Nothing different than floating the throttle to a neutral point.
My Jaguar has a shifter layout where it is very easy to go to neutral despite it being an automatic. There are situations where I go to neutral to conserve fuel where the level of engine breaking would be undesirable.
I do the same with a manual car.
If for a short time, I use the clutch and stay in gear.
If for a long time I want to unweight the clutch and go to neutral. (higher wear on thrust bearing to have clutch pedal in.)
Most cars have a front brake bias designed around dry weather driving.
This means the fronts are going to lose it under braking in the rain much sooner.
In a FWD car one could go to neutral in the rain under braking.
Or even stay in gear and go light throttle, but that is best not practiced in situ.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deschodt
I'm just asking from a physics standpoint, what difference does it make (if any?) to the car's handling if you are taking a curve in neutral vs with engine in gear, coasting (if you like assume it's a slight downhill curve to keep speed constant, also assume not at the limit but quick enough that you'd wanna be in gear, and finally let's say a cayman to avoid rear engine arguments) ..
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There are situations in an auto where the it downshifting could upset the rear of the car in such a situation if on the limit.
I've had a heavy duty pickup with rock as the rear spring rate do that to me on a curly interstate ramp in the wet.
Que up eurobeat from Initial D.
I still wouldn't pick neutral for that, I'd pick to float the throttle.