Flat Foot Shifting

From the November 2006 Car and Driver road test of the MS3:

Calls to Mazda yielded tips: Pop the clutch at 2900 rpm, upshift at 6000 redline is 6700 and flat-shift through second and third (which means don't lift at all the mechanical equivalent of dropping a Steinway on the clutch and half-shafts and violating our test procedure).

"Don't worry," the engineers said, "it won't break."

It didn't even after painting the pavement Bridgestone black with more than 30 hole shots.
 
I would definately not trust the stock protege transmission using this method!! An MS3 is a totally different animal!!
 
I too read that article a while ago, but have wondered ever since how to truly do a flat foot shift . . . do you use the clutch or do you just slam it up into third without letting off the gas? I would assume you don't use the clutch as having your foot planted on the gas pedal and the depressing the clutch would just be bad . . . of course, this whole thing sounds bad and worries me, but I am not one to shy away from trying something . . . especially if it will give me a few more tenths.
 
montrealms3 said:
I too read that article a while ago, but have wondered ever since how to truly do a flat foot shift . . . do you use the clutch or do you just slam it up into third without letting off the gas? I would assume you don't use the clutch as having your foot planted on the gas pedal and the depressing the clutch would just be bad . . . of course, this whole thing sounds bad and worries me, but I am not one to shy away from trying something . . . especially if it will give me a few more tenths.
Click to expand...

+1!!! exactly how do you do this??
 
Just hold down the gas and then tap the clutch and upshift as fast as you can. Got to do it fast or it will rev too much between the shift. You only tap the clutch enough to get it into gear and then immediately let it out.

EDIT: That wiki article contradicts itself
Unlike a normal gearchange in a manual transmission, a powershift does not utilize the clutch at all. ...
A powershift can be performed in a road car if done as follows. Accelerate through first gear, when you near redline, pull hard on the shifter, don't pull it out of gear though (very unlikely anyway). With the accelerator still floored "kick" the clutch pedal to just about the release point and let it spring back up. The car shifter will slam into second gear and you will continue accelerating. It is difficult to time correctly and also very hard on the car.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Jays07MS3 said:
Just hold down the gas and then tap the clutch and upshift as fast as you can. Got to do it fast or it will rev too much between the shift. You only tap the clutch enough to get it into gear and then immediately let it out.

EDIT: That wiki article contradicts itself
Click to expand...

You're wrong, wikipedia is the end all and be all of knowledge! You changed the entry yourself, I know it! :)

I was lazy and didn't feel like looking for a real instruction set, so I used wiki. I'm board the failboat now...
 
I've try it today andIm impressed its way way faster. At first I did it slowly and reved to much but my second attemp was sick i did this so fast that car screamed like trying to rip the road apart ..the hardest is to put it on 3rd you can misshift(I mean not put into 3rd just on neutral)
 
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