Some people drive their stick shifters like they were automatics. Press gas for go press brakes for stop. Nothing wrong with it.

However there are those who wish to participate more with the movement of the vehicle over the ground. They tend to downshift and upshift based on the management of momentum.

Jane Bridges told metheir is actuallya form of racing called momentum driving. As i understand it,those guys spend a lot of time bumping into each other. Not recommended for our Crossies.

It is not an effort to save gas or brakes. it is simply a deeper engagement of the driver to the activity of the vehicle.

Downshifting to slow for stops signs iss more habit than anything but doing so to make a turn actually improves steerig control. By placing the power thrust reversal tothe back wheels andleaving the front wheels to simply steer the action of the front wheels is100% directional control.

During aggresive turns, the resistance of the rear wheels tends to let them slip to the out side of teh turn, theus helping the car navigate the corner.
In a final assement, as you have downshifted, you are tranferring the momentum of the car into the rpm's of the engine allowing for higher available HP for coming out of the turn.

And, you are already in the lower gear making the entire process efficient.

Some fools (myself included) drive this way all the time. Habit. They don't even think about the action, the clutching, the motor revs. It just happens automicaly, like breathing.

Which is why I claim that my 6 spd manual shifts smoothly and automaticaly, unless I think about it.


roadster with a stick

"the way it should be"