Originally Posted by Sigma

Sounds like a lot of people here need to learn about gearing.

All you care about when you're accelerating is accelerating. "Peak output" of the engine doesn't mean a damned thing, it's power at the wheels that matters.

Your total linear force, the total force that you're putting to the ground, which is what matters when you're accelerating, is a function of both your engine's output AND the multiplicative effect of the gear that you're in. Try accelerating at "peak power" in 5th gear and it'll be pretty clear how much slower it is than accelerating at 9000RPM in 4th, no matter the fact that your engine is making "less power".

Just because you lose 5% of your peak power by going a little further along the rev-band doesn't mean diddily squat if you lose 50% of your gearing advantage. Just imagine shifting from First into Fourth. It doesn't matter if you shift at "peak power" or not, you're gonna go nowhere fast. The same effect happens on the 1-2 shift too, it's just a lot less noticeable because the gear ratios are closer, but that loss of gearing advantage is multiples higher than the relative meager loss of power between 8500 and 9200.

The actual feet per second that you're accelerating will be MUCH greater by holding your gear than you'll get by shifting "at peak" and this effect is magnified because when you do shift later, you'll end up that much higher up the rev-band for that next gear as well, bogging that much less.

Go to a track and watch what the V8 owners are doing. It doesn't matter that they make peak output at 4500RPM and it's all downhill from there (and to a much greater magnitude than the RX8 experiences). They're gonna shift at 6800 anyway. Because even though their engine is 'petering out' so to speak, the power at the wheels, the power that is actually moving them forward, is still greater than it would be if they went to a higher gear.

Originally Posted by renesisgenesis

wow i didn't realize the rx8 makes peak power at 5500! that's news to me. could have sworn it was 8500...


although i am naive to expect a sensible comment from someone who boasts utilizing synthetic oil of the wrong weight no less...



But anyway, the point is really quite clear: the loss of power from 8500-9000 range would not be nearly enough to offset the 36 percent loss in leverage when shifting to third. (the loss is even more when shifting from first to second).

Originally Posted by Elara

it depends on your definition of power. It hits peak torque at 5500 rpms. There's no need to be nasty about it.

Originally Posted by renesisgenesis

I paid for 9000 revs damnit, so let me hear them.

Originally Posted by dozer

^i shift passed 9k all the time

Originally Posted by BigMikeATL

Do this too often and you'll be paying for a new engine...

Originally Posted by Marklar

It would be even better if you could add your own sound. Like an orgasmic female voice moaning "shiiiiift". That would PWN.

Originally Posted by genjee16

"Fix" found kinda

so i found this thread because my beep went away and i could not find out why. i personally like the beep, but for those of you wanting to get rid of it...i recently bought an auxillary adapter that plugs into the back of the head unit where the mini disc player would normally fit. when the headunit is on CD, radio, or off the beep still remains but when the adapter is activated and the system reads EX^3 the beep is disabled. for those who want no beep and planned on fitting your 8 with some sort of auxillary port there you go, for the rest of you your SOL.