Advice on driving the Type R

[KNIGHTRIDER666RSB]

1st revs out at 36mph, be careful...

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[menikmati]

To clarify my previous post: 2nd or 1st when you've slowed down to 10 MPH.

 

[Brittania]

1st doesn't like to be downshifted to in this car unless you're going under 10 mph.

If you have a situation where you are going 45 in 4th then have to slow to about 12 mph, I'd downshift to 3rd, downshift to 2nd and then gently accelerate in 2nd because your rpm's will be low at 12 mph in 2nd.

If you have a situation where you are going 45 and then slow to under 10 mph, I'd downshift to 3rd, then 2nd, then 1st.

For downshifting to 1st, I clutch in then move the shifter up and to the left with light pressure. I don't actually force it into gear as you will feel a little resistance. With light pressure applied to the shifter up and left, and the clutch in the car will let you know when it's ready to go into 1st. It'll just open up when the resistance goes away and slide in after a few feet of rolling.

My rule is under 10 mph for downshifting to 1st, and gently accelerating from 2nd for over 10 mph.

 

[Rhorn]

Honestly in general its a bad idea to downshift into 1st imo.

You can get by fine with just being in second, the car makes plenty of torque and these cars aren't NA so you don't need to be high in the rev range to go. I only downshift into 1st when I want to be cheeky to go full WOT but I know what Im doing and I don't do it all the time.

Totally unnecessary and I wouldn't advise someone who is learning a manual to do it at all, even if you are turning. Just drop it into Neutral and then pop it in 2nd gear and go, you can launch the car in 2nd gear and be fine. The only time you should be in 1st gear when you are on the road is if you are in stop and go traffic. 1st gear should be used for parking lots and residential areas.

As what others have said, if you are doing a turn just down shift into the appropriate gear, like 3rd and then use engine braking to get into 2nd, or you can just lower the speed, clutch in and go into second as you turn and feather and give it revs it if you feel like it might stall, or you can just pop it in neutral and than keep the momentum and then shift into 2nd. There is no correct way, it just depends on how sharp the turn is, and you'll get a feel for what speed you can do them in.

 

[Brittania]

Honestly in general its a bad idea to downshift into 1st imo.

You can get by fine with just being in second, the car makes plenty of torque and these cars aren't NA so you don't need to be high in the rev range to go. I only downshift into 1st when I want to be cheeky to go full WOT but I know what Im doing and I don't do it all the time.

Totally unnecessary and I wouldn't advise someone who is learning a manual to do it at all, even if you are turning. Just drop it into Neutral and then pop it in 2nd gear and go, you can launch the car in 2nd gear and be fine. The only time you should be in 1st gear when you are on the road is if you are in stop and go traffic. 1st gear should be used for parking lots and residential areas.

As what others have said, if you are doing a turn just down shift into the appropriate gear, like 3rd and then use engine braking to get into 2nd, or you can just lower the speed, clutch in and go into second as you turn and feather and give it revs it if you feel like it might stall, or you can just pop it in neutral and than keep the momentum and then shift into 2nd. There is no correct way, it just depends on how sharp the turn is, and you'll get a feel for what speed you can do them in.

Yes 99.99% of 1st gear downshift is going to be for parking lots. Never force it into first. And don't go hard on it in low rpm's.

 

[Cueyo]

Honestly in general its a bad idea to downshift into 1st imo.

You can get by fine with just being in second, the car makes plenty of torque and these cars aren't NA so you don't need to be high in the rev range to go. I only downshift into 1st when I want to be cheeky to go full WOT but I know what Im doing and I don't do it all the time.

Totally unnecessary and I wouldn't advise someone who is learning a manual to do it at all, even if you are turning. Just drop it into Neutral and then pop it in 2nd gear and go, you can launch the car in 2nd gear and be fine. The only time you should be in 1st gear when you are on the road is if you are in stop and go traffic. 1st gear should be used for parking lots and residential areas.

As what others have said, if you are doing a turn just down shift into the appropriate gear, like 3rd and then use engine braking to get into 2nd, or you can just lower the speed, clutch in and go into second as you turn and feather and give it revs it if you feel like it might stall, or you can just pop it in neutral and than keep the momentum and then shift into 2nd. There is no correct way, it just depends on how sharp the turn is, and you'll get a feel for what speed you can do them in.

That's good to hear, I've been exclusively shifting to 2nd as my lowest gear but get scared I'll bog the engine down and stall. Luckily I've never stalled from that (only forgetting to clutch in at stop lights haha).

I was curious about whether shifting the car aggressively will always be shaky. It's one thing to do a smooth shift after a 2nd pull to 3rd, but if I'm on a track and I want to go as fast as possible, will the car always need to be shifted in a jerky way? I ask because my buddy who also drives stick is jerkier than I am when going from a stop to 1st (and 2nd), and he had more experience than me. I also read. Reddit post saying that would be the case for fast shifts.

 

[Chilly613]

I've had a couple friends that have never driven a manual or jumped back into it recently after not driving one in forever and have sent them this video.

 

[TchnoZ33]

Honestly in general its a bad idea to downshift into 1st imo.

You can get by fine with just being in second, the car makes plenty of torque and these cars aren't NA so you don't need to be high in the rev range to go. I only downshift into 1st when I want to be cheeky to go full WOT but I know what Im doing and I don't do it all the time.

Totally unnecessary and I wouldn't advise someone who is learning a manual to do it at all, even if you are turning. Just drop it into Neutral and then pop it in 2nd gear and go, you can launch the car in 2nd gear and be fine. The only time you should be in 1st gear when you are on the road is if you are in stop and go traffic. 1st gear should be used for parking lots and residential areas.

As what others have said, if you are doing a turn just down shift into the appropriate gear, like 3rd and then use engine braking to get into 2nd, or you can just lower the speed, clutch in and go into second as you turn and feather and give it revs it if you feel like it might stall, or you can just pop it in neutral and than keep the momentum and then shift into 2nd. There is no correct way, it just depends on how sharp the turn is, and you'll get a feel for what speed you can do them in.

I agree completely. Only time I shift to first is either complete stop or stop/go traffic. Otherwise I never shift below second in a moving car.

 

[Bandit_TypeR]

I came upon the problem today, but what's the best way to tackle a turn (left or right) where you don't want to slow down too much? Was slowing down from 45 to like 10 and ended up just dipping into neutral and using momentum around the turn. Thought maybe I should've downshifted to like 2nd and used my gas pedal to control my turn rather than rely on the cars pre existing speed.

I never "downshift" to 1st. Before a turn you want to "engine" brake, meaning downshift before the turn likely to 2nd, then drive through the turn. Use the brake and push in the clutch if you need to slow further, then release the clutch while still in 2nd and continue going forward. If you end up have to slow down to a very slow speed, then yes, go from 2nd to 1st, then release clutch slowly and continue moving forward. However, if you've approached the turn correctly you should be good to travel through in 2nd. If you end up almost coming to complete stop while in 2nd, again use the brake and keep clutch depressed before moving into 1st. I would NEVER use 1st to "engine brake" before a turn.

Remember, you can depress the clutch while driving to give you the feeling of being in neutral, but you're still in gear so you can release the clutch again and be able to accelerate forward once the "slow down" has passed as long as you're still rolling forward slowly. If you come to an almost stop then you might choose to go to 1st. I think you're mainly relying on the clutch to shift gears. You can use the clutch at other times to manage a slow down as well so you're coasting for a bit, then re-engage the clutch (and manage the gas pedal) while still in gear. You need more practice managing the clutch while still in gear. The only time I am in neutral is if I am stopped and I want to give my clutch leg a rest. You don't want to be in neutral while moving slowly as you may need to accelerate again and you don't want to be searching for a gear. You kind of want to anticipate and be in the appropriate gear for the situation. That's why you can use the clutch at other times to manage the situation.

 

[Cueyo]

The only time I am in neutral is if I am stopped and I want to give my clutch leg a rest. You don't want to be in neutral while moving slowly as you may need to accelerate again and you don't want to be searching for a gear. You kind of want to anticipate and be in the appropriate gear for the situation. That's why you can use the clutch at other times to manage the situation.

Doesn't that damage the throw out bearing for the clutch? Like if I'm in stop and go traffic (fast enough to only be stopped for a second) and need to be in first to keep moving, would that not be riding the clutch? Or is that how you're supposed to use the clutch? I had to do it it the other day while driving in light traffic, but wasn't sure if it was good practice.

 

[Bandit_TypeR]

That's good to hear, I've been exclusively shifting to 2nd as my lowest gear but get scared I'll bog the engine down and stall. Luckily I've never stalled from that (only forgetting to clutch in at stop lights haha).

I was curious about whether shifting the car aggressively will always be shaky. It's one thing to do a smooth shift after a 2nd pull to 3rd, but if I'm on a track and I want to go as fast as possible, will the car always need to be shifted in a jerky way? I ask because my buddy who also drives stick is jerkier than I am when going from a stop to 1st (and 2nd), and he had more experience than me. I also read. Reddit post saying that would be the case for fast shifts.

yes, it will always be a bit jerky. There is a bit of rev hang between shifts. It is inherent to manuals and part of the joy - trying to nail a perfect shift. Comes with practice of managing the clutch, shifting at the optimal revs and managing the gas pedal all in a coordinated manner. The manual will never feel as smooth as a quick shifting automatic. There are some drivers who are excellent at managing the gas pedal input, clutch release and shifting at best rev point. They can execute some very smooth shifts. Still it's a manual so it will always have some "jerky" feeling here and there as you execute a quick shift. Lastly, the car is front wheel drive so you're going to feel the engine "buck" a little because it's connected directly to the front axle.

 

[Rhorn]

That's good to hear, I've been exclusively shifting to 2nd as my lowest gear but get scared I'll bog the engine down and stall. Luckily I've never stalled from that (only forgetting to clutch in at stop lights haha).

I was curious about whether shifting the car aggressively will always be shaky. It's one thing to do a smooth shift after a 2nd pull to 3rd, but if I'm on a track and I want to go as fast as possible, will the car always need to be shifted in a jerky way? I ask because my buddy who also drives stick is jerkier than I am when going from a stop to 1st (and 2nd), and he had more experience than me. I also read. Reddit post saying that would be the case for fast shifts.

You wont stall the car, and if you feel it bogging or anticipate it, just clutch in and feather as you turn.

The car shouldn't and wont feel jerky. 1st gear is the only gesr that will feel jerky.

Also on the track the shifting is different, you aren't always shifting at the top of the redline. You want to get all of the shifting work done before you get into a corner, sometimes this isn't possible but thats ideally what you want to happen.

Also you never want to go as fast as possible on the track, thats how you end up going off track or worse because you are over driving, and driving beyond your limit. You want to be driving roughly 8/10 or 9/10. Only time you want be 10/10 is on your hot lap. The fastest laps you'll set are when you are smooth and not doing any craziness like seesawing the steering, tires screeching or shifting crazy.

There shouldn't be any jerky feeling wheb you are shifting at the top of your RPMs. There car will feel jerky because you are braking and going off and on throttle, if you shifting is jerky, that will just upset the balance of the car and you'll spin out in a corner.

 

[Bandit_TypeR]

Doesn't that damage the throw out bearing for the clutch? Like if I'm in stop and go traffic (fast enough to only be stopped for a second) and need to be in first to keep moving, would that not be riding the clutch? Or is that how you're supposed to use the clutch? I had to do it it the other day while driving in light traffic, but wasn't sure if it was good practice.

No, its not "riding" the clutch if the clutch is "fully" depressed. At this point, the clutch is disengaged. However, if you only depress the clutch lightly so its still partial engaged, then you're "riding" the clutch and that will give you a smell like burning brakes. You don't want that. Think of motorcycles. They always have their hand on the clutch lever. It's how you drive a manual. In stop and go, my feet are hovering over the brake, gas and clutch the whole time ready to mange all three while I am in stop and go or slow moving traffic. It's a dance. The only time your foot is not hovering the clutch pedal is if your cruising along. Otherwise, before a turn, in a turn, slow moving traffic your foot shoot hover the clutch pedal. You may need to engage it if conditions change or if you need to "feather" it due changes in speed under slow down or exiting a moving traffic. It's not always press clutch, shift and forget. Your always staying close to the clutch pedal in traffic.

 

[Amm5890]

Oh man I was in your shoes a little while ago. The CTR is my first manual too. At first, I had a bit of buyer's remorse and was discouraged that I wasn't an IMSA pro right off the bat. But after a while now...I get it, the connection with the car is next level. It's awesome and makes every mundane drive more of an event. I now find peace in the fact that I won't be a "master" of driving a manual car in the first few years. There are always ways to get better and better. sort of like Kaizen. That being said - aside from the basics like seating position here are a few things that helped me when I first started.

Practice and mindset - Find times to get out of the house and practice all different driving situations i.e. hill starts, stop and go, parallel parking, etc... Also make sure you are at ease and have a good amount of energy before hitting the road (not always possible tbh). I feel like Ayrton Senna after my morning coffee but after a long day at work I can be a little rusty. I just focus on smoothness and clutch control on my way home.

YouTube - Conquer driving was a big help since I didn't have anyone help me learn manual driving.

Footwear - I have Piloti shoes which make a world of difference compared to my runners or boots. You can feel the clutch much better.

Don't grip the shifter - Use your palm. You're much less likely to have a mis shift. Also let the centering spring do the work for you. if you're upshifting from 2nd to 3rd just push the shifter with an open palm, feel it center, and then push forward into 3rd in one fluid motion. pull back when down shifting from 5th to 4th.

Use brake hold on hills - helps put the mind at ease about roll backs and also lets you apply enough throttle before lifting to the bite point.

1st to 2nd gear shift smoothness - This was the hardest one for me to learn and I am still trying to perfect it. There are multiple ways to smooth this shift out. You can leave the clutch in for a little while to allow the revs to drop and release when the revs are matched. My usual technique is to lift the clutch a little slower than other upshifts while rolling on throttle as I am releasing the clutch, like a see saw method. Only a little bit of throttle at the bite zone is fine. You can also just lift the clutch to the bite point for a second but with the CDV I find this to be the most inconsistent way.

Reversing - Just slip the clutch in little spurts to get moving and use the momentum to carry you backwards. This helps put less wear on the clutch.

45mph to 10mph turns - I usually just use the brake to bleed off speed to about and downshift to 2nd, skipping third, while still on the brakes. Release brake and add throttle as if you would in auto making a turn.


I think I covered most things I saw in this thread. If there's anything I missed just lmk.

 

[Gansan]

No, its not "riding" the clutch if the clutch is "fully" depressed. At this point, the clutch is disengaged. However, if you only depress the clutch lightly so its still partial engaged, then you're "riding" the clutch and that will give you a smell like burning brakes. You don't want that. Think of motorcycles. They always have their hand on the clutch lever. It's how you drive a manual. In stop and go, my feet are hovering over the brake, gas and clutch the whole time ready to mange all three while I am in stop and go or slow moving traffic. It's a dance. The only time your foot is not hovering the clutch pedal is if your cruising along. Otherwise, before a turn, in a turn, slow moving traffic your foot shoot hover the clutch pedal. You may need to engage it if conditions change or if you need to "feather" it due changes in speed under slow down or exiting a moving traffic. It's not always press clutch, shift and forget. Your always staying close to the clutch pedal in traffic.

You're right about the definition of riding the clutch, but he's talking about the throwout bearing, which is in between the clutch fork and the diaphragm. If you sit for minutes every day with the clutch pedal depressed waiting for a light, for instance, you are going to wear out your throwout bearing quite a bit faster. It's a dry bearing with only limited lubrication. It's a good reason to sit in neutral at the light or waiting for someone in the parking lot.

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