Launching with 6MT - when do I shift to second gear?

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Remember this car has auto rev match on upshifts as well in Efficient and Sport. Change gear and wait for the RPMs to drop and it'll automatically hold the RPM at the right one where you can almost just dump the clutch.

[boss2k]

Originally Posted by pheerlx

Remember this car has auto rev match on upshifts as well in Efficient and Sport. Change gear and wait for the RPMs to drop and it'll automatically hold the RPM at the right one where you can almost just dump the clutch.

Are you sure, i thought rev match is only for downshifts in Efficient and Sport.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by boss2k

Are you sure, i thought rev match is only for downshifts in Efficient and Sport.

Yup try it. Just be super slow with shifting and you'll see the engine hold the rpm

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by boss2k

Are you sure, i thought rev match is only for downshifts in Efficient and Sport.

Think of it, how would the rev match work?

IMO it is quite simple, it simply matches the engine revs for the gear that is engaged while the clutch is depressed, regardless of an upshift or a downshift. On a normal upshift, you would not notice because the revs naturally drop, but if you drag the clutch release, you will notice the ECU will hold revs once they have come down sufficiently. Try it

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by RobbyMack

Strange every MT I've ever driven operated no differently then the f80. Feathering the clutch gets 1st to partially engage without gas making low speed maneuvering easier. It could be brand specific I guess my experience is limited to BMW, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda MT's

+1

Any proficient MT driver should be able to slowly release the clutch on a smooth surface and get a car moving. No need for any gas. The F8x is no different than any other MT car I have owned.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

The ECU adds a bit of throttle on clutch engagement automatically (in Efficient and Sport)

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by RobbyMack

Strange every MT I've ever driven operated no differently then the f80. Feathering the clutch gets 1st to partially engage without gas making low speed maneuvering easier. It could be brand specific I guess my experience is limited to BMW, Nissan, Toyota, and Honda MT's

Originally Posted by gatorfast

+1

Any proficient MT driver should be able to slowly release the clutch on a smooth surface and get a car moving. No need for any gas. The F8x is no different than any other MT car I have owned.

+2

All electronically fuel injected MT cars I have driven did this. I could even shift into 2nd and even 3rd without touching the gas pedal (for puttering in slow moving traffic jams).

[shortseller]

The clutch contact point is pretty high, thus easier controlled with a further back seated position. No need to hit the floor with clutch travel. This gets me away smoothly most of the time, 1 to 2nd gear. Took me some time, trial and error, to get the exact seat position to make this work.

[Nicky_do_it]

I disengage the clutch almost immediately at low rpm then increasingly modulate the power without any of the nannies. There is much low end torque, winding it out and feathering the clutch isn’t ideal in my opinion. Tire temp is key though. At light with a GTR a while go which is the worst scenario possible. I had the perfect launch. I jammed it in second at about 7500 but spun the tires for a bit. That slight spin set me back a half a car length. He held me thru third but backed off before going into fourth. Older GTR and maybe he was toying with me, I don’t know. Btw, I don’t experiencing the bucking in second as some others have mentioned.

[M4lifestyle]

Originally Posted by shortseller

The clutch contact point is pretty high, thus easier controlled with a further back seated position. No need to hit the floor with clutch travel. This gets me away smoothly most of the time, 1 to 2nd gear. Took me some time, trial and error, to get the exact seat position to make this work.

I was thinking about what you mentioned the first few days with my M4 and then i stop thinking about this and concluded it could be me not use to the car.

Can I conclude that I dont need to floor down completely when change gear? Will this damage the clutch? I totally agree the contact point is super high we wasted so much time step the clutch all the way to the floor and release slowly toward the end of a release.. if I dont need to floor the clutch all the way would be something new for me. Please feel free to comment.

[ByeFelicia]

Am4zinlyfast
Try a Burger motor sports clutch stop for 10 bucks. It will eliminate some of that dead space.

http://www.burgertuning.com/clutch_stop_BMW.html

[shortseller]

Originally Posted by Am4zinlyfast

I was thinking about what you mentioned the first few days with my M4 and then i stop thinking about this and concluded it could be me not use to the car.

Can I conclude that I dont need to floor down completely when change gear? Will this damage the clutch? I totally agree the contact point is super high we wasted so much time step the clutch all the way to the floor and release slowly toward the end of a release.. if I dont need to floor the clutch all the way would be something new for me. Please feel free to comment.

As long as you don’t hear gears grinding I’m sure you are ok, if this is wrong I hope others will correct me.

Seat position is somewhat irrelevant but for me it helped if I was seated further back. My seat position is back far enough so I barely touch the floor when fully extended on the clutch. This position gives me better control with clutch travel when it engages so high up the range but for others it could be different. I think what we are looking for here is knowing the engagement point, going just beyond it to shift and then having less peddle travel returning back out. Think of it as having better control over your leg motion because the degree of knee bend is less at the point of engagement.

As I said in my original response, it took me some trial and error but I finally got adjusted to be able to minimize jerking from 1 to 2nd gear, and I’ve been driving MTs for 30 yrs. My MTs in past had contact points much further down closer to the floor, my f80 is the first one that I’ve owned set up this way.

I hope this all made sense, as simple as it is, it’s hard to explain unless you are in the car and experimenting. So for me it works, others it may not, yes it goes against conventional wisdom, but it might work for you.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Are we talking mostly about normal driving or actual launching and racing? Because for normal driving in Efficient or Sport it literally takes no brain power to shift smoothly from 1-2 for me because of the auto rev match.

[SROC3]

I Shift at about 6800. I feel like once it passes this point the benefit of being at an incrementally higher rpm in 2nd is diminished.

And if you're "launching" the car, I don't even burn rubber....I time the release in 1st Then, as others have mentioned here, there is a sweet spot of "slow releasing" the clutch to engage 2nd properly.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

+1

Any proficient MT driver should be able to slowly release the clutch on a smooth surface and get a car moving. No need for any gas. The F8x is no different than any other MT car I have owned.

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

+2

All electronically fuel injected MT cars I have driven did this. I could even shift into 2nd and even 3rd without touching the gas pedal (for puttering in slow moving traffic jams).

Just adding on this. If you can't start a manual in first without the gas, this is probably the reason you can't shift smoothly.

For everyone else having shifting problems; Idk if you guys haven't put many miles on your cars, but I had the same problems for like the first 3k miles. Like I said earlier you have to be aware of your road conditions and tire temperatures. Also if you want butter smooth shifts you MUST release clutch while feathering in the gas. This is manual 101. You can't just let it rev-match. release clutch, then get back on throttle (I used to do this and the F80 has too much torque low end for this to be any stretch of smooth)

Feather the clutch and throttle---This is how you drive a manual smoothly.

[fabulousprofound]

well, i learned something today. i didn't know this car rev matched on the upshift. i just thought it was rev hang.

i came from a 2015 mustang gt pp 6mt, and 1st gear was so short i usually started from 2nd gear from a dead stop. there was so much torque from the v8 i could just let out to clutch with no throttle and it was fine. but when i started driving the f80 this car wouldn't have any of that so i've had to relearn using 1st gear again for other than hard launches...

[RobbyMack]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Think of it, how would the rev match work?

IMO it is quite simple, it simply matches the engine revs for the gear that is engaged while the clutch is depressed, regardless of an upshift or a downshift. On a normal upshift, you would not notice because the revs naturally drop, but if you drag the clutch release, you will notice the ECU will hold revs once they have come down sufficiently. Try it

+ 1 Stuck in stop and go traffic today and just let the rev match do it's thing, you can essentially just dump the clutch the second the revs start to hang on up shift. It's nice for lazy drives, traffic, or the occasional 4am milk run request from the mrs.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by RobbyMack

+ 1 Stuck in stop and go traffic today and just let the rev match do it's thing, you can essentially just dump the clutch the second the revs start to hang on up shift. It's nice for lazy drives, traffic, or the occasional 4am milk run request from the mrs.

4am drives call for Sport+ DSC off

[barnsdale]

Was reading some people’s feedback and defiantly shifts nice at 5500-6000 going 1st to 2nd.

Just got my M4 so having lots of fun learning best practices, also didn’t know it auto revved upshifts pretty cool.

[ByeFelicia]

barnsdale

For aggressive and fast or normal stoplight to the next?

[jdarwin]

I'm still in the break-in period - I'll come back and visit this topic once I have the car serviced.

[prodigymb]

quick dump around 2200-2300 RPM I am able to get consistent 0-60mph in 4.4sec without 1ft roll out and 4.1sec with 1ft roll out. I shift to second at redline, and lower in all other gears. you don't wanna grab the next gear while the car is still spinning in first, that will eventually hurt the gearbox and syncros.