
are usually considered to be poor, lazy substitutes for
a good manual, but they can simplify the driving process. A good
semi-auto can also still provide some of the interaction and control
of its manual counterpart, and some are now so quick and seamless
in their operation, that they are now the better tools for rapid
progress. The great thing about semi-autos is that not only can
you devote more concentration to steering and braking, but you
can also divide the task of braking and acceleration between both
feet (see left-foot braking). And that's definitely a whole other
level of fun.
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