I’m a hypocrite. I admit it. Having spent my column last month ranting that the manual gearbox isn’t the be-all and end-all of driving enjoyment, I’m now going to share how much I’ve enjoyed having three pedals to play with in the Mustang. One of the great joys of a manual is that each requires its own rhythm and I’m finally learning this one’s.
Achieving a good shift is easybut a great one, a friction-less meshing of cogs, takes a little more finesse. The key appears to be avoiding sudden movements with the pedals; don’t lift the throttle or dip the clutch too quickly and vice versa. And don’t overlap the motions. Fail to adhere to these rules and there will be a little clunk from the driveline as it expresses its annoyance with your impatience, but slow the movements down and you can select the next gear with an oily smoothness. Or you can just turn the rev-match function on, but I turned it off with two minutes of picking up the car and haven’t re-activated it since. Feels like cheating.
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
PORSCHE PANAMERA
Does Porsche’s long-distance tourer benefit from batteries?
LORD of the RINGS
WE RIDE SHOTGUN WITH WORLD RALLY CHAMPION HANNU MIKKOLA IN THE ALL-CONQUERING AUDI QUATTRO A2
LEXUS LC500 CONVERTIBLE
Enright’s not a big drop-top fan, but could he be a convert to the LC500?
FUTURE SHOCK
POTENT ELECTRIC AUDI CHARTS THE ROUTE AHEAD FOR QUATTRO’S NEXT 40 YEARS
DIVISION JOY
WHY THE ALL-NEW PORSCHE 911 GT3 ISN’T JUST ABOUT THE NUMBERS
DIRTY DEEDS
THE SPORT QUATTRO WAS AUDI’S ULTIMATE RALLY CAR AND THE TT RS IS ITS SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR
ASSAULT AND BATTERY
WE SAMPLE THE SPARK ODYSSEY 21, THE 400KW MACHINE THAT’S PUTTING THE EXCITEMENT INTO THE EXTREME E SERIES
AmpliTex: coming to a racetrack near you
A Swiss company is proving there is a cost-effective way to create a light, eco-friendly material that rivals carbon fibre
4 CORNERS
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUSTRALIA, WE GATHER THE FINEST QUATTROS FROM EACH OF THE FOUR DECADES OF PRODUCTION. OKAY, SO WE BENT THE RULES A TINY BIT...
AUDI RS Q3 Sportback
Small, fast, fun, five-pot family hauler has more than one personality
Katy & Orlando - IT'S A GIRL!
The happy couple is thinking pink.
Part 2 - Back To The Start
More tales of the colourful lives of the first lyons-built cars to carry the ‘jaguar’ title - the S.S. Jaguar 100
Tricia Musto
Wild at Heart Tattoo Brisbane, Australia
Parental guidance
Gap years no longer mean saying goodbye to your offspring for months at a time. Giles Kime jumps on the bandwagon and joins his daughter on her long-haul travels
'I DON'T REGRET MY MARRIAGE'
SHE HASN’T GIVEN UP ON LOVE
Worlds colliding
With a new satellite space in the foothills of the Macedon Ranges, this designer orbits between her country and city studios.
Virus-hit Murray doubtful for Aussie
Andy Murray’s participation in the Australian Open has been thrown into doubt after it was revealed on Thursday he had tested positive for coronavirus.
Poetry and Purpose
As beauty and wellness become increasingly driven by values rather than value, the influence of Aesop and its pioneering concept is becoming undeniable
Djokovic, Nadal and Serena to quarantine in Adelaide, not Melbourne
The organisers also announced an extra WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide after the Australian Open, from Feb.22-27 with 70 players taking part
Coming soon
After 2020 derailed so many plans, this year will see a number of new restaurants open across Australia. Here are just a few things to get excited about.