First off I have to say that I'm new to this site, but man I see what I've been missing out on! I've come down to my final choices for my 2nd car...the Cayman S vs. the M3, and have decided to go w/ the Cayman. However, I needed you guys' opinions regarding getting the manual vs. the paddle shifter.

I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but besides driving my motorcycle (GSXR 1000) which is obviously a "manual", I've never driven a manual vehicle. I don't want to end up getting the automatic version of the cayman w/ the paddle shifts and feel like i'm missing out on some of the power that could've been in the manual. Would you recommend trying to take the time to rent a car and learn how to drive a manual car, or is the paddle shift a respectable option in this situation? Thoughts please...

 

Will you be tracking the vehicle? Paddles have some advantage since you may be gripping the steering wheel tightly and I certainly dislike the stick in traffic. But I love manual shifting as it feels like your integrating yourself into the drive, and not simply driving. Manual is slightly cheaper too. Most people will learn stick pretty quickly (for fear of ruining their car). What do you feel more comfortable with? That's the bottom line.

 

Thanks for the reply man. Honestly I think i'd love to learn how to drive manual, but I am scared of getting this car and ruining the transmission due to inexperience. Traffic also seems like it'd be a huge turn off in terms of going w/ the manual, but as you said, i imagine you'd feel much more integrated in the drive if you were in control of the gears. Is it THAT easy to totally ruin the new transmission (say if I made a mistake or two in the beginning), or do you think that if I took it slow i'd be fine? Again, I DO drive a bike, so I think i'd have a head start on listening for the proper time to switch gears and not to ride the clutch to much...

 

Driving Stick 101

Having a bike will probably help you a great deal with the fundamentals and theory. Your idea of renting a decent car to play with and learn is a good idea. Perhaps start in an empty parking lot and have a friend who is an experienced stick driver sit shotgun. Most will not give the engine enough gas and stall. This usually only happens when you go from a dead stop to moving. Shifting from gear to gear once you are already in motion is quite simple and almost impossible to stall unless you skip gears. Just gear up one gear at a time.

IMHO the best advice I can give to start rolling is learn on a flat road and don't put your foot on the gas at all. Hold down the clutch and release very slowly. Your vehicle will start to creep forward. Once your left foot is completely off the clutch and you are creeping forward at 5 mph, then give it a little gas with your right foot. You’re moving! If you release the clutch and it starts choking, you are releasing the clutch too quickly. Push the clutch down again. Now release slow and steady. Remember, you cannot be in gear and at a dead stop.. your engine will stall. When stopped you must be out of gear, or your clutch must be down. Two, three, even 15-20 stalls won’t kill your car. It isn’t good for your car, but it won’t be destroyed if you do it. Hence, learning on a rented car.

Clearly when you get better, you’ll know the right amount to release the clutch and press the gas at the same time. Giving you a faster start.
Gearing from 1 and on is just a feel. For those learning, I would pick a rpm point when the engine sounds like it revs higher than it needs to and then shift to the next gear. Different rpm for different gears and of course different vehicles. Most vehicles are probably between 2500-3800 rpm when people shift. Consult other Cayman owners with what they feel comfortable shifting at and do the same. Of course rev’ing higher in lower gears will give you added acceleration and burn additional gas. Just don’t come close to redline so you don’t blow your engine.

When breaking, remember to hit the clutch and break at the same time. It’s similar to being or coming to a dead stop. You cannot be in a high gear at very low speeds, your engine will start to choke. Any time your car starts to choke (shake/ convulse), simply push down the clutch or give it more gas. Clutch is probably the better option for new learners. Again, you cannot be at a dead stop in gear or your engine will stall (unless the clutch is down). Some people gear down to slow their car. This can wear down the clutch. Others simply break which wears down the brake pads. Either way it is maintenance money down the road, just figure out which one is cheaper for you or more importantly which feels more comfortable and safer for you when driving.

Lastly don’t forget that you are probably upgrading to a more powerful car. Take it slow and get used to the power and acceleration before doing what you normally would do in other automatic cars. The turtle started slow, but won the race. Enjoy your new car and drive safe!