I moved the car to the merge point with the main road, stopped, and started again from first gear. I soon gained some speed, shifted into second gear, and smoothly engaged the clutch. Wow, that was smooth! ( ﾟ∀ﾟ)
After that, I drove in third and fourth gears, but downshifting didn’t go well, causing jolts and shocks, which made me think it’s really difficult, yet I managed to reach the Royu Driveway observatory. I put the car in neutral, thinking I could park facing forward, but…
I stopped well before the parking line.
Panicking, I tried to shift into first gear to try again but pushed too hard and accidentally shifted into reverse (R). “What?! Why am I going backward!?” I panicked and stalled the engine, but my husband got out of the Panamera and helped me park. (Though this is not really the time to feel relieved.)
Though it was less than five minutes of manual driving, I was very tense and exhausted, so that ended Manual Driving Vol.2 for me. After getting home, I was so drained I downed a Chocola BB in one go.
Later, I asked my husband about the shifting shocks, and he said,
If you switch to Sport Plus mode, it automatically matches the engine revs when downshifting, so the shifts are smooth without shocks.
I see. Then he added,
But at that speed, you’re not really enjoying the Boxster’s driving fun yet. You need to practice more.
Absolutely true (−_−).
My husband said it took him about 10,000 km before he could drive a manual smoothly and naturally, like breathing. I’ve probably only driven about 3 km so far. But after driving again for the first time in three months, I was happy and a bit confident that my body still remembered the feel of starting off. (Before, I would forget the feeling every time I practiced, so it was like starting over.)
Though it’s still very basic, all that’s left is practice, so I’ll do my best to write Vol.3!
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