f1michel

That's incredible how analytic we can get when it comes to our baby 8 !! I drive stick for 25 years now, put 175,000 km on my 85 rx-7 and never ever had a problem with a clutch. Sometimes i downshift hard if i feel i have to (i live in MTL and we do have snow and slippery roads at times.) I start in 2nd if i have to, i coast on neutral to red lights sometimes, (never ever on a downhill HW ) i take my 6th gear to 15kph before engaging the clutch sometimes as well. It all depends on the situation you face. One thing i never do is keep the clutch depressed when i'm at a stand still...

Go ahead, try every way you want and i bet you will never have clutch problems on this car unless you slip it at EVERY gear.

:-)

Harrizone

Are we talking driving here or DRIVING. Either way you should always be in a gear most suited to the conditions, traffic or otherwise.

DRIVING requires that you take it to the limit of the rev range up and down the box, just ask a competition driver about the effects of engine/transmission braking coupled with use of the brakes. It scrubs off speed at twice the rate that breaks alone could manage, otherwise you could never break into a corner at speed and be in a position to accelerate around the corner. So it may be heavy on the clutch, but isn't DRIVING what you aquire a sports car for.

As for normal driving conditions I still shift down rather than use the brakes, not to save on brake pads, but with motorway/freeway driving we have all followed the idiot that is constantly playing a tune on his brakes for no apparent reason. I know that this cannot be avoided with automatic transmission, but just lifting your foot off of the throttle reduces speed quite rapidly both on manuals and on automatics, but more so on the automatic as they are built with just this in mind. And it saves everyone behind you repeating the same process until two miles back down the road everyone is standing on their nose in order to stop.

I am not advocating that everyone should drive the way I do, you suit yourself at the end of the day. But having competed on the track I perhaps drive to the 'limit' more than most and whilst I may be heavy on clutches, I do at least still get some fun out of my driving. It is why I am interested in the RX-8, otherwise I would get a standard saloon run about.

BlueAdept

Excessive engine braking in a RWD car might give you some interesting results as it would upset the brake force distribution in favour of the rear wheels... encouraging oversteer.

milo

All methods involve friction and wear of parts and can lead to eventual failure. We are all use to changing pads. I'm use to changing rotors . If your only goal was minimizing the total cost of vehicle ownership over a given time then just figure out which is cheapest.

Good luck on knowing the odds of actually damaging the engine from this since this engine is like no other. And with the high RPM I wonder if it is more or less effective since it has to spin down more RPM compared to something like the Z's. Does the RX-8's lower torque go in the other direction and mean for less wear?

Brakes are going to be going no matter what, just a matter of how fast. So your talking about more changes in a given time or suddenly adding an engine to the cost.

If your driving for pleasure than who cares. The whole car is a consumable object in the end (at least for most folks). Especially true if they continue to get better for cheaper. Do what feels good and seems effective. Harsh when its wanted or needed. Soft when appropriate.

I do most of the different ways people have described. I don't do one thing in all situations. I do multiple things. Sometimes alone and sometimes in combination. Sometimes it was the wrong thing (anytime the car jerks or you don't have the acceleration you wanted or needed).

What your going to do next should be a major factor in every decision in driving. The fact that at least 80% of other drivers don't know that fact is the single scariest thing about driving on public roads.

I love the RX-8 braking.

milo

P.S. Use the force!

P00Man

i slip the clutch at every gear, but thats cause i like a smooth ride, you cant even tell i shift unless you look at my arm and feet, theres no change in the feel of the car

thatll probably wear my clutch out a little faster than most i suppose...but its more comfortable

i rev-match ALLWAYS (gotten pretty damn good at it too, from 5k on down, 5k and up i dont really know the revs to rev match that well, though i do know first is 9 grand for 40 miles an hour lol, but the rest are really to fast to use it that much up in the revs that high, for instance, revving out 3rd gear would put you well in excess of the speed limit), since i like a smooth ride, usually i use engine w/ brakes to brake, and usually cost to a stop if theres no one around in nuetral, otherwise i keep it in gear untill im about to stop and pop it in nuetral
________
BLONDE GIRL LIVE

mdmaclean

Harrizone,

I believe that the tires are the limiting factor assuming your brakes are not overheated or defective. All cars that I have driven can lock up the tires by brakes alone. The brakes do not need engine braking to help them.

Downshifting is definitely required if you want to be in the correct gear to apply power leaving the turn. Also, if you shift during the turn, it can upset the dynamics of the suspension.

I always downshift before the turn if I plan a quick exit from the turn, but not for the purpose of engine braking.

kennyboy1215

never coast, thats against all best practice.
change when you need to dependent on road conditions/mood and fuel consumption requirements.
If you need more advice then seek an instuctor!

Harrizone

mdmclean.


Could not agree more with regards tyres ie. translates as grip, and would never advocate braking on apex of corner or change gear at this point either. Two sure fire ways of making rather closer than comfort with some rather substantial 'Armco' either right side up or inverted. I also have the scars to prove the point in question.javascript:smilie(':o')s**t

Am also a firm believer in the fact that, traffic conditions allowing, the quickest way between two points is a straight line and is how I tend to negotiate corners at speed. Can sometimes make for hairy moments but Hey! what's life about if not making the adrenalin flow. Always with a mind to other road users though. That is if you can second guess some of them.javascript:smilie('')

Again I make the point that if I did'nt want to drive to the limit I would be considering buying a shopping trolley.javascript:smilie(':D')javascript:smilie(' :D')javascript:smilie(':D')javascript:smilie(':D')

Harrizone

Whoops!!!!! sorry about the smilies did something wrong?

jdaled

I downshift, often gear by gear, sometimes skipping a gear on the way down to third or second before holding the clutch in and coming to a stop... using the brakes during the process as well. So, basically using enging braking to augment the slowing process. I've heard people say that brake pads are much cheaper than engine parts, so it's best to wear out the cheapest/easiest part to replace. I still use engine braking to help, because the RX-8 owners manual suggests it.

Whether I shift to neutral at a stop, or keep it in first with the clutch down, depends largely on whether I can see the traffic signal for cross traffic (i.e.... when their light turns yellow, I shift into first, and prepare to accelerate), and whether I'm first in line at the light. (if I'm first in line, and I can't see the cross-traffic light, I'll most likely keep it in first)

Anyway, that's what I do. :p

Smoker

Everyone has their own personal way of driving but keep it mind one very important factor - COST. The synchronos in your transmission box are the most expensive to replace, then its your clutch and the cheapest part to replace is the brake pads. So therefore, if you are cost sensitive and plan to keep the car for the long term, use the part that is the least expensive - the brake pads.

Although very fun, engine braking without rev matching puts wears on both your sychronos and your clutch. Even if you rev match with the clutch disengaged, you are still puting excess wear on the synchronos. Therefore if you are going to downshift, make sure you double clutch and rev match. If not just use the brakes. Save the synchronos for upshifts and your clutch for speed up the wheels.

f1michel

I think it's ridiculous to be so analytic about something that is so much more feel and talent. Basically just don't keep the clutch engaged when at a stand still. Rev matching is for your ego "wow, i matched it perfectly". Been chifting forever and used the engine to slow me down on all my cars and never EVER had a clutch or transmission problem and i put 20K miles a year. My RX-7 had 185000 km on it and was still A1.

Dugless

Try this one, when you are cruising in 6 th on the freeway and need to really accelerate, press the clutch in about 2/3 's. Push the stick up and pull it straight back, the trany will automatically go into 4th and you will take off?

f1michel

Dugless, you just downshifted to get power... anything special about that?? "aside from the fact that it's great fun wioth the 8"

Dugless

You obviously haven't done this yet. If done right you can get into a more powerful gear much, MUCH quicker with virtually no effort.

Dugless

You obviously haven't done this yet. If done right you can get into a more powerful gear much, MUCH quicker with virtually no effort.

8_wannabe

Quicker than what?

f1michel

i fail to see how it is any quicker then any other gear shift. i go from 6th to 4th all the time and the gear alignment on the 8 makes it very easy to do , i just fail to see your point in talking about this particular action in this thread.