haha I don't do it every time just to pass someone on the freeway. I've done it like 5 times since owning the car for a year, mostly to show off. I usually get up to 85 in thrid gear before I have to shift, and usally slow down a bit in 6th. So you guys are saying rev matching is better than double clutching. Double clutching I understand, but when you say rev match, do you mean press the clutch, take it out of 6th, reving to like 5000, put it in 3rd, and then let go of the clutch.

Thanks in advance. I shall be more mindful of my syncros

 

Double-clutching just means you disengage the clutch move the gear to neutral, engage the clutch, and then disengage the clutch again, put it in gear and engage the clutch.

Whether you double-clutch or not you still need to rev-match in order to get a smooth downshift. Double-clutching is not necessary any more because now most trannies (if not all) have synchros. However, it still helps to double-clutch when you are making aggressive downshifts (such as from 6th to 3rd @ 75 mph).

To rev match you disengage the clutch, and while you are moving the gear into the lower gear, you blip the throttle to raise the revs to slightly more than what is required in the lower gear. (i.e. if you are shifting from 6th to 4th, and in 4th the engine will should be turning at 4000 rpms, you blip it to ~4200 rpms). The reason you do this is so that as you are engaging the clutch the revs should fall perfectly to around 4000 rpms (what is ideal) so that when the clutch is fully engaged there is no jerking, just smooth acceleration.

I hope that makes sense. Rev-matching is always a good idea when downshifting to reduce your clutch wear, if you downshift without rev-matching, it will either be very jerky as the tranny has to speed up the engine, or if you release the clutch slowly you are riding the clutch and that causes premature clutch wear. Happy shifting.

 

Wow. Let's get some stuff straight:

1. Double clutching by itself on a DOWNshift is not useful. And on upshifts, it's only useful if you're driving a truck. Or if it's really cold outside and your synchros don't want to work (I DC on 1-2 shifts on cold winter days).
2. Rev matching alone on a downshift will save your clutch some grief, but it'll still make your synchros do a lot of work (especially on a big jump like a 6-3 shift).

To save synchros AND clutch plates, it's necessary to double clutch while rev matching. Here's the process (I'll describe for a 6-3 shift).

1. Push clutch pedal in.
2. Move shifter out of 6.
3. Release clutch pedal.
4. Blip throttle, matching layshaft--or transmission input--revs to engine revs in desired final gear (in this case, third gear).
5. Push clutch pedal in.
6. Move shifter into 3.
7. (Optional). Blip throttle again, matching engine speed to wheel speed in third gear. You only need to do this if you're slow. If you're quick, the engine revs will still be high from the first blip (step 4).
8. Release clutch pedal.

And you're off at 75 in 3rd gear. It sounds ridiculous, but it's easier than it looks. If you're not good at DCing while rev matching, I suggest practicing it with a 3-2 shift at a low speed. Enjoy.

 

I like the 6-5-4 shift for those agreesive highway maneuvers

 

You can triple down shift no problem, but what's the point in that? I agree that double down shifting is best for punching it on the highway or for engine braking.