Some advice on driving the new Tamora smoothly
Discussion
We took delivery of the new Tamora on Friday from the factory (we live close by), and I've been grinning ever since. 
(I'm trying to get some digital piccies so that I can post them - no success yet.) I've already got sunburn on my face!
Until Friday I was a Tiv virgin, although at the moment I'm more than happy limiting the revs to about 3k because the engine sounds fantastic. I'm trying particularly hard to drive her smoothly through the gear changes, but I'm not finding this easy because she responds so differently from the MR2 (don't laugh!).
I want to drive her properly, so I'd like to ask you Tiv vets an embarrassing question.
What techniques do you use when you're changing up or down the gears during road (rather than track) driving? Do you blip the throttle between gears? When you're approaching a sharp corner, do you drop through the gears sequentially and blip the throttle each time, or do you go straight from, say, 5th to 3rd? Do you heel/toe during normal driving or double declutch? I sound like a numpty, but having read Bob Bondurant's book on performance driving, the one point he emphasises all the time is smoothness. The gear changing techniques I use are fine for the MR2, by the way, even when driving hard, but it's not exactly the same, is it? Your advice would therefore be most welcome.
By the way, is the roof panel supposed to go into the boot trailing edge up or down? The handbook says up (relatively easy to get into the boot, a bugger to seat it right down), but the factory said down (a bugger to get into the boot, easy to seat it right down).
Another by the way, the rear number plate fixing issue is still there - stopped at a service area to find one screw had come out, the other loose, and the edge of the plate had rubbed on the diffuser. I know there are plenty of threads on a solution, so I'm off the B&Q today for the plasterboard fixing screws (if my memory serves me right)!
Still, I'm on
Julian
(I'm trying to get some digital piccies so that I can post them - no success yet.) I've already got sunburn on my face! Until Friday I was a Tiv virgin, although at the moment I'm more than happy limiting the revs to about 3k because the engine sounds fantastic. I'm trying particularly hard to drive her smoothly through the gear changes, but I'm not finding this easy because she responds so differently from the MR2 (don't laugh!).
I want to drive her properly, so I'd like to ask you Tiv vets an embarrassing question.
What techniques do you use when you're changing up or down the gears during road (rather than track) driving? Do you blip the throttle between gears? When you're approaching a sharp corner, do you drop through the gears sequentially and blip the throttle each time, or do you go straight from, say, 5th to 3rd? Do you heel/toe during normal driving or double declutch? I sound like a numpty, but having read Bob Bondurant's book on performance driving, the one point he emphasises all the time is smoothness. The gear changing techniques I use are fine for the MR2, by the way, even when driving hard, but it's not exactly the same, is it? Your advice would therefore be most welcome. By the way, is the roof panel supposed to go into the boot trailing edge up or down? The handbook says up (relatively easy to get into the boot, a bugger to seat it right down), but the factory said down (a bugger to get into the boot, easy to seat it right down).
Another by the way, the rear number plate fixing issue is still there - stopped at a service area to find one screw had come out, the other loose, and the edge of the plate had rubbed on the diffuser. I know there are plenty of threads on a solution, so I'm off the B&Q today for the plasterboard fixing screws (if my memory serves me right)!
Still, I'm on
Julian
nubbin said:
What colour did you go for?
___________________________________________
Many thanks for the replies. As you say, practice - isn't it hard work getting the enthusiasm to go out in the Tamora, particularly in this weather!
With regard to the colour, we went for the Halcyon Midas Pearl - the same as the factory press car. We happened to be at the factory about May last year when they'd just painted the body shell of the current press car (the previous one was green), and in the sunlight it looked fantastic. Although there are so many superb colours - we've been to the factory half a dozen times over the last few weeks or so - it was our favourite.
Oh well, better go out again......
Julian
Again, many thanks to all for the advice on driving smoothly - I'm having fun practicing now!
Thanks also for the advice on the mods - the boot mod to get the roof panel in and out more easily is particularly important, as I intend being topless at the slightest opportunity!
Here's to a great Easter weekend for driving....
Julian
Thanks also for the advice on the mods - the boot mod to get the roof panel in and out more easily is particularly important, as I intend being topless at the slightest opportunity!
Here's to a great Easter weekend for driving....
Julian
Gassing Station | Tamora, T350 & Sagaris | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff