"Speedmonkey" (Speedmonkey)
10/09/2013 at 10:30 • Filed to: Camaro
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"Speedmonkey" (Speedmonkey)
10/09/2013 at 10:30 • Filed to: Camaro | 3
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I got a half hour drive in a Chevy Camaro, in full Bumblebee livery and with a manual 'box
Vincenzo71
> Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:29 |
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Awesome review! I live in the States and have a '79 Camaro and a '69 Camaro as well, and sometimes I forget how uniquely American these things are. And you're not alone in feeling uncomfortable in a opposite-hand-drive car; I think that a LHD car from the UK or Japan would paralyse most of us with fear if we had to drive one...
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Speedmonkey
> Vincenzo71
10/08/2013 at 19:32 |
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Thanks!
SonorousSpeedJoe
> Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:54 |
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Great write-up! It's good to see you liked it overall.
I see you had trouble with the visibility, though, even with the larger side view mirrors.
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Speedmonkey
> SonorousSpeedJoe
10/08/2013 at 19:55 |
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Yup. Partly to do with it being LHD. You'd compensate if you were on the 'right' side
MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> Speedmonkey
10/09/2013 at 10:40 |
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Nice write up!
Sparf
> Vincenzo71
10/09/2013 at 10:41 |
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Weirdly enough LHD (Left-Hand Drive, as in having the steering wheel on the left side, I believe you meant RHD in your reply) foreign (especially European luxury/sports) cars have long been status symbols in Japan, and are therefore surprisingly common there. I think I recall hearing that Japanese BMW and Mercedes dealerships at least used to sell both RHD and LHD cars depending on buyer preference.
If I recall correctly the most rational explanation (other than people flaunting their wealth) for this is that import cars used to be significantly more powerful and therefore faster than domestic Japanese cars due to the 1990s "Gentlemen's Agreement" between Japanese manufacturers that limited listed (some cars like the Nissan Skyline GT-R secretly broke this agreement) power outputs of domestic performance cars to 280 PS or 276 HP.
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Speedmonkey
> MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
10/09/2013 at 10:41 |
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Thanks!
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MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> Speedmonkey
10/09/2013 at 10:50 |
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I felt your issues on the "wrong side of the car" once myself actually. (I'm American).
I went to one of Ford's Test Tracks to drive some cars one day and they had the Ford Figo which is only sold in remote markets and was only available in RHD Manual.
I know how to drive a manual and am completely capable, despite not being well practiced as I've always owned automatics. So this was going to be interesting.
I did great. After driving using my right hand on the steering wheel in my automatic SUV's that I had owned up until this point it was fine, I kept my right hand on the wheel and instead of on the window sill/arm rest my left hand had something to do while driving.
It's the best I've ever driven a manual in my life! Hahahaha.
Though the car DID feel like it might blow away when I hit 70 mph.
This is a Ford Figo if you didn't know:
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Speedmonkey
> MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
10/09/2013 at 10:52 |
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It's all about re-alignment of brain and senses and is especially hard in a manual! That looks like a Fiesta from a couple of generations back
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MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> Speedmonkey
10/09/2013 at 10:55 |
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Haha, a little, though it's actually SMALLER. Well you're from the UK, I'd say it slots in between a Ford Ka and a Fiesta.
And yea it was certainly an adjustment, I had never shifted with my left hand before. Had to make sure I still went into the right gears!