The Owner's Manual

I have to admit that settling into a car with a manual drivetrain was a rather daunting task 3 months back, especially since the last time I handled a stick was under a strict driving instructor’s supervision, where having freedom to maneuver the Civic was the last thing on my mind filled with information overload. It didn’t help for the subsequent 4 years, where I didn’t have a chance to practise a stick shift, and it’s only now (better late than never) that I realized that I have been missing out on the most satisfying bits of Driving.

The 1 Series M Coupe was the car, which taught me that driving fast does not equate to even half the driving sensation, however immensely ironic it may seem. I was greeted by an empty stretch of tarmac, and it seemed only logical to plant my right foot down, but I didn’t, in some strange and subconscious fashion. Two questions popped up. Do I want to feel the shove of 450nm of torque, or do I want to work each gearshift to analyze how each input responds to me? I would definitely be lying if I told you that I didn’t want to experience what the straight six aided by two fully functioning angry typhoon fans could do.  It all happened within a split second, and the pressure to execute a decision was as tough as how I had to choose the right exit in order to avoid a massive jam during a recent drive up North.

I would love to execute both at the same time, but my inability to make both ends meet was a blessing in disguise. In step my left foot, which had been way too lazy for the past 4 years, and out step my right, which seemed to have a mind of his own in the past – “Mr Right” only wanted to press on without thinking of the consequences. Every subsequent leg movement to follow was nothing short of a bundle of joy. Many had told me that driving a manual transmission in Singapore was impractical and tiring, but these two thoughts had never ever crossed my mind. Of course, the baby M’s slick short shifter added to the sensation, but this school of thought was ditched out of the window when I tried other cars in the 3 months to follow, namely the Suzuki Swift Sport, Megane RS 250 Cup Monaco GP Edition and the Citroen DS3 1.6 150THP.

 We have to go more than skin-deep to understand how to make use of all four limbs to the best of our coordinating ability, to inch every bit of emotion out of every little input that you make, be it shifting or depressing the clutch. Every imperfection during early execution stages will be a step forward for the driver to find gratification in future shifts - and the reward will be Huge.

I had been a petrolhead ever since the days where I crashed my first souped up Tamiya car against the kitchen door, but understanding how others find Joy in driving grown up machines was a challenge at that immature stage of growth. Fast forward a decade and I am certainly privileged to comprehend the excitement when enthusiasts talk to me about the Joy of Driving a stick shift. It’s better late than never. I urge fellow petrolheads, whom like me, grow up in an era where numbered gear knobs sounded ancient, to dispose of lightning quick dual clutches for a few minutes, and hop into a good ol’ manual car, and you will never regret and forget the sensation derived from having full control of the machine, at any point in time, at any speed. If you have a Class 3A license (automatic-only license in Singapore), spend some quality time to enroll in manual driving lessons and I assure you that you will find that the challenge will be well worth it.