308 video: Is this the way they teach kids to shift these days?

It's a good question about coasting neutral, I told my kids never to do it, but really the reason is to provide engine brake and to be ready move again in a hurry. Neither are important reasons. I have backed off that philosophy and often now coast to a stop in neutral myself.

As for the blipping; absolutely necessary because it sounds cool (but totally useless unless the car has idling problems).

The critique I make for the driving is that he was following a car on a high speed freeway with only a 1 second time gap from the car in front. Should be at least 2 or 3 seconds. Smith Driving System says 4 seconds. A lot can happen in that one second, particularly with a car with ABS in front.

 

(Have only ever owned 5/6 spd cars for the past ... how old am I...? 30+ years...)

Whether I coast in neutral or under power is kind of situational. If I know I'm coming to a full stop, I'll go either full clutch or neutral (less leg fatigue) for the last few 20-30 yards. When I'm stopped at a light, I'm going to be in (N) anyway.

The engine revving while stopped... never done that in any car BUT my Ferrari. And only when I'm having low idle issues.

Also seemed like he was blipping as you would when you are downshifting and matching the rev... except he wasn't downshifting. So perhaps it's either habit, or he doesn't know why one blips?

 

I've never owned an automatic until about 10 years ago (I'm 49 this week)...I took my drivers test with a stick, and exclusively owned manual shift cars until 2007. I've coasted in neutral from time to time, it depends...sometimes I just get lazy.

It's not frequent, but I do it. FWIW.

 

My mom (79) swears you need to coast to a stop in neutral. That's how my "Pop" taught her back in the late 40's. My driving makes her crazy as I use my gears with blipping the throttle to rev match coming to a stop (In every standard I have ever driven since 1978).

 

I think he was letting the car warm up a bit.

 

The idiotic blipping of the throttle aside, I'd never sit passenger with him as the driver... looking over your shoulder to change lanes at speed WTF! If my boys ever drove like that I'd smack them upside the head.. use your god damned mirrors!

 

When he first started the engine I thought it was a QV with the high speed idle but it seems to be a carb car from the sound of the engine and the Vitalonis. Its nice to know other owners have bent handbrake levers too (I'm always straightening mine out). But blipping the throttle after selecting the downshift is just wrong.

 

Only time I am in neutral is at a stop light.

(I have never worn a clutch out in 33 years either)

 

It's a carbed car, the interior layout is the giveaway

 

In our province, you can fail a driver's test by not doing a shoulder check for changing lanes but, some years ago, one of the government approved "collision avoidance" driving courses recommended against shoulder checks and, instead, using your mirrors (properly adjusted, of course), just as you suggest. Problem is, many people don't adjust their mirrors correctly. Always scares me when the driver is looking over their shoulder, while moving, to the detriment of seeing what's ahead.

 

The first rule of Italian driving (rips off and discards rear view mirror): What's behind you is not important

 

All joking aside, my vitaloni Californians are adjusted perfectly, and I still think the passenger mirror is worthless. Between that and the blind spot created by the rear buttress, I sometimes do a shoulder check. You also will notice that his passenger mirror is flopped down. I've tightened and tightened again the screws for the mirrors, and they still flop down after a period of driving at speed.

 

I've done shoulder checks all my life, and in the Ferrari even moreso. That's how I was taught, and it's absolutely saved me from blind spot collisions. When I'm changing a lane, I've already verified traffic conditions ahead... taking a 1/2 second to glance back isn't compromising my forward safety. If it does, you're following the car in front of you too closely.

 

My first car (and the only car I drove daily from age 17 until 32) didn't have a passenger mirror.

I am still not used to them to this day because I drove so long just looking over my shoulder

 

Man, you guys are tough!

I'm just happy a young guy is showing some interest in an "older" car and even knows how to drive a manual. That's a rarity these days.

 

Ya know what, that's a really good point. Maybe he's blipping more than he should, but he's also enjoying his Ferrari. Hope he enjoys 50 more years with it.

 

Even with the mirrors set properly, there's always a chance of traffic moving into a blindspot, unless you're out in the middle of nowhere. I always do a shoulder check after a mirror check, with all my cars.

 

I always do an over the shoulder check unless I just passed a vehicle. Small cars, motorcycles, etc hide in blind spots no matter how well mirrors might be adjusted.

 

Motorcyclists everywhere thank you for your caution.

 

Yes- that is my thought. I thought he drove well. Coasting to a stop light? not a big deal. blipping he throttle? not a big deal and its a carb'd 308... so not sure how many of you have driven one, but the clutch is SUPER hard to depress, so you want to make sure you have your foot properly placed on the brake and throttle.... When I drive carbed cars I'm always giving it a bit of gas until its nice and warm, cause if you stall it and it vaporlocks etc... not fun. so I have no problem with how he was driving. in fact kudos to him - notice how his whole body moves when he is shifting... the Carb'd car's clutch is like a brick wall! its very stiff. In traffic you'd get a cramp holding it down for very long trying to make a left turn with out a signal.

 

I fell asleep.

What happened?



Matt