The orange M lighting up on your dashboard means that you are driving in Manual Mode. Spaceships are based on the Toyota Estima model which has two main shifting modes (like most modern automatic transmission vehicles):
AUTO Mode ("D" aka DRIVE on the gear lever)
In the mode - the recommended mode - the vehicle automatically selects the best gear ratio based on speed, engine RPM, throttle position and load. The transmission control unit (TCU) uses sensors to optimise fuel efficiency, smoothness and performance. You just press the gas or brake, no clutch or gear changes needed.
Manual Mode ("M" on the gear lever)
In this mode, you can manually shift gears up (+) or down (-) using the lever. This gives you direct control over gear selection, similar to a manual transmission but without a clutch pedal. The vehicle will still override your selection if you approach redline (max RPM) or stall the engine.
Manual mode is rarely needed, but there are special cases where it can be handy:
Engine braking: Downshifting manually on steep descents can help control speed without overusing brakes.
Overtaking: Quick downshifts for extra power (though AUTO usually handles this well).
The recommended position is always AUTO so the gearbox will do the shifting for you.
Make sure you have selected AUTO (D aka DRIVE) with the gear selector of your Spaceships. You'll see D and M next to each other, when the gear selector is on that level and to the left, AUTO aka DRIVE is selected. When the selector is on the right at the level, you're on manual. Simply move the gear selector sideways to switch from M to D and you'll see the orange M disappearing from the dashboard.
If you have accidentally selected Manual (M) instead of D (DRIVE aka AUTOMATIC) then you can always switch back. There is no risk to the transmission or engine if you switch from Manual (M) to Auto (D) while driving, as long as you do it correctly and at the right time.
Don’t switch while accelerating hard. This can cause a sudden, jerky gear change.
Avoid switching at high RPMs
Avoid switching while braking hard
Switch from M to D when coasting at a steady speed (on a motorway) or at low speeds (city driving).
