What’s thE TACHOMETER For?
The five step plan
If you’ve been driving automatics all your
driving life, you’ve probably had little use for
the gauge next to the speedometer. That’s
the tachometer, and it displays engine speed
in revolutions per minute, or RPM. With an
automatic, you really don’t need to think about
it all that much, though it’s certainly useful
when shifting with the steering wheel paddles.
Getting Started
Positioning your seat: Proper
seat position is vital to driving
a manual as you have to be
able to interact with each pedal
with ease. Make sure you can
comfortably push the clutch all
the way to the floor with your
left foot, and still have a bend in
your knee – your leg shouldn’t be
fully extended. (Don’t worry, your
left foot will only be in charge
of the clutch, while your right
foot will handle the brake and
the accelerator). Once you find a
comfortable position you’re ready
to begin.
With a stick shift, the “tach” is a valuable tool
that helps you decide when to shift. In the
F-TYPE, you might choose to shift at 3 or
4 thousand RPM to enjoy acceleration that
will be fun in everyday driving. Pretty soon,
you’ll come to know instinctively – from the
rate of acceleration you desire (as felt in your
backside) and even the engine and exhaust
sound – what shifting at 3, 4, 5 and 6 thousand
RPM sounds and feels like. You’ll quickly glance
at the tach for occasional confirmation.
When you’ve got nothing but open road or
track ahead of you, you’ll keep an eye on the
tach, among other things, including the road
or track ahead, to choose the optimal shift
point and to also make sure you don’t push
the engine past the redline. If you do approach
redline, there’s an electronic engine limiter to
protect the engine if you do: You’ll feel the
engine stumble causing the car to buck a
bit as the computer cuts engine power at
maximum RPM.
TACHOMETER
S
tep 1: Take a deep breath and
relax. Push the clutch pedal
to the floor and hold it there.
If the shift lever is not already
in Neutral (anywhere in the
middle of the shift pattern),
move it there. Keep the clutch
pedal down and push the
engine Start button. (As a
safety measure, the engine will
not start unless you’ve got the
clutch pedal fully depressed,
even if the shifter is in Neutral.)