Found on YouTube: Peugeot 406 turbodiesel with manual transmission and hand-controls for paraplegic driver

Browsing another Diesel-related blog, this video set in Argentina caught my attention. A paraplegic guy shows how he drives a pre-facelift Peugeot 406 with the 2.1TD engine and standard transmission. So many times it's been told it was impossible to upfit a Diesel ride with those automatic clutches commonly found in cars for disabled drivers where they're not restricted to automatic transmissions but, despite some technical limitations of that setup, it is indeed possible.

Luciano Lacoa, the owner of the car, sounds very honest about the disadvantages perceived by him in the system, most noticeably the lack of engine-braking effect and some roughness in the clutch actuator which lacks some progressiveness. And since the single push-pull lever that allows him to control brake and accelerator pedals is located slightly above the shifter, he also seems quite bothered about not being able to rev-match while shifting. The clutch actuator seems to have input only from the accelerator pedal position, which makes it quickly kick in whenever the lever is released, regardless of engine speed or any clear intention for shifting which in some automatic clutch systems is recognized by a touch sensor usually located at the shift knob. This way, not just the clutch pack is submitted to higher efforts which may lead to an estimate 3 times higher wear, the service brakes also get a higher load since it doesn't leave any provision for engine-braking.