Richieh

I think an important thing to remember, is that when you use the brakes to slow down rather than just the engine, three bright warning lights come on at the back of the car, to show people behind you that you are slowing down

MB

Most cars I dont do it, but the S is particularly suited to it - so yes, I do when im really motoring. Im planning on track days so I just use it as practice really.

Due to the gearing and high rev limit, it does make a difference. You get a bit of a jolt unless you're very smooth.

Each to their own, nothing to get that worked up about chaps!

MB

Xd

Whats the point of ABS if you are using the engine to brake?

RUSS H

I personally think that yes if your good enough then use it on the track
but for every day blatting about just be smooth.

So imagine you dive into a fave roundabout with a chav up your arse,
he starts to heel and toe etc thus attracting attention to himself.
Meanwhile you just do it nice quick and smooth and your long gone...

Who's the cool one..

RUSS H

Also of all the cars i have owned, the S revs the highest but also the
revs die the quickest, so by the time you have 'blipped' your back to
idle.

Or maybe i'm too slow nowadays!

Dembo

This thread seems to have gone into the twighlight zone. The whole point of H&T is to be smooth, not to draw attention to yourself. Being smooth means you can decelerate smoothly and consistently and so stay closer to the limit, and so brake harder and later. If the chav is doing that into the roundabout then not only is he faster, he's also definitely the cool one.

People who dismiss it as pointless are always the ones that can't do it. Then again the same applies to DDC, which I admit I can't do, and left foot braking which I can do but only on FWD cars.

It's a good point. It's taken me a while to get used to H&T on the S because the light flywheel means the revs fall much quicker than most cars. I found I tended to blip too early, so doesn't really work.

gaddafi

that's probably in line for generalisation of the year

what's your view on powersliding on public roads?

pointless or performance enhancing?

btw - I've found I can left foot brake and that's pointless for road driving as well

chilled

[rant]
WGAF? Do what the f*** you want and don't hurt anyone else. Kill yourself, fine, just don't take anyone else out with you.

Do the techniques if you want to, but just because you can do an advanced technique doesn't mean it makes you a faster or slower or better or worse driver.

Most people don't know when to brake with their right foot, let alone their left, when to change gear, when to turn in, how to read the road and conditions properly.

We're all shit, get over it. We all have something to learn.

And for sweeping generalisations: Smoother is faster, wilder is more fun.

[/rant]

Mans Best

I thought DDC was used for changing up gears and H&T for changing down, out of necessity because of inadequate technology of yesteryear. Nowadays, neither are needed especially with so few RWD cars out there, but H&T can result in a smoother gear change and therefore less of a likelihood of the back end breaking away; but if you're going that fast you deserve all you get!

The reason the S has greater engine braking I believe has nothing to do with the weight of the flywheel (which is not particularly light AFAIK) but instead is the result of quite a high compression ratio. Therefore, it does make sense to me to use the higher braking levels available by both using engine and brakes where you're going quick enough to justify it. As for greater wear on the clutch (which is a torque converter) I would say it is working harder slowing in, say 4th gear to 15mph than it is in 2nd gear, so if I'm right it is easier on the clutch to use the gears a bit.

I also think ideally you should go through all the gears (up or down) with the gearbox in the S - something technical that was once explained on here, but which I can't remember - rather than missing some out on the way, which is what you will do when braking first and selecting the 'right' gear later.

Talking of generalisations, an advanced driver (rather than an AIM driver) knows there can't be one rule for all cars/drivers, so the AIM instructor should think about that. To suggest all cars handle the same around corners and therefore needed the same treatment would be a stupid suggestion so why the blanket comment on engine braking? - but then of course an AIM driver never exceeds the speed limit so probably doesn't have much use for the kind of braking of which the S is so capable

Dembo

a) pointless
b) slower
c) dangerous
d) I wish I could do it.