I've only ever owned manuals and never power shift them (even the track cars at track days). The extra tenth will never be worth the added stress on the components, no matter how smooth you are.
That said I've had fun doing it in rentals in Europe over the years...
You guys are trying so hard to make this dude look like an idiot. Did you skip the first half of the video? He knew perfectly well that it wasn't going to last.
I'm responding to someone who's suggesting that anybody who takes issue with treating your car like shit has only ever driven an automatic. It reads like they finally learned how to conquer a gentle incline in their cousin's '94 Civic Si.
Also, if this dude did that knowingly, he's obviously the one trying way too hard. Who strands themself on the side of the highway just to blow your transmission on camera? Hard to understand why you're defending it whether intentional or not.
He bought a performance car to drive it fast. He’s spent a lot of time and money on mods. He knows he’s pushing the transmission harder than it’s rated for. Now he has an excuse to build a stronger better transmission.
The way he says “idk how” definitely makes me believe you’re right. Trying to break it and looking for an excuse to be like “see? I knew this wouldn’t work!” lol
I never once power shifted my cats. I mean, I only ever owned 1 cat, or rather, he owned me, but power shifting was not even a consideration. And to be honest, I don't even know how one would power shift a cat to begin with.
Yeah but have you tried enjoying a cat while disintegrating the drivetrain? You got to experience it at least once in your life, man. It's a game changer.
Anyway just because you know you’re doing something stupid doesn’t mean it’s somehow better. If anything that makes it kinda worse since they obviously knew it was a risk that could be mitigated.
You weren't driving a car with a built engine either, were you?
Dude knew that was going to happen at some point. You don't know much about car guys if you think he was actually surprised or upset by this. He probably hoped it would last a little longer, but it was inevitable and he knew that.
No, you may eventually destroy an engine, as that can be out of your control. Destroying a transmission due to high power may eventually happen for the same reason.
Destroying a transmission because you don't know how they work and refused to do any reading isn't something that's apart of the learning process.
No one says:
"Man I blew my engine, I put that e85 in to cool the engine, it's just part of the learning process"
He's literally actively driving a manual tho..? Who would go out of their way to get a manual car just to drive it like a grandma. Power shifting is fun lmao.
Going fast guarantees you will break things. Little by little you replace and upgrade each weak link. Calling it stupid just means you don't understand racing and going fast.
There is wear and there is just not knowing how to shift a manual. If it made sense to power shift, race drivers would have long done it. But even Group B rally drivers with their huge turbo lag wouldn't do it.
They did. Because of the massive turbo lag they needed to keep as much power as they could during shifting. Even though they didn't keep the gas floored, they didn't completely let go off it. So all it took to not destroy the transmission with a full power shifting, was to lift off just by an inch or so.
Yeah, but that's not power shifting. It actually makes all the sense to use a little bit of gas to match the revs on a manual even in daily driving and even more so when downshifting. But keeping it floored is just bad technique.
I never completely let off the gas. I’m pretty sure the balance is with some gas and some clutch- or have I been driving a stick wrong for 15 years? Maybe idk.
I definitely don’t floor it and shove the clutch down.
Depends! If they’re set up for it it’s perfectly fine. If this car had an STI trans and especially if this dude had flat foot shifting in his tune, would’ve been a-ok.
The rachetting sound when someone lifts the parking brake lever is a great indicator that the driver has zero mechanical sympathy.
Edit for the confused; pressing the button in first confirms the release mechanism works. Better to check before engaging the parking brake, than once it's engaged. Chances of an issue are low, but not zero. This is the same "low chance/high risk" preventative behaviour that teaches us to start our car after checking it's in neutral, and with the clutch depressed and foot brake on.
In addition, pressing the button while lifting the lever prevents the pawls from grinding against the teeth. Yes, the damage is miniscule, but why would you want to cause any damage, if you love your car?
Explain please. My understanding is that's totally fine, I push the button because I don't like the noise, but the button is only really there to release the brake, it's entirely optional on the way up.
The mechanism that is very similar to a socket wrench ratchet its fine you will stretch the parking brake cable years before you have an issue with the rachet
Seeing the videos of people just revving the shit out of the car, either to create the flames or for the sheer noise... they definitely have no sympathy...
It comes from drag racing where a lot of those guys run through engines and transmissions constantly anyway. If your transmission is only gonna last 10 runs, you might as well get the extra eighth of a second out of it.
It just depends if the car is setup for it. A lot of car can handle this type of abuse. There are also sensors and tunes you can use that pull timing and rpm for the briefest moment between gears. This guy is risking it having more power than the trans is rated for already and power shifting it.
Not really, those things just help you not hurt the engine. It keeps the rpm up in-between shifts but doesn't let it bang off the rev limiter so you aren't putting excess wear and tear on the engine. That being said I've had a lot of cars that survive this in factory form. It's all about how much HP your transmission can handle at that point. Certain Subaru transmissions like the one in the video here are notorious for turning into glass at like 400hp, especially when launched or shifted hard.
Lifting doesn't mean going off throttle, by limiting the throttle input to not dangerous levels the car is LITERALLY lifting for you instead. Also by limiting power input & clutch in speed, the car is quite literally preventing you from real power shifting, forcing you to shift more normally.
You're not getting it. The computer pulling timing and stopping the car from hitting the rev limiter while the throttle body is still wide open is not the car lifting for you.
The original "launch control" on the early R35s was never intended for ripping off blistering 0-60 runs on pavement. Per the chief engineer it was specifically made to prevent the engine bogging down when you were trying to get unstuck in snow, mud, or gravel.
Now, I'm sure not sure how many people were rally driving their new GT-Rs, but evidently someone discovered that configuration (perhaps via RTFM and wanting to experiment) and found themselves a very mechanically unsympathetic way to absolutely send it off the line. In later models they revised the software and presumably prevented it from performing balls-to-the-wall dry pavement clutch dumps. There were also some changes to the gearbox internals over the R35's very long run so presumably, unlike many other Nissans, it actually wound up with quite a robust transmission.
The Sti transmission is good for a lot of power. The wrx 5 speed is not, and he even admitted he’s running hot. The 6 speed can handle 800hp at the wheels which is closer to 1000 at the motor, torque is lower like 600. The wrx transmission is much weaker, like 300 wheel horse.
Oh yes, I'm sorry if I sounded patronizing, I often like to add additional information for people specifically not in the know. I figured you knew what you were talking about because it is factually correct haha.
Pretty much. Some cars are rated for it from factory as a feature but this is pretty much exclusively very high end models Like a Mustang GT500. They typically include computer programming that will ease the car into the shift better as well but its still exponentially more wear and tear than your normal spirited shifting
Also, I dont really hear the term power shifting often. I always thought it was called "No lift shift"
I might have been thinking of the darkhorse. I thought the gt350 "sort of" could no lift shift because the transmission was beefy but it wasn't officially supported with software from the oem
Uhh until now I thought that Mustang GT500 was some sort of fast 500 horsepower affordable car in the $50k range brand new and now I learn they go to nearly 800hp and cost over $80k used?
Maybe you were thinking of the Mach 1? They were around 50k-60k and have 500HP.
Also - the 6-speed Mach 1 included the Tremec 3160 transmission - which is a beast and is capable of no-lift shifts and auto-rev matching on down shifts.
Actually increased engine braking, if I understand you correctly, because now you are both in a lower gear and the engine is at higher RPMs (due to the rev match).
I thought the engine braking occurred as you release the clutch and the RPM is jump when it didn't match.
When I drive, if I down to shift to match it usually leads to smooth ride. If I pulled the clutch in the RPMs need to jump then I get a real hard engine break. If I pull the clutch slower I get more of an even brake.
But I don't drive a high performance vehicle lol. So idk. I drive a 16 Forester 6 speed with a WRX gearbox (because they made so few manual Forest is they just slapped in the WRX shifters).
Sorry, I thought you meant just general engine drag while coasting.
Don't mean to patronizing. Just didn't know exactly how to answer your question so I just decided to describe it.
The lurch when down shifting comes from, generally, the lower gear wanting higher RPMs at a given particular speed than the higher gear you were already in. So a rapid downshift is going cause a lurch as the car decelerates. Rev matching puts the RPMs at the exact revolutions the lower gear wants for that speed allowing you to literally just bang out a lower gear just as aggressively as you would a higher gear with no lurch.
You're both correct, I would just add that any deceleration while in gear with foot off the gas is considered engine braking if you are slowing down more than you would in neutral. So when driving a manual you utilize engine braking alll the time even if you didn't realize it
My Camaro had a Tremec 6060 along with no lift shift and rev matching.
To be a bit pedantic, it's not about the transmission but rather integrated into the engine management. Ford could just as easily put it in the standard Mustang GT with the Getrag. Maybe they did, not as up to speed on their features. I'm pretty sure Chevy had it even in the turbo 4 and V6 Camaros.
NLS was fun to use, mainly for the blaaat out of the exhaust as the ecm futzed with the ignition timing and fueling.
Money shifting is when you force the engine past redline when you downshift instead of upshifting ie - You're at the top of 3rd and shifted to 2nd when you meant to shift to 4th
YMMV, but I've had great luck with former rentals. I had two 2014 Camrys that each made it to 300k+ miles with minimal repair/upkeep (fluids, brakes, tires, alignment, etc.).
Except they are also becoming a rapidly diminishing minority basically everywhere including Europe. Last I saw for 2026 new car sales were 8-15% manual transmissions in Europe too, and it's even lower in most countries
They are very rapidly going the way of cursive writing
I wish I could have one. I miss driving standard. My motorcycle is standard but all the new standard cars are super expensive 😔 I can't even find a used one.
You can't find a used manual transmission car in the US? At all? That sounds more like skill issue. As far as new cars, a Honda civic SI is only sold as a manual as one example
Try it yourself and see, if you don't believe me. They are very rare. I'm not going to travel to another state across the country to get one, but in my area, no, there are none available at all.
I did look at the Honda Civic SI, but it was too expensive for me.
I already own a 1999 Miata with a 6 speed, but even aside from that I'm obsessed with cars and look at them constantly. Plenty of manual GTIs on CarMax just as an example. Where are you looking?
While they gave you an automatic, in most places outside NA they have standard to rent, but it might not be the default.
My last rental in holand they questioned why I wanted manual and suggested I take automatic. I told them I’ve been driving stick for 20 years and prefer it, they gave me stick.
I just went through the reservation process at a few places I rented previously, and nope, there was no option. So you're saying Avis and Hertz have secret integrity in Taiwan and Japan that they don't show online? I'm not buying that!
My Volkswagen Passat rental in Ireland a few years ago was manual. When we got home stalled my jeep 3 times trying to leave my parking space because the Passat clutch was like a feather in comparison.
If you seek them out, which I typically do. At any major airport there should be rental agencies with manuals. Plus there’s Turo which can end up being similar in pricing. Sixt is my favorite rental agency, they’re newer and blow the big names out of the water
I had a blast renting a new manual mini s at SFO through the tahoe canyons. I tried to rent a z4 but someone beat me to the punch by about one hour
I mean they are powerful cars but even on the stock tires with the TC on mine doesn't try to drive off the road. The traction control makes people think they know how to drive. Then they turn that TC off to do a burnout trying to look cool leaving a car show and have no clue what the car feels like a full tilt.
If you've got it specifically tuned for flat foot shifting (i.e. pulls timing when the clutch is in or a strain gauge on the shifter) it's not that bad but otherwise?
Nah. Not if you know what youre doing. My civic is setup for flat foot shifting. It will cut fuel for me while the clutch is depressed and my rpm are within my set window
Not sure why people do it. Production cars are a far cry from race cars which you can do this to no problem. I've even known some knuckleheads to do it to motorcycles because they are afraid of the clutch.
I've even known some knuckleheads to do it to motorcycles because they are afraid of the clutch.
I mean, auto blippers and quick shifters exist... My current bike does + plays with the clutch a bit (Honda E-Clutch). It pulls the clutch in half way and blips the engine timing when upshifting, and fully pulls the clutch in briefly while downshifting.
If you time it right it's great. Some designs put a strain gauge in the shifter to detect and momentarily cut ignition to unload the trans and let it slip into the next gear.
If your car isn't tuned to limit RPM while shifting, yes it's a bad idea. You can tune a car to limit to ~3k rpm while shifting though and it won't break your transmission.
Source: Used to have a modded Focus ST that won drag races with flat foot shifting
Some manual cars do have "no lift shift" where it's fine to do it as it's an advertised feature from the manufacturer, though I assume this car doesn't have that, just so people are aware.
If you have a good computer system in it, you can get full throttle shift control, which will cut fuel to get the revs where you want them to be when going into the next gear.
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u/cryptolyme 13h ago
Seems like a bad idea if you like your car