Speedbear

Hey all!

I'm looking for some reassurance here. I'm 99% ready to buy this car today. I have only this nagging worry about the manual transmission. I've only driven MT a few times in my life, and though I'm REASONABLY competent, I'm still not as comfortable as I'd like. But I figure you gotta get an MT car to ever get used to it! So tell me guys, please tell me that the fun factor of this car is worth sacrificing the convenience of AT. I figured you guys, being as enthusiastic as you are, can convince me.

Not worried about the maintenance, not worried about the MPG, not worried about the size, not worried about the "impracticality." Just the stick! How long does it take to overcome the uncertainty?

Schimmle

Well I only drove a stick for one weekend 3 years before I got this car. I drove it back about 600 miles...as the ride started it was sad, but as I got closer to home it got worse. I was a cowboy with how much she was bucking. I just went out and after about 15 minutes of stopping and starting it smoothed out. Within the week I was prefectly fine. I honestly don't like automatics anymore. I feel like I have more controle this way. I know what to do when I want to hit a certain power band in a certain place. Go for the MT.

jones75254

iTrader: (2)

Be a MAN. Convert to MT already. If more convincing is needed than that statement, then stick with the AT Mary

Rhawb

Simple to learn stick. Put the car into first, and feather the clutch until the car is moving without the clutch at all (no throttle until you can do this confidently and rather quickly!). At the worst, my friend was driving himself around confidently within a day.

And trust me - if you're into cars at all - once you get used to MT, you'll hate AT.

bugster

GET MT OR I WILL FIND YOU AND...

there's nothing scary about MT, doesnt even take a day to learn.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

An MT is mandatory in a sportscar, especially this one.

You'll be fine; as you cited you just need more time with a manual to gain the experience and therefore confidence you seek. In a month you'll be an ol' pro.

Just don't ride the clutch, especially around turns. The key to using a manual transmission is to anticipate your needs, much as you would riding a 10-speed bicycle (downshift before going up a hill, upshift down a hill; same principal 'cept the rotary doing the work instead of your legs). Learn how to engage the emergency brake when stopped on a hill so you don't roll back when taking off. Also learn how to jump start by rolling down a hill (or someone pushing you) and engaging the clutch when in 1st gear. I taught my son in an afternoon - but then again he was my son and now a fellow engineer.

I rarely use my brakes thanks to the MT principal of engine braking, another plus to the MT along with better gas mileage, more HP (in this vehicle) and a ton more Fun.

Keep in mind that 50 odd years ago there were no automatics, and people of all skill levels still drove.

bugster

be warned tho!

MT means great power
and great power comes with great responsibilities!

Rhawb

Hey now, don't scare the poor guy!

KoDeD

I drove stick two times before buying this car. One time in a friends mustang and one time as I stalled the **** out of the 8 that I test drove up and down the parking lot.

Now I'm perfectly fine with it. Give it 2 weeks. You might still have little "bumps" here and there, but you will be fine in no time. Don't worry about burning the clutch out or messing up the gears, you have to be practically retarded in order to do that. Just buy it.

/end

quazmosis

iTrader: (2)

I'm pretty satisfied with my AT.

Socket7

Took me a week to learn stick, with my only previous experience being a Golf TDI in a parking lot for an hour or so.

By the end of the first month, it was completely natural to me.

AT is not convenient, its LAZY. It is not difficult to shift gears.

Schimmle

You're satisfied and we're orgasmic...can you see the difference?

bose

iTrader: (5)

I got my 8 when I last year (22) and hadn't driven a stick since I was 14, when my dad showed my how and never touched one again until my 8. Scary? Just a hair, it takes about a day til your crusing with a good ammount of confidence, one big thing is don't get intimidated by hills, but I suggest finding a small one where you won't hit anything and practice not rolling back. Or you can be lazy and use the e-brake.

Honestly it's not very hard to figure out and get going, get the MT you'll never look back.

dozer

iTrader: (3)

clutch in, downshift to 2 second hit 7krpm to 9k rpm = PURE JOY

xsnipersgox

or you can be NOT lazy and use the e brake =p, e brake with hand, foot leave brake pedal, so that ur on clutch and gas, and engaged the engine before u realease the ebrake with ur hand.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

drive the car, it'll do all the convincing you need.

delhi

if after spent time test driving an rx-8 and you still need convincing, then this car is not for you. It's ok. the rx-8 is not for everyone.... only the cool people drives it. hahahaha

Speedbear

Oh, I love the car, I just want to be sure I'll be okay in the MT. But you guys have convinced me. I guess I have a phone call to make...

ken-x8

Just a couple of days to get the hang of it, maybe a week to be comfortable. Up to a month before you don't need to cheat with the hand brake when starting up a steep hill. Then a few more weeks of playing around to learn to double clutch, heel and toe.

Pretty soon you'll be flaming people who wimped and got an AT.

Welcome!

Ken

restiller

you should be in decent shape by 2 weeks. as suggested before, practice on hills or inclines, stopping halfway up and going again. also practice downshifting on the highway for passing, you won't get that lower gear "torque" feeling like you would in an automatic.

other things that helped me in the beginning:
- that it's ok to step on the gas and clutch at the same time
- feathering the clutch without stepping on the gas
- remembering to put the stick in neutral when parked
- remembering the e-brake when parked
- wiggle the stick in neutral before shutting off or starting the car
- after setting the e-brake put the stick in 1st or reverse when parking on an incline

what you will end up liking about your MT:
- burnouts (not suggested to do in public)
- heel-toe shifting
- drifting (do not do this in public roads either)
- better MPG
- more POWA! (Rx8 higher redline)
- rolling jump start (i do not have the guts to pull this off with my 8)
- your manhood

Speedbear

Okay, it's mine in 3 hours. 2007 MT Touring in Stormy Blue Mica. Could this be the beginning of an addiction?

SVgamer72

Congrats!!! You won't be sorry.

The RX-8 has one of the best feeling manual transmissions of any car I have ever had the pleasure of driving. Swap in a short shifter and it gets even better.

The RX-8 is a "drivers" car. In other words it rewards a driver that is in tune with the car and what it is doing mechanically. In my opinion, the only way to truly experience what a car is doing mechanically is with a manual transmission. You can get close with an auto with manual mode, but it is just not the same.

You can learn to competently drive a stick in a couple of hours. It can take months, or even years, to master heel-toe shifting in order to get every ounce of performance out of a car with a manual transmission; and you will be grinning the whole time you are learning those skills.

Kafka

Congrats. btw, you got the BEST colour of an Rx8.

As you getting more familiar with the manual shifting, you don't even need to use the clutch to shift! Not recommended for you to try though...give it a few months.

Consider yourself graduate when chicks asking you if its an automatic or manual car since they can't tell the difference -- meaning you're smooth

regards,
Fellow 2007 Stormy Blue Mica owner heheh.

biggin55

LOL, I was literally thrown into the world of driving stick. 93 Ford Ranger, my grandpa took me out and taught me the basics, very quickly (this was his office truck). Practiced for about 20 min, then we came back to his office, an hour after that he threw me the keys and told me to go get some sign material, and I had to cross many a busy street, very nerve racking, but I learned very fast!

restiller

Oh crap, that's happened to me after i dropped of my friend! Blew my mind.

Forgot to mention that the clutch action on the 8 is very smooth/forgiving than other MT's i've tried. Hondas' clutches tend to have that snap release motion that "disconnects" me from feeling the car. My last car was a Toyota and I felt like I had to lay the pedal through the floor to disengage the clutch.

As for the addiction, do your parts research here before messing with perfection (like avoiding gaudy chrome rims).