[aerobod]

Originally Posted by Bret

I don't track, but I did have this happen in my S2000 once when upshifting around a sharp turn. On the other hand, the traction control in my F-Type literally won't allow the rear end to come around no matter what.

My Caterham has no ABS, traction control, power steering, brake booster or rev matching, and 500bhp per tonne. Makes the driving experience pure and exacting (especially with no windshield). There are no driving assistance features whatsover to save you from mistakes, other than the brilliant handling.

[gondolafanclub]

huge thanks to Good 4 2 reasons for letting me feel out the manual on his car and for the advice before mine is finished building. It won't be pretty or smooth but I should be able to get the car home from PCD to start practicing

We should have taken a pic of the cars together!

[Good 4 2 reasons]

Originally Posted by gondolafanclub

huge thanks to Good 4 2 reasons for letting me feel out the manual on his car and for the advice before mine is finished building. It won't be pretty or smooth but I should be able to get the car home from PCD to start practicing

We should have taken a pic of the cars together!

It is a shame we didn't take a photo of the cars together.

I am glad gondolafanclub got to gain some confidence driving the manual. For all the flaws of this gearbox, it's very easy to start in from a stop, which is usually the most terrifying thing for a beginner.

[pash]

Very, very late to the party here.

OP, I'm glad you went with the manual. When the factory rep called me to ask about how my purchase went, I made him sit there and listen to my rant about how it's pathetic that car companies are claiming nobody buys manuals, while at the same time not making enough to satisfy the obvious demand. Like you, I ordered my car.

Kind of ballsy move getting this as your first manual, but I respect it. I learned on my friend's Miata. Felt like a go-kart, I was hooked within two minutes. Five months later, I bought a manual GTI that I loved for an incredible twelve years before someone rear-ended me and ended my poor baby's life.

I'd say the M2 is much less forgiving at lower speeds; I've noticed that when I've let family take my car out for a spin that they universally struggle to find the point of engagement, especially when they're at a roll. Just takes practice, though. Like other posters have said, you should eventually get used to starting without using the accelerator (and riding the clutch)...at least when you're not on an incline. Makes life a little easier in stop and go traffic, and helps any passengers keep their lunch down.

The rev match is really nice, though I'm sure you've noticed it turns off with the more aggressive presets. Do you feel like it's less smooth when you do switch?

Honestly, from what I remember in my first weeks with my first car, the worst part was how exhausted my left leg would feel. Don't worry champ, you'll get used to it. Imagine how impressive your calf muscles will look at the beach!

[deneed4spd]

My first manual was a CT5 BW. I also worrried will I burn up clutch. Will it ruin the car with my stalls, etc. heck is it dangerous being behind such a high powered car as a manual. Then I went to the Cadillac driving school. Similar to the M school but full 2 days and it’s free with purchase of car. We beat the hell out of the cars with the manual and these cars had like 30k miles on hard track with newbie drivers. These high power cars come with robust trannies. They can handle anything a newbie can throw at it. And with so much torque and auto rev match, it is easier to take off and shift down. Great to hear u are getting adjusted! If anyone is on fence to get a m car as first manual. No worry! Hell I can put the manual at 4th gear at a stop and slowly take off and take it to 130 mph all on one gear! It’s a single gear auto lol.

[NewToM]

Originally Posted by deneed4spd

My first manual was a CT5 BW. I also worrried will I burn up clutch. Will it ruin the car with my stalls, etc. heck is it dangerous being behind such a high powered car as a manual. Then I went to the Cadillac driving school. Similar to the M school but full 2 days and it’s free with purchase of car. We beat the hell out of the cars with the manual and these cars had like 30k miles on hard track with newbie drivers. These high power cars come with robust trannies. They can handle anything a newbie can throw at it. And with so much torque and auto rev match, it is easier to take off and shift down. Great to hear u are getting adjusted! If anyone is on fence to get a m car as first manual. No worry! Hell I can put the manual at 4th gear at a stop and slowly take off and take it to 130 mph all on one gear! It’s a single gear auto lol.

0 - 130 in three weeks…

[gray_tabby]

The clutch in M2 is not an easy one to learn. The pedal is very springy at the bite point and it takes some effort to let the pedal go smoothly. The best advice I read to get used to the manual is to practice without the use of the accelerator pedal, I feel like adjusting to the manual improved tenfold when I started doing that and increased my confidence.

[gondolafanclub]

This may be somewhere in here already but I just picked up my car today and drove it the ~100miles home without stalling it until I got to the dealer and had to leave on an incline. I had put the parking brake on and put it in neutral to just sit there and then when i shifted to first and tried to take off it seemed like the brake never let go and it stalled. (and someone honked at me lol). I basically did the exact same thing again when I got to my neighborhood and had to punch in the gate code. Neutral > parking brake > shift to first and try to take off > stall.

When the car is off and you first start moving from having the parking brake on it turns itself off when you start releasing the clutch- does it not do that when you put the parking brake on again after moving? Automatically release itself? Was I just being too fast with the clutch pedal and not giving it time to release itself and it just stalled? Odd that it did it the same way both times but I guess now i know to disengage the brake before trying to take off.

[curtdragon]

You don’t need to put the parking brake on. Pretty sure this car has hill assist/hold. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong.

That’s a good technique but if you can’t master it then rev it up and drop clutch 😆😆😆

[gondolafanclub]

I only put on the parking brake because the first time it was a long light that I had just missed and the 2nd time because I had to get out of the car to reach the keypad. The hill hold drops after a few seconds.

[ajchoi]

Originally Posted by curtdragon

You don’t need to put the parking brake on. Pretty sure this car has hill assist/hold. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong.

That’s a good technique but if you can’t master it then rev it up and drop clutch 😆😆😆

This is correct. But I tend to rev it up with a couple blips when taking off from a stop and as soon as you give it any gas the brake for hill hold releases. I’ve still been fine but I’ve been driving manual for 18 years, minus the 5-6 years before this car when I was driving automatic Audis

[CJ421]

Originally Posted by gondolafanclub

This may be somewhere in here already but I just picked up my car today and drove it the ~100miles home without stalling it until I got to the dealer and had to leave on an incline. I had put the parking brake on and put it in neutral to just sit there and then when i shifted to first and tried to take off it seemed like the brake never let go and it stalled. (and someone honked at me lol). I basically did the exact same thing again when I got to my neighborhood and had to punch in the gate code. Neutral > parking brake > shift to first and try to take off > stall.

When the car is off and you first start moving from having the parking brake on it turns itself off when you start releasing the clutch- does it not do that when you put the parking brake on again after moving? Automatically release itself? Was I just being too fast with the clutch pedal and not giving it time to release itself and it just stalled? Odd that it did it the same way both times but I guess now i know to disengage the brake before trying to take off.

This video shows the hill assist feature in action:

If you're sitting at a traffic light, you should be in neutral with your foot lightly on the brake. Hill assist will engage when you shift into first; it engages the ebrake for a couple seconds until you let out the clutch i.e., the car starts moving. Test this in a parking lot to get some confidence. It is a really nice feature. Without it, the car would roll backwards instantly.

You will get a lot more comfortable with launching the car in time. It's always the most nerve-wracking part of a manaul transmission car. Getting moving is this "simple" sequence, and some of these actions can overlap:
Press in clutch > shift into first > foot off brake > ease out clutch until it's engaged.

Either way, congratulations on making it home + taking the leap to drive one of these wonderful mechanical contraptions.

I did a write-up of some manual transmission driving tips in this thread.

Charles

[xtougher]

Originally Posted by Mhrob24

Thanks everyone for the input and comments. Even though it is shitty going through this learning process and getting anxiety when driving this thing, I don’t regret it. It’s cool using the stick, honestly. It makes the driving more fun. I know once I’m a pro at it I’ll have even more fun.

My other question I has was shifting once you’re already going (like 1-2, 2-3, etc). What I’m doing is letting off the gas, quickly pushing in the clutch as soon as my foot leaves the gas, shift up, and then basically repeat close to the same procedure as taking off from a stop: slowly release clutch and simultaneously give a little bit of gas. I think this is the “heel-toe” thing I hear about but idk lol. Is this right to do? For the most part I feel like once the car is moving, my shifting feel very smooth. Occasionally I get like a very small and quick jolt, but I think that’s when im just too quick off the clutch.

It's been a few months. How's the feel of driving the manual transmission going? I'm sure the weather has put a damper on some of that, but just curious.

I remember making the decision to get my first car as a manual without really knowing how to drive it. I understood the concept, since my dad's truck was a manual, but hadn't gotten my own time in the driver's seat with it.

They brought up all the good points about daily driving it in traffic, etc.
My mentality was that if I didn't try then, then each time I purchase another car, I would still have the same question of whether I would want a manual or not. But I could get my first one, and if I hated it in traffic or for any other reason, I could just never get one again.

Glad I did, because every car so far has been a manual.

Originally Posted by curtdragon

Anyone with a manual M2 regret it and wish they got the auto?

I only considered cars with manual, so no regrets here. And I daily drove each with commutes in traffic for sure.

[Mvfjet]

It actually took me like 2 weeks to get used to the clutch and that 1-2 shift. Almost a month in and it’s like second nature now but I’m glad this wasn’t my first manual transmission.

[gondolafanclub]

I feel like I am comically slow taking off and going 1-2 but whatever it's still (personally) a much better experience on twisty roads and I'm glad I took the manual coming from a dct f87. It's very easy to drive but I need to work on the smooth lol