The Mercedes C9

[Keith Gregg]

How come the stick shift is on the right hand in a right hand drive car?...i'm just curious

 

[Stelios]

Because engineers.

 

[Eric Rowland]

The gear lever is on the left (center console) on the XJR-14......

 

[Trezoitao38]

Why on the left if the driver probably is right handed?

 

[Keith Gregg]

Why on the left if the driver probably is right handed?

Because right hand drive cars usually have the shift on the left...My rig (with me being a brit) is set up with my shifter on the left even though I am right handed .

 

[Radu Oros]

There's no left or right hand car on a race track. So it doesn't matter, the race car was made to suit the driver(s), so I assume that also includes the side for the stick shift.

Mclaren F1 GTR, despite coming from an English manufacturer it has the stick on the right. Maybe in racing situation is easier for the brain and limbs to take the right hand of the wheel and reach for the stick shift, and keep the left hand on the wheel. Usually the left arm/hand is better for support (keeping the wheel steady or even steering a bit) and use the right arm/hand for action (shifting, buttons).

 

[Keith Gregg]

There's no left or right hand car on a race track. So it doesn't matter, the race car was made to suit the driver(s), so I assume that also includes the side for the stick shift.

Mclaren F1 GTR, despite coming from an English manufacturer it has the stick on the right. Maybe in racing situation is easier for the brain and limbs to take the right hand of the wheel and reach for the stick shift, and keep the left hand on the wheel. Usually the left arm/hand is better for support (keeping the wheel steady or even steering a bit) and use the right arm/hand for action (shifting, buttons).

Err...yes...I know what arms and hands are for....do all the cars you drive have the seat directly in the center? because a lot of the cars I drive have the steering wheel and driver seat either on the left (Left hand drive) or the right (right hand drive) and the reason I have my rig setup as right hand drive is I find shifting with the right hand completely alien....and Porsche...being a German brand...have a lot of right hand drive cars...it just felt wierd to me to be sat in a pretty much right hand drive car and still be shifting with the right hand...but hey ho...i'm stoopid so its ok

 

[Ian Cameron]

Err...yes...I know what arms and hands are for....do all the cars you drive have the seat directly in the center? because a lot of the cars I drive have the steering wheel and driver seat either on the left (Left hand drive) or the right (right hand drive) and the reason I have my rig setup as right hand drive is I find shifting with the right hand completely alien....and Porsche...being a German brand...have a lot of right hand drive cars...it just felt wierd to me to be sat in a pretty much right hand drive car and still be shifting with the right hand...but hey ho...i'm stoopid so its ok

I agree my rig is set up right hand drive, however makes no difference where it is in the cars in the game as my FOV setting is set that I can't see the shifters anyway.

 

[Eric Rowland]

There is an engineering philosophy that some motor racing circuits are clockwise in orientation therefore a driver on the right hand side is an advantage in weight distribution.

 

[LilSki]

As said It probably has a lot to do with the drivers. Most countries outside of the UK and Australia are LHD (you know the correct side of the car ). So say you were going to have US or European drivers who are used to LHD cars, but you still want the driver position to be right side for the weight distribution advantage, then you will have a RHD car with a right side shifter. Now I know race drivers likely practice on both but I know for me personally if you throw me in a car with a left side shifter I will have a seriously hard time getting used to it. Not something you want to have to worry about with your driver on the race track.

The GT40, 962, 787B, etc. are more cars that are RHD with a right side shifter. Also I believe just about all F1 cars with shifters (even lotus) are right side shifter.

Don't know if this graphic is super accurate but I thought it was interesting. Obviously it is for left or right side of the road and not the car.

 

[Emery]

Majority of the '60s sportsracers are righthand shifter with righthand driver:
Lotus 19, 23, 30, 40 (but not the Arciero Brothers Lotus 19, which was left shift after engine swap)
Elva Mk VI, VII, & VIII
Crossle 5s, 9s
the rare Bourgeault
Huffaker Genie Mk 10
***
Beach Mk 4 is lefthand drive, right shifter.
One Huffaker Genie Mk 5 or 8, driven by a Mr. Lowther in 1965 is center or left seat, but left shifter!

 

[Kek700]

Every post 1970 single seater race car I have owned, have always had right hand gear change.
I always thought it had to do with the Hewland MK ( cannot remember the the original designation) 9
When inverted for single seater use had the change on the right, so it made sense to set the gear change
Rod on the right, and consequently other manufacturers naturally copied this.
And even in all forms of originally manufactured cars like " group c " copied this to, as most drivers
have come via formula ford, f2000, f3.

I believe the Mercedes C9 originally had a Hewland gearbox.

 

[Andreas Knöpke]

Very simple and as others wrote, the C9 drivers were European guys, not Brits.
And the seat was on the right because in Le Mans the pits are on the right handside.
So in terms of an easy and quick driver change, the seat was placed on the right.
Simple as that.

 

[arthur666]

I don't have a "rig", just a desk and a G27 setup. But I will move my shifter from one side to the other, depending on what car I'm driving. It's fun to get competent with something you're not used to. Eventually (the first time I did an online race in the Escort, it cost me a podium spot.)

When the Japanese pack was released, I was slightly miffed that the Supra and RX-7 were RHD/LHS, but after I got used to it, I could appreciate the change.