Is there any benefit to using manual clutch?

[RikkiGT-R]

Using Logitech G920, paddle shifters...

Was just noodling around Sebring there with various cars and decided to turn on manual clutch out of curiosity. I don't know whether it was my imagination but the car I used (R33 Skyline) felt really comfortable to drive. It was a little odd given I'm using paddle shifters, but still felt good.
I have used manual gears for years in driving games and I know they do give you an advantage, but what about the clutch? Am I imagining things or does it make the car better to drive? What are the benefits, if any?

 

[ShawnPhillips]

In some cars Manual with Clutch can let you shift faster then Manual with automatic clutch.

 

[prousonhairy]

Using Logitech G920, paddle shifters...

Was just noodling around Sebring there with various cars and decided to turn on manual clutch out of curiosity. I don't know whether it was my imagination but the car I used (R33 Skyline) felt really comfortable to drive. It was a little odd given I'm using paddle shifters, but still felt good.
I have used manual gears for years in driving games and I know they do give you an advantage, but what about the clutch? Am I imagining things or does it make the car better to drive? What are the benefits, if any?

In the previous Forza Motorsport games, manual with a clutch was faster. Almost all your top leaderboard times will use manual with a clutch. Manual with clutch>manual>automatic is how it went, and probably still does. Some people won’t use a clutch on cars with a sequential transmission, to keep in more authentic, and I don’t know the inner working on if a clutch is any faster on cars with sequential transmissions in the game.

 

[RikkiGT-R]

In the previous Forza Motorsport games, manual with a clutch was faster. Almost all your top leaderboard times will use manual with a clutch..

See, I've always seen that on leaderboards but I assumed that was simply because those guys were serious enthusiasts and had the full sim setup.
I will be using manual + clutch from now on, I'm loving how it feels here; much more realistic. Just nice to be reassured that it may well be beneficial.

 

[ImaRobot]

In some cars Manual with Clutch can let you shift faster then Manual with automatic clutch.

Not in some, in all cars.

See, I've always seen that on leaderboards but I assumed that was simply because those guys were serious enthusiasts and had the full sim setup.
I will be using manual + clutch from now on, I'm loving how it feels here; much more realistic. Just nice to be reassured that it may well be beneficial.

I'm on a pad and I use manual+clutch exclusively. Once you nail it, it will make you significantly faster, especially in the straights.

 

[The Chosen One]

Not in some, in all cars.

Woah.

 

[ImaRobot]

Woah.

What?

 

[PJTierney]

See, I've always seen that on leaderboards but I assumed that was simply because those guys were serious enthusiasts and had the full sim setup.
I will be using manual + clutch from now on, I'm loving how it feels here; much more realistic. Just nice to be reassured that it may well be beneficial.

The majority of top Forza players use a controller.

Manual Clutch gives you faster acceleration in pretty much every road car in the game and has done so for the last 8 years. It’s a little more subjective for race cars however, but that only really matters if you’re racing competitively or trying to top the Leaderboards.

 

[ImaRobot]

The majority of top Forza players use a controller.

Manual Clutch gives you faster acceleration in pretty much every road car in the game and has done so for the last 8 years. It’s a little more subjective for race cars however, but that only really matters if you’re racing competitively or trying to top the Leaderboards.

Eh, somewhat. Your acceleration is remaining constant, just as if you were using automatic(or regular manual for that case) too. What's making it faster is the fraction of time that manual/clutch saves when shifting.

 

[HBR-Roadhog]

Yes manual with clutch is always faster if you drive it correctly.
I did a test on one of the previous versions where I was racing a rival who was using a manual clutch and I set mine to auto clutch.
Both were in the same little low powered car. Off the line we were dead even, both shifted at the same time my front bumper was right inside his rear bumper after the shift. Next shift he was one car length ahead and on the next two lengths ahead then there was a corner.

I restarted, set to manual clutch. both cars were inside each other through every gear change then I took the corner better than him and pulled away.
I won the event easily with manual clutch when I used auto clutch he beat me every time.

 

[PJTierney]

When I lasted tested it, in a B-Class road car in Forza Motorsport 4, I was gaining 5 tenths every 400m compared to using Manual.

That’s from a standing start however where more gear shifts are expected. In normal racing conditions it’s probably worth a car length on every straight.

 

[RikkiGT-R]

Woah.

What?

I also await clarification.

The majority of top Forza players use a controller.

You sure? I distinctly remember seeing wheel being used almost exclusively by the guys [Aliens] who top the leaderboards. In fact I know it's easily way over 90% of them because I always remark how good "that one guy" must be to be mixing it up at the top scores with his controller...

 

[PJTierney]

You sure? I distinctly remember seeing wheel being used almost exclusively by the guys [Aliens] who top the leaderboards. In fact I know it's easily way over 90% of them because I always remark how good "that one guy" must be to be mixing it up at the top scores with his controller...

Forza is different. I know most of the players that took part in the Forza Racing Championship finals, the fastest guys around. They all use controller. Not a single wheel was seen at Le Mans in that tournament.

Gran Turismo is built for a wheel. Forza Motorsport is built for a controller*. A wheel can be as good but requires a lot more effort when plugging in a pad can be just as quick.


*Turn 10 actually helped build the Xbox one controller. They were the ones that pushed for haptic triggers during the concept stage.

 

[Omologato]

Just adding to the general consensus that manual+clutch is absolutely faster. Swapping the clutch and handbrake buttons on a controller made all the difference in the world for me while playing FM4, and made me a faster driver.

Now if I could just modulate the braking with my left hand...

 

[ImaRobot]

Just adding to the general consensus that manual+clutch is absolutely faster. Swapping the clutch and handbrake buttons on a controller made all the difference in the world for me while playing FM4, and made me a faster driver.

Now if I could just modulate the braking with my left hand...

I have the clutch/handbrake set as the right joy stick, down for the clutch up for the hand brake. I set upshifting to the left bumper and downshifting to the right bumper so that way when I'm on the gas, having to upshift wont mess up my modulation. Vice versa for the brakes.

 

[RikkiGT-R]

Forza is different. I know most of the players that took part in the Forza Racing Championship finals, the fastest guys around. They all use controller. Not a single wheel was seen at Le Mans in that tournament.

Gran Turismo is built for a wheel. Forza Motorsport is built for a controller*. A wheel can be as good but requires a lot more effort when plugging in a pad can be just as quick.


*Turn 10 actually helped build the Xbox one controller. They were the ones that pushed for haptic triggers during the concept stage.

I just could not go back to using a controller. Feels... immoral
I will admit that the game does feel a lot easier to drive with one, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Especially now I'm using all three pedals... I've reached driving Nirvana tbh.

 

[RikkiGT-R]

I have the clutch/handbrake set as the right joy stick, down for the clutch up for the hand brake. I set upshifting to the left bumper and downshifting to the right bumper so that way when I'm on the gas, having to upshift wont mess up my modulation. Vice versa for the brakes.

I don't think I could manage a lap with that configuration.

 

[ImaRobot]

I don't think I could manage a lap with that configuration.

It does sounds odd, but when you actually try it or get a visual, it makes a bit more sense I'm fairly quick with it on this set up, too.

 

[RikkiGT-R]

It does sounds odd, but when you actually try it or get a visual, it makes a bit more sense I'm fairly quick with it on this set up, too.

I do occasionally have a quick go with the controller (when the toddler is having an afternoon nap, for example), but I use the traditional configuration;

Right trigger Gas
Left Trigger Brake
RB Upshift
LB Downshift
B Handbrake

When I originally tried manual clutch w/controller I went for:

Right Trigger Gas
Left Trigger Brake
A Clutch
X Upshift
B Downshift
Y Handbrake

...but even that had me utterly bamboozled.

 

[PJTierney]

I am so used to A button Clutch that I even set up a dead button in F1 2017 to continue doing it