----- Original Message -----
From: "Clifford Richardson" <the_brain7@hotmail.com>
To: <Smokerbros@aol.com>; <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2001 10:53 PM
Subject: Re: shifting, was Re: 2500 lb Miata?
> Say...how about downshifting in an automatic? :-) I have the option of
> setting manual mode which prevents automatic downshifting(or upshifting
for
> that matter). BMW 318ic; Torque:133lb-ft@4300RPM; Curb weight: 3131 lbs.
Having begun my autocrossing "career" (such as it is) in an
automatic-equipped car, I'll say this. Make use of your manual shifting
feature. My car didn't have it, but it would only give you 2nd gear if you
moved the lever to "2," which was good enough for my purposes (at least
until I wanted to get back to 1st, in which case it wouldn't downshift once
I was above 25mph).
I'd recommend, at least for a while, leaving the car in 2nd until you get a
handle on driving the car. Without a limited-slip differential (don't know
if your car has one; my Z didn't), first gear often means you're just
lighting up your inside rear wheel out of turns. My car had enough torque
that the rear would sometimes step out a bit if I had really poor traction.
Once you learn the black art of rolling smoothly onto the pedals, use first
if you come out of a corner slow enough. Since you don't have to clutch,
there's no real reason not to, but all the same be careful of downshifting
at higher rpm. This will upset the car with an auto just the same as it
will with a stick.
Scot
----------------------------------------------------------------
We make attorneys affordable.
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/go/szediker
|