# Where the hell is sixth gear? Seventh would be nice, too. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404 "2013-11-21T03:26:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404/21 "2013-11-25T01:26:27Z")
When you get rid of the “R” gear, get rid of the brakes. Who needs brakes? All they do is add weight and slow you down. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404/22 "2013-11-25T01:46:33Z")
I had a '92 Roadmonster. Give me a minute to figure out why it had a tach. Oh yeah. Because the radio had the clock. ---
**Author:** ![Willcross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Willcross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willcross)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404/23 "2013-11-25T09:21:26Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Why would I need one? I have ears. I prefer to keep my eyes on the road because no matter how yellow this thing is it still seems invisible. I mean, does Stirling Moss (yeah, I’m that old) need to watch the rev counter to know when to shift? For good drivers a tach is only useful the first time they drive a car, so they can learn to associate the sound with the RPMs. Shouldn’t be needed then, either, because they should be able to tell what the car is doing and how happy it is from feel as well as sound. Eyes on the road? Why would you want to look through a fancy windshield and see the road? All a good driver needs is a map and a stopwatch! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404/24 "2013-11-25T13:30:02Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > When you get rid of the “R” gear, get rid of the brakes. Who needs brakes? All they do is add weight and slow you down. I’m very sorry, but we’re prohibited by law, Mr. Flintstone… ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404/25 "2013-11-25T19:22:16Z")
With only 136 BHP, more gears might not make you any faster. I had a Honda Accord that was faster in 4th gear than 5th. The tall 5th gear would run out of steam around 4000 rpm while I could rev all the way up to 5800 rpm in 4th and be about 10 mph faster. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404/26 "2013-11-25T19:36:38Z")
My DH who used to work for Ford says to tell you speed is expensive; how fast do you want to go? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404/27 "2013-11-25T22:28:56Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Why would I need one? I have ears. I prefer to keep my eyes on the road because no matter how yellow this thing is it still seems invisible. I mean, does Stirling Moss (yeah, I’m that old) need to watch the rev counter to know when to shift? For good drivers a tach is only useful the first time they drive a car, so they can learn to associate the sound with the RPMs. Shouldn’t be needed then, either, because they should be able to tell what the car is doing and how happy it is from feel as well as sound. Well, it’s useful for determining just how many RPM you can generate in a '93 Saturn at 70mph in first gear (answer: a lot). That was only the speed of the wheels, note. My actual forward speed was perhaps 3mph, maybe 5 at the outside. Lesson: winter in New England sucks when you live on a mountain and are diving a '93 Saturn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-the-hell-is-sixth-gear-seventh-would-be-nice-too/674404.md?page=1)