Automobilista 2 April 2023 Development Update

Well for sure it’s debatable, I believe I understand what you’re saying. But Using the BMW M1 video as an example, it didn’t look to me that he would be able to have the same agility in changing gears with a h shifter than was posted in the video, also turning with same precision with 1 hand only in mid shifts rather than with 2 hands on the wheel. Senna always said one of his strengths of being left handed was having more firmness on holding steering wheel with left hand during manual shifting on his early career.

 

That's exactly the impression I got, thank you for clarifying that, hopefully it can be put to bed now.

 

However, there is a way to shift faster with H-shifting in a way that would not be possible in real life by keeping the gas pedal depressed while shifting. It would be nice if this shifting technique is somehow made impossible.

 

And here I am changing gears like a peasant, I dont even understand how you guys change gears anymore

 

A full grid of diverse prototypes after years of just Toyota...

 

On the H-pattern discussion, I don't find myself to be any slower compared to using sequential until you get into the 90's F1 cars. Even then, you can clutch-less shift and match revs if you prefer left-foot braking for quali/hotlaps. The nice thing about H-pattern is you can skip gears on downshifts.

Edit: Also auto clutch can remove the ability to be more precise with some cars. The ARC Camaro is an excellent example. It's a sequential that needs blips on downshifts, and sometimes intentionally shift-locking a downshift can get the car turned given the locked rear axle.

 

That reminds me this anecdote from Vic Elford:

"Despite the advantages of “straight cut,“ nonsynchromesh gears for racing, Porsche, having invented it, always used synchromesh gearboxes in all its racing cars. In the case of the 917, especially the turbo versions, the gearboxes were of massive construction in order to cope with the power and torque of the engines. I, along with many of the other factory drivers, pleaded constantly with the engineers to give us non-synchromesh transmissions so we could change gears faster and lower our lap times, but such was the integrity of people like [Ferdinand] Piech that they steadfastly refused. Their argument was that racing both developed and showcased the breed. Anything that was developed from racing and which could ultimately find its way into a production car, would. Similarly, any past developments now used in road cars that could also be incorporated into the racing program, where it would undergo even further development, would do so as well." --Vic Elford, Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook, 2nd Ed., p. 97.

[Incidentally, Elford and the other drivers simply ignored the synchromeshes and heeled-and-toed the Porsche gearboxes anyway--it was way faster than waiting on the syncros to mesh the gears. Anyone here who has owned a 1972-86 911 with a 915 gearbox can attest to that! In any event, the historical record would seem to indicate that Porsche race cars were successful despite this, ahem, handicap.]

Want more? Find a copy here: https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/biblio3/46/Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook.pdf

 

That's not entirely true...

In my Focus RS I have a tune and one of the options is.... flat foot shifting. ( you can look it up if you like) I do NOT need to lift the throttle on shifts. Just clutch in, change gear, dump the clutch and it's crazy fast and keeps boost up.

You can also do it with the stock tune but it's more of powershifting.

 

Doesn’t it wear parts more

 

Mentioning sound is there a way to get wall barrier sound echo back when driving close to them ?

 

Nope. The tune drops the revs ever so slightly so it doesn't bang on the rev limiter until you dump the clutch. It's part of the tune.

But if you use the stock tune and powershift it. Well then yes because it's banging on the rev limiter the whole time inbetween.

 

So do parts only wear more if the engine gets redlined?

 

Pretty much. That's because the normal redline just cuts fuel into the cylinder to bring the revs down. This then makes the cylinder hotter because the fuel isn't cooling it at all which will lead into wear on the other parts. I'm sure there's other things that wear from redlining it and the fuel cut but that's one of them.

 

That's explain why I always gain several places in online races with the F-Inter from standing starts. Seems like almost everyone is using autoclutch + paddle shift on those cars.

That's actually why I think some kind of balancing is needed (if there isn't any in place currently, but I think it's not).

I don't mind about hotlapping, but people using autoclutch and paddle shift actually have a little advantage in long races by masquerading a true skill needed to drive those cars. People who like to drive those cars "properly" need to develop a Senna like skill to be able to match the precision, execution and consistency those driving aids provide to be able to compete with a fast driver who is using them.