5-Speed Owners

[zhaden]

I haven't done much research on the powerband of Solara's engine, but my guess is that your acceleration from 5500rpm's to redline is going to be much slower than the 4000rpm's and up in third gear. The shift may be a bitch now, but if you really want to get the most out of your car and would like to learn to shift properly, spend the money, buy a nice clutch, and take a class. If you don't want to spend the money; to get the most out of it, you're going to find shifting nets better results regardless. 2 weeks out of my 2 month class in Cali was solely spent on learning how to shift properly and where. The majority of the time you do not want to be topped out.

edit: the reason you top out when accelerating past 60mph is so that when you drop it into 3rd, you're already closer to the peak of your powerband. If you're just trying to get to 60 as fast as possible, you're probably going to want to hit 3rd before you get there. My humble .02c.

[lvmiltenberger]

i can guarantee 60 out of second :O