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Heel toe is useful for entering a corner at a high speed on the street just the same as it is on the track. I for one drive my car hard any chance that I get to, its an absolute joy to drive, but I do understand that most americans don't do that, they use a car to get from point a to point b. All I was saying is that if you are wanting to do any sort of spirited driving, be it on a track or a country backroad where I like to play, then a manual is worth its weight in gold.
Don't be ridiculous, I've been open tracking and instructing for 20 years and do heel and toe on the track. It serves no useful purpose when driving on the street other than to practice for the track.
I would say its pretty low, My wifes brother was given the chance to get a Mustang GT Convertable from his dad(for free) but said no, because he did not want to learn how to drive stick.
I've had only 2 cars that I've been automatic the has been stick shift. My Mazda is stickshift it's my daily driverand I love it. I learned how to drive stick before I had my license. This is going to sound bad but my first try at driving an slushbox wasn't good and I'll leave it at that. More then likey if things keep going good with my Gf I'll get an automatic she can't drive a stick & doesn't want to learn. I would rather have two cars that we can both drive in case one breaks down.
I think it's sad that so many don't know how to drive a manual, I think it's a good skill to have. I will definitely be teaching my kids how to drive one.
A friend of our has two sons that are over 20 now. They both learned to drive stick. Now both of them have older vehicles that are stick shift (older Jeep and older Toyota Tacoma).
I for one will NEVER own an auto, can't properly control the car with it
In say a FWD car in order to take a corner fast, you need to keep your foot mashed on the gas pedal, in order to transfer weight to the rear of the car and balance it out better, while at the same time using your left foot to control the vehicle speed with the brakes...dosen't work with an auto.
Autos are for lazy fools who don't care about having fun in their car, nor have they ever experienced a perfectly timed heel-toe double clutch down shift (not quoting Fast and Furious here, It is a VERY useful trick)
Plus in a stick shift you have to drive, you cant be talking on the phone, or putting on makeup, or texting, or eating a cheeseburger, you have to focus on the road...
I wish we did what europe does, if you cant take your driving test in a stick, no license for you :-)
Wow.. about the only thing worse than someone that doesn't know anything about VD is someone who THINKS they know VD and also treats the street as a racetrack.. known around the world to professional drivers as the "hack a doodle"....
BS. You're in just as much control over where you go, how fast you get there, how fast you stop, cornering attitude, braking, accceleration in an automatic. I drive an auto and a manual on the same roads/commute back to back and am in just as much control of my automatic BMW as I am in my 5 speed Mustang or 6 speed MINI.
You have slightly DIFFERENT controls to use, but are just as much in control of your car either way. And my last fast autocross car used a built automatic and went faster on the track than most. And I was in complete control of it. I just didn't wiggle my left foot occasionally.
Sorry, but that slight push of the left foot every few minutes does NOT constitute the difference between being in control and not being in control of your car.
I am going to chime in (and say BS to your statement of BS) . When I was in the states in New England, and you went over a hill and it was glare ice/packed slippery snow, a rear-wheel-drive manual was a lifesaver. You drop it down a gear or two, let the rear wheels generate most of the drag, and you can still fully steer. I am no spring chicken, but I have had only two automatics in my life. I hate them. I learned to drive a manual when I was about 12 years old, on a tractor. The only thing when getting an automatic car for the first time, is not attempting to 'clutch' it, out of learned response, as you end up nailing the brakes. Sends everything in the car flying.
When we built race cars, it was either a pneumatically controlled manual, or a Doug Nash or a Lenco, all manuals.
I am going to chime in (and say BS to your statement of BS) . When I was in the states in New England, and you went over a hill and it was glare ice/packed slippery snow, a rear-wheel-drive manual was a lifesaver. You drop it down a gear or two, let the rear wheels generate most of the drag, and you can still fully steer.
You know, with that lever on the center console, I can do that in my BMW (and my old Range Rover), too. Of course, I can also use traction control and ABS in those conditions.
Quote:
When we built race cars, it was either a pneumatically controlled manual, or a Doug Nash or a Lenco, all manuals.
That's nice. Doesn't change what my slalom racer did on the track. I drive both. And drive them well. I'm not a closed minded fool, like some people here.
You know, with that lever on the center console, I can do that in my BMW (and my old Range Rover), too. Of course, I can also use traction control and ABS in those conditions.
That's nice. Doesn't change what my slalom racer did on the track. I drive both. And drive them well. I'm not a closed minded fool, like some people here.
Let's go do a 1/4 mile. I will put in a rear-view mirror to see how you are doing. Since cost is not a limit for me, bring on whatever you've got, once I am back in the states... give me a couple of months to build another nice 5000 HP funny car... we can have a blast. 'Pink slips'. I build them, I don't drive them, so I will bring along a friend that can. Let's see how fast you can go to zero-to-sixty. I hope the first digit is a 'one', and there aren't any digits after that. Haven't build a monster in years, but I keep up on the technology.
Last edited by SuperSparkle928; 06-01-2012 at 10:17 AM..
I would say its pretty low, My wifes brother was given the chance to get a Mustang GT Convertable from his dad(for free) but said no, because he did not want to learn how to drive stick.
I think sometimes it's fear more than anything else. My first car was a stick shift, but at the time we lived in a rural area and I got it out on the road and taught myself how to drive it. I'd imagine it would be a little more scary learning to drive a stick in a heavy traffic area where people start honking if you make a mistake.
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More then likey if things keep going good with my Gf I'll get an automatic she can't drive a stick & doesn't want to learn. I would rather have two cars that we can both drive in case one breaks down.
