mexican overdrive

English - English

Definition of mexican overdrive in English English dictionary

The neutral gear when used while a vehicle is moving, especially when it is used to save fuel or to coast down hill faster than a vehicle can go in gear. (This is illegal in some places.)

He shifted his car out of gear, at the top of the hill, and coasted down in Mexican overdrive.

Hyphenation

Mex·i·can o·ver·drive

Turkish pronunciation

meksıkın ōvırdrayv

Synonyms

freewheel

Pronunciation

/ˈmeksəkən ˈōvərˌdrīv/ /ˈmɛksəkən ˈoʊvɜrˌdraɪv/

Etymology

() Based on NASCAR teams' experience in the early 1950s in the legendary Carerra Panamerica where the long hills would have otherwise overrevved the engines