Manual Transmission - Any tips for learning it?

[Sage]

While all of these tips are great, as someone said, the best thing to do is just dive into it and get the feeling for it... your driving will be dismal for 3-10 days, but after that, you'll start driving much better, and eventually you'll pick up all of the nuances in driving with a manual.

Also, use the blinking red light as a general guideline, but do learn to bring in your mind both the engine sound and the speed of the car-- you want to find the optimal shifting point for the car. Also make sure that, in general, you don't upshift right when you exit a corner, because you can suffer from some bad power loss, and be careful when downshifting during or exiting a corner-- if used properly (especially in FR cars), it'll help give the rear a bit of kick and tuck the nose in, but if you're not careful, you can easily over-spin the tires and lose valuable time.

With that in mind, good luck! It's interesting how, after using the manual for so long, you end up being unable to use the automatic ... I've been using the manual now for one and a half years, and I've tried running races with the auto, but it's just about impossible for me due to the lack of control.

 

[Vasco]

I only use the automatic on the Polyphony 001, because of it's sheer acceleration and rpm, I just can't seem to time my shifting right, but with every other car I use the manual...

 

[2fst4uR1cr]

Originally posted by ZZII
Tachometer and engine sound are the best ways to know when to shift. If you wait for the little red flashing light you'll be a little late. I think some race cars don't even have speedometers, just tachometers. At least I remember hearing that somewhere. I don't know how that applies to the topic but it is an interesting fact.

Its quite possible in a race car, i was gonna critiscise (sp?) you for satying thats stupid cos ud go over the speedlimit but then i saw the word race. Yeh well it is an interesting fact.

 

[2fst4uR1cr]

Originally posted by Solid Lifters
Maybe using the automatic with the R2 button might be better for you. I have used both the auto and manual transmission but my current favorite is the auto using the hidden R2 or L2 button trick to shift gears. This gives me freedom to concentrate on my drifting technique in corners and to be able to shift gears when I want to. Just a suggestion.

How do you use that trick it sound interesting cos i didnt think you could use the buttons to drive tiptronic style, but i noticed if you hold down R2 it wont shift up for some reason.

 

[ving]

Originally posted by DODGE the VIPER
I only use the automatic on the Polyphony 001, because of it's sheer acceleration and rpm, I just can't seem to time my shifting right, but with every other car I use the manual...

try setting the gears a little wider. gives you more time to shift.

then gradually narrow them

 

[Nightmage82]

Originally posted by VipFREAK
Yeah, I don't know about you guys but here's the thing... I can drive a stick in real life and absolutely love it. It give's you something else to do rather than pick your nose or something. Anyways, I've never liked video games but when it comes to cars it's an exception. When I go to try to do manual in gt3 I become retarded because of a simple trait that I didn't receive which is called "eye and hand coordination". I've heard this is important to being able to play games. Now I can try to do manual till I'm blue in the face but until some one slaps me up side the head I won't see the tach or hear the revs which in real life would have ment that I don't have an engine anymore. Another problem with manual in a game for me with this very reason is that I don't have the senses that I do in reality, sight, hear and especially the feel of the car as you shift. Other than that it's hard enough sometimes to stay on the track.

Nick

hey don't be so hard on urself, learning manual isn't easy and driving manual in gt3 has little to do with driving manual in real life. practice thats all u need.

if you want to learn manual it is vital you stick with the same car all the time you are learning. pick your favourite car (preferably the one with the best sounding engine). make sure it is relatively slow too (take off all the mods that improve speed, (note that taking off the muffler will change the sound too)), otherwise you will be overwhelmed with shifting all the time and you will be more prone to crashing.

i learned manual with an rx-7 in gt1, i just loaded up arcade mode, selected the rx7, and raced free runs until i had it worked out. at first you WILL be slow, no matter how good you think you are at gt3, it will be like learning to drive all over again. so don't give up, persevere and practice.

personally i drive automatic now and using the r2 and l2 buttons to hold it in gears i have all the freedom i need, but when driving boring slow cars i.e. in license tests/time trials i switch to manual so i have something to do in between corners

 

[Pupik]

You may stink at first, but give it time. Try an easy FF car, without much power. My wife is giving it a go for the first time in the Beetle, even she says manual isn't all that difficult.

I learned Manual in an hour or two; back in the old GT2 days, I just ran the GT-R event again and again with a '94 V-spec II.

 

[akina_86]

hea my tip on learn manual tranmission......all u have to do is brake-downshift..... if theres a turn coming predict the turn than brake down shift till your in the right gear to take the turn. try to minimize braking if u want to be faster. here's an example video of my trueno S.S. video

https://www.gtplanet.net/gallery/photos/gt3_video/Trial_Mountian_Fastest_Lap.wmv