I wish I had some of these - testing cars would be so much easier


The shuddering on clutch take-up is probably a sign that you've cooked it a bit in the last 8 months, leaving hot spots on the fly wheel. The smell is unusual if you can't feel any slip, as a slipping clutch is real easy to tell in cars like WRX's where the change from low torque to high torque happens very quickly - the engine revs will flair up much quicker than normal with no change in road speed. Does the metallic noise go if you dip the clutch pedal?? If so it may be the release bearing making the noise.