What's your favorite gear?

**flaminio** · 08-21-2003, 21:10

Just one of those weird things I thought of while driving...

**POWERED by HONDA** · 08-21-2003, 21:24

3rd gear for me. It's like that with all the cars I've driven though...

**nsxtasy** · 08-21-2003, 21:36

Well, this could be another one of those slightly-misleading polls - in this case, because different people have different gearing setups.

I have a stock five-speed in my NSX. I love downshifting to second gear for the slower corners, because it gives that extra zip accelerating past the apex. On a track like GingerMan, where speeds vary on most of the track between say 60-70 mph in the corners and 90-100 at the end of the straights, I upshift and downshift between second and third five times every lap (the track has 11 turns). Zoom, upshift, zoom, brake, downshift, zoom, upshift, zoom, brake, downshift, etc., over and over. Fun!

However, the reason I can do that to take advantage of the gearing is that second gear is good up to 81 mph. Put in the short gears and a different R&P and you can't use second gear much at all, and you're stuck in third. Even with a stock six-speed you wouldn't be using second as much, because it runs out at 73 mph. It's even less so with my Integra Type R, which runs out of second around 60 mph and in which I do the entire track in third gear. So with a different gearing configuration, I would have to answer this question differently.

**Zishan** · 08-21-2003, 21:40

what about REVERSE!!!!!!!

**Autophile** · 08-21-2003, 22:10

That's a tough question... I love 'em all!!

But, I guess it would be 5th gear (on my 5 speed). The power band from the NSX engine is so broad that I can do almost everything in high gear.

**Vytas** · 08-21-2003, 22:21

I have the stock gear setup and absolutely love 4th gear accelerating from 70-80mph. Do this over and over. The engine note at this range is just heavenly.

**NSX/MR2** · 08-21-2003, 23:42

1st gear. Love to hear the engine, then chirp the tires and going sideway a little bit shifting to second on good surfaces.

**Joel** · 08-22-2003, 08:41

3rd is the magic gear for me.

**NetViper** · 08-22-2003, 08:49

Originally posted by NSXSAN
1st gear. Love to hear the engine, then chirp the tires and going sideway a little bit shifting to second on good surfaces.

My car doesn't do that... Of course I have TCS on... Is your car stock?

**supergreen125** · 08-22-2003, 10:23

i like second gear but only when downshifting.
when i race on the freeway i always slow down to about 60 and slam it into second!!

**brahtw8** · 08-22-2003, 10:59

Originally posted by Vytas
I have the stock gear setup and absolutely love 4th gear accelerating from 70-80mph. Do this over and over. The engine note at this range is just heavenly.

If you think it sounds good in 4th, you should try it in 2nd or 3rd.

For me, the downshift to second at 50-60 mph or third at 70-80 is where its at. I could do that all day. The problem with doing that in third is redine is 117, so its not something to be done lightly.

Thank god for my V1 . . .

**brahtw8** · 08-22-2003, 11:01

Originally posted by supergreen125
i like second gear but only when downshifting.
when i race on the freeway i always slow down to about 60 and slam it into second!!

Ditto. The pull from 2nd is awe inspiring in sound and g-force.

**NSX/MR2** · 08-22-2003, 11:51

Originally posted by NetViper
My car doesn't do that... Of course I have TCS on... Is your car stock?

Turn off the TCS. Lighten up your vehicle, and with a good clutch, you can almost trip your tires at will.

**gheba_nsx** · 08-22-2003, 11:54

2nd gear on my OEM transmission is considered "automatic" in the city!

**brahtw8** · 08-22-2003, 12:47

Originally posted by NSXSAN
Turn off the TCS. Lighten up your vehicle, and with a good clutch, you can almost trip your tires at will.

That reminds me of a funny story from a car control clinic earlier this year. We were doing braking to a point exercises, which involved a long straight where hard acceleration was the idea. I was not in top form as a result of a very late night and left the TCS on for the first few runs. At first I could not figure out why the car would bog down when I was dumping the clutch at 4000 rpm. Then I remembered TCS was on. Needless to say, I felt like a moron.

**4AU4LIFE** · 08-22-2003, 19:08

Both my A's seem to like 3rd gear best.

**nsxtasy** · 08-22-2003, 19:51

I feel sorry for poor, lonely first gear, with no votes. Unloved and unwanted - but necessary to get to all the other ones.

**4AU4LIFE** · 08-22-2003, 20:22

Originally posted by nsxtasy
I feel sorry for poor, lonely first gear, with no votes. Unloved and unwanted - but necessary to get to all the other ones.

So sad, but so true.

**Mr.Wolf** · 08-23-2003, 20:22

None of the above.

However, I prefer 'top gear' when I have a female passenger(s) if you know what I mean.

**NetViper** · 08-23-2003, 20:38

Originally posted by nsxtasy
I feel sorry for poor, lonely first gear, with no votes. Unloved and unwanted - but necessary to get to all the other ones.

First would be more fun if you had a CTSC to get more low end tq going. With all the other gears, a redline shift takes you right into the powerband (mostly)... but first takes a while to get there..

**nsxtasy** · 08-24-2003, 08:09

Originally posted by NetViper
With all the other gears, a redline shift takes you right into the powerband (mostly)... but first takes a while to get there..

That's a myth. People think there is better acceleration at higher revs because the engine is louder, but acceleration isn't all that different throughout the revband. 90 percent of peak torque is available from 2500 to 7500 RPM:

**NeoNSX** · 08-25-2003, 00:40

I've heard 2nd gear is the biggest hoot... so i voted for that.

NSXTASY : that might be true, but do you have the graph that shows how time slows at as you near 8000RPM? It's called "shock&awe bulletime VTEC"

**POWERED by HONDA** · 08-25-2003, 08:52

Let me revise my post.

3rd gear for the 6 speeds and the 5spds with shorties.

2nd gear for the stock trannied 91-96 NSX's. Redline at 80mph in 2nd gear... woo hoo!