akirk wrote:xpc316e wrote: The right way is the right way because it works in any and every vehicle. Any system, or method of vehicle control, that works for some vehicles and not others is not much of a system.
but... if modern drivers only drive that subset of cars for which the reduced system works - why do they need any more skills - are there not plenty of other skills they would be better off learning - more fundamental to safe driving?
how many people on here own any cars without synchromesh? I do, but only 1 out of 4 cars - two of which are 71 classics - one with synchro, one without... and we are keen drivers - how many less of the population need that skill?
Alasdair
Back in '71 when I took driving lessons I was taught to change gear by numbers, through rather than across the box, as it 'helped the brakes'.
The brakes on a Morris Minor needed all the help they could get but I can't imagine 1.0 litres worth of coffee cup cylinders were going to help that much.
It was and perhaps still is a method that a lot of people are/were taught to drive with. It wasn't, for me, until a few years later when my destructive (the instructors words) lack of system was sorted out.
There simply weren't cars back then with the stonking low down torque of a turbo diesel, and not many with 160 prancing nags under the bonnet either.
As you say things change and, with safety being paramount, techniques need to change as well.