My vRS is now on order and I am just wondering when you guys and gals use 6th gear?

As 2000 rpm usually transales to 70 mph and with the turbo lag below 2k revs, do you only put it into 6th when on a cruise above say 60 mph?

I ask because on my BMW M3, I can snick it into 6th at 40 mph and still have flexibility with torque

It still pulls from about 40mph onwards but if you want to save your clutch & get some speed, it's at least 60mph.

I tend to look at the mpg figures - if they go down too much in 6th I drop it into 5th - it tends to be a sign the engine is working too hard for it's comfort.

With a remap it will 'keep' 6th better I believe.

I tend to use 6th alot to keep the revs low and drive off boost when I'm in eco mode.

If I am crusing just past 60mph...

Tend to use sixth @ 50+mph. Sits @ 1.5K rpm @ 50mph in sixth.

If you feed in the power below 2K rpm, rather than give it a welly full, then you don't notice any lag.

when you hit that little red mark in 5th????

on another note, you are ditching a 2003 M3 for a diesel fabia?? are you mad?

Weekends - never!

Weekdays - 50 - 100 miles a day soon adds up if you're wellying it!

My vRS is now on order and I am just wondering when you guys and gals use 6th gear?

As 2000 rpm usually transales to 70 mph and with the turbo lag below 2k revs' date=' do you only put it into 6th when on a cruise above say 60 mph?

I ask because on my BMW M3, I can snick it into 6th at 40 mph and still have flexibility with torque[/quote']

The actual rpm/1000 for the later vRS is 32.5mph and hence at 2000rpm it will be doing 65mph not 70mph.

The earlier gearbox would have been doing more like 76mph? (I don't have access to the exact figures at present).

I don't tend to use 6th below 40mph in crusing mode, though all gears will happily drop to their 900rpm ticking over limits and bauble along - the problem is getting going again...

when you hit that little red mark in 5th????

on another note' date=' you are ditching a 2003 M3 for a diesel fabia?? are you mad?[/quote']

It's already gone. Sold privately last Thursday!

I've had the M3 2 years now from new and it's always been my dream car but like married life, the dream is always better than the reality, especially when it comes to financial maintenance!!

Looking forward to cheaper running!!

"Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all...."

and i'd love an M3 too. Bring on the financial hardship

If I am crusing just past 60mph...

I'm with Walkie here. While I'm not doubting that the M3's a good car, being able to drive in top gear at just over half the legal limit is at best pointless and at worst an indication that the ratios are FAR too close together. As I understand it, the gears on a car are there for the same reason as the gears on a pushbike (which I understand better) - that is, they allow you to drive / ride within a particular rev / cadence range at any given speed. I like the fact that the engine on my Fab is turning at a nice leisurely pace at 70-ish in much the same way as I used to hate the fact that to drive at motorway speeds in any of my previous cars meant a rather tiresome journey with the rev counter somewhere in the 4000s...

So back to the point, I use it like an overdrive. I'd never dream of engaging it when there was any accelerating to do - I'd ALWAYS change down for that. (I have heard that attempting harsh acceleration in 6th can f**k your flywheel... :eek: )

Since I drive the Autobahn alot, all the time.