Use of 1st gear when hooning

[Welshbeef]

Does anyone on ph when out for a hoon on either a track or public highway ever change down to 1st gear for a corner to get a big more acceleration ?

[Mr E]

Would need to be a serious hairpin I think

Edited by Mr E on Monday 13th September 21:10

[hornetrider]

I did in the LP640 at ProDrive. There's a tight-ish right hander before the back straight - first two laps (as I was speeding up) were in 2nd but popped it into 1st as I was reducing the laptime.

Don't use it on the road though, unless proper tight hairpins are encountered.

[Jonny_693]

No, I like to keep my gearboxes working. How slow would you be going to get it in first? In most of the cars I have driven it doesn't feel like it would go in at anything lower than 5 to 10 ish mph.

Edited by Jonny_693 on Monday 13th September 21:13

[TuxMan]

No ....... First gear is for donuts and leaving black lines away from traffic lights !!!! Cannot imagine a corner tight enough on track .

[pilchardthecat]

I cant move the stick/clutch fast enough to use first for anything other than a standing start.

Might be different in a fancy DCT/SSG thing though, but i wouldn't know

[hornetrider]

TuxMan said:

No ....... First gear is for donuts and leaving black lines away from traffic lights !!!! Cannot imagine a corner tight enough on track .

Are you serious?!

[PhillipM]

Most road gearbox have a baulk ring that actively stops you getting into first until you're doing <10mph anyway.

[TuxMan]

hornetrider said:

TuxMan said:

No ....... First gear is for donuts and leaving black lines away from traffic lights !!!! Cannot imagine a corner tight enough on track .

Are you serious?!

NO :-)

[Welshbeef]

Reason I ask is I overheard two boy racers talking while waiting to pay for petrol. Think he mentioned 30 mph into 1sf to get more acceleration - it was a focus st I watched him leave joining it away.
Anyway just thinking I really cannot see him being any quicker than holding it in second as your on the power as soon as you hit the apex rather than off power while clutch is in.
Possibly he drives with throttle wide open smashing the gear into second.

Actually thinking about it even if it were faster it would be such a small advantage on the road it would be utterly pointless, rallying helps braking but minimal a track again minimal but it's a box killer

[matty_doh]

For me, having a car with short gears it is rarely worth it - there are few corners (On roads that are suitable for hooning) that can't be taken at 25mph or more and the gear change indicator comes on in my car at 33mph, so the change down to first just isn't worth the time/abuse on the car

[Welshbeef]

Iirc my fiat coupe 20v turbo made 40mph in first or possibly just over - note think I only tried to go to the liniter in first once or twice in six years of ownership.
I never nipped down to first once moving 2nd was plenty good enough.

[maniac0796]

My car will do 40mph in first gear, but you have to double de-clutch and be going about 10 miles an hour for it to engage, otherwise you'll just hear a massive crunch and it'll block you.

[B'stard Child]

TuxMan said:

No ....... First gear is for donuts and leaving black lines away from traffic lights !!!! Cannot imagine a corner tight enough on track .

Mallory Park - 2nd gear doesn't work for me but first does

Edited by B'stard Child on Thursday 23 September 23:10

[LeoSayer]

The only time I can think of when I've used 1st gear is when I took uphill hairpins in the french alps. It's quite a challenge to heel and toe giving enough revs to allow 1st to engage without lurching.

[MondeoMan1981]

No way. 10mph in 1st is 3000rpm and I have a 5000rpm red line....

[anonymous-user]

in the rental kia picanto on holiday it loved first gear in the mountains...

[ewenm]

Occasionally on hairpins in the Alps but not in normal driving. Of course, an uphill hairpin, no traffic and a boot full of throttle does give nice slidey moments

[Speed_Demon]

I know of one corner that requires it if going on full hoon mode, on the A507.

[MGZRod]

Occasionally on tight corners or if overtaking. Car is a 103~bhp 1.4 MG ZR.

It does 34mph in 1st gear, and there is no power at low revs. town driving can be horrible in second gear at about 1500rpm it takes an age to build up speed!