Hi,

I just picked up a 05 G35 M6 for my husband, black on silverstone....kinda an early b-day present for him.

I'm trying to learn to drive it smoothly, i'm not bad, but i'd like to learn to quick launch, does ne one have any tips? And do I always have to start in 1st, what happens if i come to a stop sign and downshift to 2nd, come to a rolling stop (but more stopped than rolling) and start again? Is this considered starting in 2nd? Cuz i read somewhere that starting in 2nd is really bad for the car, although the start up is MUCH smoother.

Also are there any other females on this forum? Cuz I'm driving with stillettos, so i was just wondering if there's any good tips on that topic.

Lastly, I'm not sure if its psychological or whatever, but it seems that a lot of guys driving crappy rust buckets or those construction cube trucks like to tail gate me and pick on me cuz i'm still learning to drive a stick. I mean I intend on kicking *** and making them eat my dust as soon as i'm good at stick shifting. But for now, I just find a lot of pressure cuz these ppl floor it and stay right on u're tail, and it isn't till 3rd that i can lose them. And yesterday that happened to me, i was so nervous that i accidentally went from 3rd - 2nd instead of 4th. Then the rev meter started flashing *pressure building* and i ended going fr 2nd to 5th!! I'm so afraid that i'm going to ruin the car w/i the first month!!

Btw, just to give u a little info on my driving personality....i'm the type of girl that LOVES it when some @**hole pulls up beside u and revs his engine and gives u some cheezy smile thinking that it will be an easy win for him cuz "girls can't drive"....well they're definitely shocked when i'm gone, and they can barely see my rear plates. No disrespect to guys...but there ARE girls out there that can and will drive manuals (and do it well too!!) So for all you guys that had to give up u're manuals cuz u're gf won't drive it....i say its time to find a new gf

So unfortunately, until i'm good at this, i'm going to need tips on quick launching (w/o ruining my car), when to properly downshift and into what gear , as well as when approaching a stop sign...kinda rolling, but still stopped...1st or 2nd?
Thanks for the help

 

Your husband is a very lucky man to have a wife that buys him a new G for his Birthday.
Sorry no hints on driving a stick.
Great stuff and enjoy the G.

 

@lways, my wife has the same problem when she test drove the car with heels, she claimed the paddles seems to be higher (off the floor) than other cars that we have and had (Volvo S70 T5, Jaguar S-Type, Subaru Outback Sport) I am not so sure as I never really encountered any problems in the past or present. ANyway, enjoy the car and don't ruin it for your husband!

 

Hey that's a cool present for your hubbie. You sound like you've got a lot of spunk. As to the suggestions you're looking for... it's all about experience. I would look for open spaces to try and improve technique. Leave the racing/ competitive streak until you're more skilled and even then be careful on the street. Concentrate on your driving and technique and not on other drivers/vehicles to spar with. The car will definitely like you more for it and there will be less chance of creating situations where other cars will be rear ending or you damage your vehicle you if you miss a shift.
For the rolling stop 2nd is okay as long as you can do it without riding the clutch more than you would starting from dead stop in first or lurching the car at all. Proper downshifting should be with blipping the throttle so the revs are matched when it goes into the lower gear. This makes a smoother downshift and less stress on clutch and transmission components. This takes a good amount of practice and it's better to under rev than over rev. Downshifting only needs to be done to keep the car from "lugging" so the engine stays in a gear that is suitable for your speed keeping car in the power band of at least 1500 to 2000 rpm or more if accelleration may be required and road/traffic conditions. As I said earlier this feel comes with more experience under your belt.
Launching the car quicker takes more throttle (having the rpms a bit higher at take off) and the appropriate clutch slippage so you don't stall.
Practice makes perfect.

Hope this helps.

 

Save up to buy new clutches...

 

lol, @lways I like

Practice, practice, practice... that's all it comes down to. How often do you drive the G? Get good at the basics first then work on things like launching. You seriously don't need to be launching on the streets. If anything, that may encourage bad habbits like riding the clutch when ever you start up in first gear.

Learn to ignore the idiots. If any one is riding your ***, if possible, move over to another lane. Get them away from you. Especially if they make you nervous and you're still not 100% comfortable with your stick driving. I'm pretty sure they're not tailgating you because you're learning to drive a stick. You're either too slow for them or they're just on your *** out of habbit. Either way, its not worth the risk of them hitting you, you doing something bad with the car because you're nervous, or just in general stressing you out and ruining your enjoyment of the drive.

A great way to have fun with your car and learn how to drive it well is to come out to the auto cross competitions. They're a blast! You get to push the car in a safe environment and learn what it takes to keep it under control. Plus you can meet lots of interesting people who share your passion for cars and you can learn from them. Here are some upcomming dates:

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=276556

You can also sign up for advanced driving schools such as the Saab Club school. They're also lots of fun and you can learn a great deal. Worth every penny!

http://computer-ease.com/socci/

As for the stilettos, what kind of tips are you expecting! lol They're not the best driving shoes but they're fun to drive in just cause they're pretty. The only plus of driving in stillettos is getting out of the car in them! (so not really driving in them) You know, making a cool entrance, being all dressed up getting out of a wicked ride. Other then that, all I can suggest is bring a pair of driving shoes with you to change into if driving in the stilletos bugs you too much. I have a pair that are a total bit@ to drive in, so if I wear them and I know I'll have to drive for a long time, I bring a pair of more comfortable shoes to slip into.

Enjoy the car!!! Come out to the meets!

 

Blackie, thanks for the Saab club school link! Do you have first hand experience with the school? The G35 is my first rear drive car so I'm looking for some driver training. I'm planning on registering for all the PITL events this year for one.

 

yup Balzz, I went to one of the saab schools last year. It was great, I definetly recommend it. That and the autocrosses. Especially for anyone who *thinks* they are a great driver... a very humbling experience to see what some people with lots of skills and experience can do and just how hard it can be to really control your car.

Blackie gives two thumbs up!

I'll probably see you at at least one of the PITLs. The Twin Lakes ones are supposed to be more fun because they use a larger parking lot and therefore the course is more spread out and faster. Its not a sea of orange cones.

 

Excellent. Going to try to sign up for the Apr 29th one as soon as I can book the day off work.

 

cool! I might see you there.

 

Cheque and registration sent today.