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3 Posts
I posted a thread a few weeks ago about buying an auto vs a six-speed, as the first time I test drove the GTO, I thought the pedal effort was incredibly high, even more so that my 03 Corvette. Of course, the car I was trading in was an Acura TSX which can be shifted with your pinkie, and clutch depressed with your large toe, so I guess it was like comparing apples and oranges.
Anyhoo, I have never owned an automatic in my life and didn't think the GTO was a good place to start, so I got the 6. I bought the yellow; blacked out the windows and bought after-market chrome wheels. It looks awesome. The clutch effort did not seem nearly as difficult as I first imagined, and, while firm, only adds to the enjoyment of the car. I like the idea of having a powerful car that has to be "worked" a little to find its true performance potential; it helps develop our driving skills, which the Acura, although superbly built, did not. As one person sucinctly put it, "You drive the car, the car doesn't drive you."
Over all it is a wonderful car--fast, soild, great handling, comfortable and rare, which I love. That having been said, I DO think the Japanese sweat the small stuff a lot more, and there are several things about the car that could have been added or done better, but that's another post.
My biggest problem--shifting in to 2nd!! When the engine is off, it is a direct, very straight throw from 1st to 2nd. However, when I am on it, I fumble and stumble to find the 2nd gear, shifting and fiddling like a madman, until the Gremlins and Vegas of the world have blown me off. I completely lose my forward momentem and speed.
When I'm revving it high in first, what I do find works (sometimes) is let the idle fall off, pull the shifter to the neutral zone, pause, then pull the stick sharply to the left and down, and then it engages, but by that time, I am left behind by far lesser cars. What an embarrasement! Can you image the guy coming home from work bragging to his wife that his '96 Ford Taurus beat me at a light? Oh, the shame!!!
I enjoy power shifting, going from 1st to 2nd without the revs falling off, but for the life of me I cannot instantly engage second. Now I have been manually shifting cars for 34 years, having never owned an automatic, and I have owned a BMW M3, a Mitsi VR4 twin turbo, an 03 Corvette, a Mitsi Eclipse Turbo, and several other high performance cars, so I know how to shift--but I cannot get this one right, and it's really detracting from my enjoyment of an otherwise wonderful car.
Any tips or advise would be greatly appreciated.
Anyhoo, I have never owned an automatic in my life and didn't think the GTO was a good place to start, so I got the 6. I bought the yellow; blacked out the windows and bought after-market chrome wheels. It looks awesome. The clutch effort did not seem nearly as difficult as I first imagined, and, while firm, only adds to the enjoyment of the car. I like the idea of having a powerful car that has to be "worked" a little to find its true performance potential; it helps develop our driving skills, which the Acura, although superbly built, did not. As one person sucinctly put it, "You drive the car, the car doesn't drive you."
Over all it is a wonderful car--fast, soild, great handling, comfortable and rare, which I love. That having been said, I DO think the Japanese sweat the small stuff a lot more, and there are several things about the car that could have been added or done better, but that's another post.
My biggest problem--shifting in to 2nd!! When the engine is off, it is a direct, very straight throw from 1st to 2nd. However, when I am on it, I fumble and stumble to find the 2nd gear, shifting and fiddling like a madman, until the Gremlins and Vegas of the world have blown me off. I completely lose my forward momentem and speed.
When I'm revving it high in first, what I do find works (sometimes) is let the idle fall off, pull the shifter to the neutral zone, pause, then pull the stick sharply to the left and down, and then it engages, but by that time, I am left behind by far lesser cars. What an embarrasement! Can you image the guy coming home from work bragging to his wife that his '96 Ford Taurus beat me at a light? Oh, the shame!!!
I enjoy power shifting, going from 1st to 2nd without the revs falling off, but for the life of me I cannot instantly engage second. Now I have been manually shifting cars for 34 years, having never owned an automatic, and I have owned a BMW M3, a Mitsi VR4 twin turbo, an 03 Corvette, a Mitsi Eclipse Turbo, and several other high performance cars, so I know how to shift--but I cannot get this one right, and it's really detracting from my enjoyment of an otherwise wonderful car.
Any tips or advise would be greatly appreciated.
