Downshifting to First Gear q - new boxster owner

[mcomet]

Btw for the curious here is some info from a thread I found when searching ... This is apparently info from a 99 owners manual. You can search for a thread about "driving below 2800 rpm"...

"The specified maximum rpm figures should not be exceeded when shifting down, exceeding the safe operating limit can result in damamge to the engine.

For smooth shifting, observe observe the following shift points (applies to standard gear ratios only):

Maximum downshifting points

• 5th to 4th ... 120mph/193km/h or 5100rpm
  4th to 3rd ... 84mph/135 km/h or 4700rpm
  3rd to 2nd ... 56mph/90 km/h or 4400rpm
  2nd to 1st ... 35mph/56 km/h or 4000rpm

Minimum upshifting points

• 1st to 2nd ... 15mph/24 km/h or 3000rpm
  2nd to 3rd ... 25mph/40 km/h or 2900rpm
  3rd to 4th ... 40mph/64 km/h or 3100rpm
  4th to 5th ... 45mph/72km/h or 2500rpm"

[Homeboy981]

Good question. First gear is pointless to try and downshift to, especially in the Box S. The gears are too close to hit first before you hit zero mph.

Heel-toe down to second and if you have to start there you can do it just fine, short of a dead stop. The tiptronic (automatic) version has similar gears to our second gear anyway.

1st gear is just to take off from a dead stop or cruising around SLOWLY. Have not found any use for downshifting to it.

[Topless]

When I teach it in performance driving, I suggest using 1st from a dead stop only. You could h/t downshift to 1st while rolling but it is unnecessary input. Minimum input is smooth and smooth is fast.

I use the same logic when approaching a corner going from 5th to 2nd. Instead of busying yourself running through the gears, apply full braking and h/t downshift to select only the gear you need for corner exit. Get your business done and be in the right gear before entering the corner so your foot is on the gas at apex. Minimum input, maximum focus on corner entry. These same techniques work well in traffic at a "less intense" level. Just building and practicing good driving habits that become second nature.

Disclaimer: These are only suggestions. It is your car and ultimately you can shift it any way you want. There will always be different opinions on this.

[fatmike]

Originally Posted by Topless

When I teach it in performance driving, I suggest using 1st from a dead stop only. You could h/t downshift to 1st while rolling but it is unnecessary input. Minimum input is smooth and smooth is fast.

I use the same logic when approaching a corner going from 5th to 2nd. Instead of busying yourself running through the gears, apply full braking and h/t downshift to select only the gear you need for corner exit. Get your business done and be in the right gear before entering the corner so your foot is on the gas at apex. Minimum input, maximum focus on corner entry. These same techniques work well in traffic at a "less intense" level. Just building and practicing good driving habits that become second nature.

Disclaimer: These are only suggestions. It is your car and ultimately you can shift it any way you want. There will always be different opinions on this.

Topless is giving you good advise. Work on heel-toe, it will make you a smoother and safer driver.

[Ghostrider 310]

Originally Posted by fatmike

Topless is giving you good advise. Work on heel-toe, it will make you a smoother and safer driver.

Tag this onto the good advise, buy a cheap barely running beater manual to practice on. Tearing up a Porsche box on the learning curve is an expensive education, you don't get too many oopsies where as the 50's era VW I learned on could be nearly brutalized and still shift.

[dmairspotter]

From any gear you can push in the clutch, put the stick in neutral, and let out the clutch without damage to clutch or transmission. Coast for 10 miles, come to a stop, doesn't matter. Putting a MT car in neutral, rolling or stopped, will not harm a transmission.

BTW I second topless comments above. The faster race car drivers I've watched (and raced against) will often skip gears on downshift to corner entry. All they want the downshift for is to make sure they have the right gear/rpm when they hit the gas again. All the decel comes from the brakes.

[ekam]

Originally Posted by dmairspotter

Coast for 10 miles,

How high is that mountain that you can coast in neutral for 10 miles? :dance:

[mcomet]

Thanks all... I tried this yesterday... Much better for driving.

Also tried sticking with higher rpms before shifting up anywhere 3000 to 5000 rpm definitely more fun hehe. But the right to neutral on stopping is much better. Thanks!

The car i got has a a really stiff clutch pedal and i have work slated for that this weekend at dealer...so hopefully new clutch etc etc and I will be all in business in a few days!

[jb92563]

I am new to my 2001 'S' 6 speed and after 3 days of driving I have to concur that downshifting to 1st is rather pointless as its done under 10mph and you are virtually stopped
already, however you must for all the other gears because its fun, sounds good and reminds other drivers that you are driving a sexy SPORT car with a racing heritage not an ecobox lunch bucket with wheels.

Downshifting is fun, saves the brakes and sounds cool. I have driven my MT Jeep wrangler for over 60,000 miles and still have good brake pads left.
I ussually only touch the brakes lightly to indicate to traffic behind that I'm braking, and coming to a complete stop on a slope.

The bliping of throttle to sync the engine/gearbox for a smooth transition in a downshift is an art and will take some time and practice to get it perfect as you learn your engines response time and hear its tone/rpm for the clutch timing but its also part of the fun.

Hearing your engines tone is the best way to time it, in my experience, as the Tach lags and will take your eyes off more important things. Shift indicators are worse than useless and to be ignored (in the jeep at least)

I would never shift to neutral while moving since you don't have control of your car anymore, ie you can not apply power to manuever or downshift or reduce throttle to brake, plus the gearbox and engine speeds get way out of sync and it will take more time to spool up when you want to go again.
Just downshift or keep the clutch depressed so the syncro can do its work.

[thstone]

Brakes to slow, clutch/gears to go.

Use the clutch as little as possible and when you do, rev match. There's no point in downshifting sequentially, a 5-2 h/t downshift is the perfect answer.

Feel free to shift to neutral from any gear and coast/come to a stop using only the brakes. Saves wear and tear on the clutch and transmission. And if you're worried about losing power steering/power brakes, fix your engine because it shouldn't just cut out randomly.

[landrovered]

Driving a Porsche with a bad 2nd gear synchronizer will cure you of any desire to downshift when coming to a stop. It has been a great exercise that taught me to use the brakes and not the gearbox to slow the car. I find I drive a lot further into a braking zone when I am not rowing down through the gears.

[particlewave]

All good ADVICE, lol!

Yeah, it bugs me.