Get an extra 5km per litre easy peasy!

[Grobbo]

Driving a manual V8 like me (or any other performance car) is a constant battle between temptation and restraint...

I normally use 17.5 Litres per 100km in a mix of 65% city, 35% highway driving.

Yep, I like to plant boot and hear the awesome noise at every opportunity - that's why I got a V8!

But it is quite an expensive hobby - enough to make me consider a 4 cylinder for my next car.

But I read an article about economical driving the other day, it was all common sense but you just don't think about it when you're driving, I decided to give it a go just to see.

Here's the main things I did:

Change up below 2000rpm. Basically keeping the revs as low as possible.

Very light throttle openings.

Anticipate upcoming light changes and traffic stoppages and coast down through the gears rather than sharp braking - this shuts off the cars fuel use during this time.

Turning off the ignition if you know you'll stationary for more than 30 secs.

Sounds boring but it was actually quite fun - it also made the odd burst of full noise that I allowed myself so much more of a treat!

I did miss the odd set of lights by not accelerating fast enough up the road, but this really balances itself out - often the next lights go red anyway, or often they go green by the time you get there - ie if you had've got there faster you would've had to stop.

I reckon I got nowhere any slower or later than normal.

It made me realise that I spend so much time in stop start traffic, planting boot achieves absolutely nothing but drain your fuel tank.

SO, anyway, the result - 12.5 km per litre - the savings are ridiculous! I could not believe what my trip meter was telling me.

I will keep doing I reckon - I'll still have a bit of fun when neccesary, but it just makes so much sense to pay attention to what's happening with the gas pedal - plus you don't have to worry as much about speeding fines.

Oh did I mention it was actually quite enjoyable? Maybe I'm getting old!