u/eugeneching

Article talks about:

1. Different Types of Braking Zones
2. Trail Braking
3. Building Up to Late Braking
4. Different Braking Techniques for Different Cars

Personally hate rev hang, and actually any delays introduced to the driver's input, in general.

Anybody who appreciates the "feature"?

Just sharing a short article on clutchless shifting!

It's a TikTok video about all the different kinds of drivers on the road.

Article's argument in short: The manual gearbox is dying and we'll be poorer for it.

He makes a case, but the case is about feel and adventure, not safety due to operating a manual transmission.

The centrepiece is a night in Laos spent towing a stranded family's van through jungle mud in a manual pick-up, which he doubts an automatic could have managed.

A younger friend of mine just finished NS, and he's deciding between taking his Class 3 and 3A licence.

He kinda likes cars, from what I can tell. He's also leaning towards manual.

He asked me what the "hard parts" of the manual test actually are, and I realised my answer is probably way too outdated since I took mine years ago.

So just wanted to ask, especially to anyone who took the test recently: What are the parts that are particularly difficult that are specific to the Class 3 TP test?

Mileage tampering itself is truly a bad and unconscionable practice. That said, I do feel that Singaporean/local buyers are placing way too much emphasis on the mileage (alone), often to the extent of not looking at the whole picture when valuing a car for themselves.

The article proposes that people who are drawn to high-status cars are those:

• With a more disagreeable personality (men)
• Who are very conscientiousness (men and women)

It also proposes that high-status cars do not particularly appeal to self-centred women, because women do not see cars as significant status symbols as do men.

What are your thoughts?

The article suggests that our driving habits could be a marker of our brain health.

Common patterns that suggest possible early-stage cognitive decline:

1. A shrinking "driving world"
2. Less route variety
3. Avoidance of night driving
4. Slower, more cautious driving
5. Increased "jerkiness"

Yes, it's an AI-generated image

1. Start the engine by pushing the car forward and popping the clutch (usually in 2nd gear). Useful when there's no jumpstart battery or cables available.

2. Hold a lower gear consistently while going downhill, without the car selecting a higher gear when it decides it's a good idea to do so.

3. Being able to stop really, really gently by coasting a little in neutral just before coming to a stop, since there's no forward power being applied by the engine.

4. Roll back and forth on a slight incline to scare the person next to you or behind you (yes, joking here).

5. Clutch-kick!

Just a list of what manual cars can do, and not about whether they do something better.

What manual tricks or shenanigans did I miss out?

Found a nice POV video about manual shifting, thought to share!

The 2027 update gives the MX-5 a carefully measured refresh: A distinctive new Zinc Green colour, more purposeful Homura detailing, a tidier sporting cabin, and a slightly stronger 1.5-litre engine, while the 2.0-litre engine bows out.

A six-speed manual gearbox continues sending power to the rear wheels.

Ever decide to lend your car to someone, whether for a practical reason or just to let them try out your car to see if they like it, and live to regret it?

I'll start with one of mine, too many moons ago. Story time!

Mine was at a friend's wedding. I was one of the designated drivers of the wedding convoy, and the plan was simple. Each of us driving our own (nicely decorated) car, plus a driver of the bridal car in front.

As the morning crept by, things were going perfectly. Then someone decided that the driver of the bridal car needed to run an errand for the couple. No biggie, these things happen.

And so I was asked to drive the bridal car instead. "You know the route best, everyone can just follow you" it was said. Which meant handing my keys to another friend, who was not one of the designated drivers, but someone who drives everyday, and according to those around me, a good and safe driver. He said, and I quote, “Manual ah? Easy, I drove manual for fifteen years, don't worry!" I was absolutely assured.

Fifteen years ago, apparently.

My car was three cars behind me and I could still hear it. Screaming revs with no acceleration behind it. When we arrived at the lobby of St. Regis, and I opened the doors of the bridal car and stepped out to help the couple, I could smell the potent, acrid, unmistakable smell of hot rubber and metal, coming somewhere from the convoy behind. And as the rest of the convoy made their way past me into the carpark, there it was again, screaming revs. Well less this time, but still.

By the time we got to the hotel, the friend who drove my car was massaging his left thigh. Or perhaps his left calf, that detail a vague memory at this point. When he saw me, came to hand the keys back to me. At which point he said, "your clutch damn tight ah", and walked off to find a restroom. By the way, it was a stock clutch.

Even when I left at the end of the evening, or more precisely in the early hours of the morning, the whole car still smelled like burnt clutch and the aircon was dutifully blowing it back at me. Clearly the aircon was working well!

Full clutch replacement three months later. Plus a weird drive for those three months.

Anyway this was too many years ago, and remains just a distant memory and a story to tell. Perhaps also a lesson learnt.

Who or what was it for you? What happened, and if someone was involved, did they ever find out how much it cost you?

Short answer: it stands for "economy" or some may say "efficiency".