PDK, SMG, DTC, MCT... whatever they are called, they are still automatics and as far as I am concerned they are killjoy items. Yes if you are a track junky and a superb racing driver – one is a must. Your competitive advantage is lost if you drive a manual box, however the fun factor is greater. Secondly, on public roads - in the real world (and I don’t mean racing lights to lights or flooring your car on the highway) there is little performance gain in it if you ask me. Last week in the Dolomites, Italy (through some superb twists) I came across a Subaru Impreza with a superb driver in it. His car was 200bhp down on power but we had quite a race on our hands and I could not pass him as the straights were simply too short. Through the twists I was on the limit, understeer and so was he and that limit was pretty much equal between the two cars. I could not overtake him and honestly, no PDK would help me as I was in third (wot) for the majority of the time. One thing is the theory; the other is forgetting the skill of the driver (which plays a critical role) beyond theoretical numbers and the theory for the most part in the real world is totally overrated. But yes by mathematical deduction if you floor a PDK equipped car on the straight from 0-200mph you save 3 seconds on the shifts – who cares, big deal, I don’t... but one thing is for sure; any clueless dick can do it.

 

For fun and games it will always be a stick. What good would it be to have your next generation IPhone to take over the control of your car or play a video game, sitting at home with 3-D glasses and a headset in beautiful, glorious stereo that plays back a great sound track of a Porsche. Boring after a few minutes for sure. Going out there and telling the engine when to shift, good bad or otherwise is the ultimate of man driving machine!!

 

I think a true sequential box like a Hewland or hollinger are great...if you have to use a clutch you can depress in on downshifts only, leaving upshifts for clutchless operation.

a manual box is fun, I enjoy it very much don't get me wrong...but a sequential box is fun also especially with short ratio strait cut gears... in the next few years sequential boxes with dry clutch packs will be the norm on any good sports car (if not so already...one need only look at Ferrari as an industry leader in this change over, Porsche as well and many others) as they are in almost all race cars today. They are just so much more effective than a manual box...technology is a progression, and gearboxes are no exception.

 

Well, it's all very nice to get one of those singing-and-dancing-do-everything-including-putting-the-cat-out-and-boiling-the-milk-transaxles / gearboxes/ planetarium-dishwashers in car but perhaps it would be a good idea to have a look at the forums for Maserati - Ferrari etc and read about the problems and cost associated with these gizmo's. It's practically impossible to find a Maserati with, say 10K miles on the clock, that does not have a new clutch for instance. Now, what would a Porsche driver say about that little inconvenience to the tune of $5k requiring not only a new clutch assembly but also the housing and a bunch of other stuff??. And for what?? To have a little itsy-bitsy lever that basically puts the clutch system in some form of automated-manual-gear selection?. What I am saying is that not all developments are improvements and having the pride of rowing in the manual gearbox for 100K miles with the first and only clutch assembly is like getting an IVY League degree in good car driving and engine management control. It's the buzinees!!

 

dunno who makes mazerati boxes...but a hewland or hollinger is basicly bulletproof There are more options nowadays, and OEMs are learning how to encorporate sturdier units through each model generation upgrade.

I love 6M gearboxes...I have one in my GT2 which is an RS box and really enjoy driving it, and I get all that about the joy, fun, rowing gears, hundreds and thousands of miles etc..etc... but I've driven race cars (and street cars) with both and I can say that they are night and day in performance and a sequential box can be exciting and fun to drive as well.

 

Fun is such an individual thing. Here on 6speed, I am mostly a 6-2 person... so you know that means I am pretty much a DIYer in terms of car control. Part of the joy of the early 6-2 is the driver HAS to be in total control all the time or the damn thing is gonna try to kill him. The challenge gives immense satisfaction.

My other P cars are older and most don't have things like power mirrors, much less a/c or .. God forbid.. abs. SO.. you get the clue where I am coming from. It wasn't until the late 80s that I even had cars with a/c.

My wife recently got a Boxster S with.. Tip. She has a leg injury ther renders her right ankle unable to perform the delicate movements needed while sitting so low. We are selling an M Roadster right now as she refused [to my relief] to continue trying after one too many lurid smoking of the rear tires instead of a sweet start. So, the TIP car... Well, I said OK as long as I only had to drive it every couple of months to make sure everything worked ok. Deal. Then I drove it. Everything I have read implies these don't work very well and ruin the driving experience. To my shock, it is a LOT of fun to drive and it responds instantly to my throttle inputs and holds gears and does all kinds of things so well.. that I am not sure I would even see the point in PDK at this point. I wish it had another 100hp for real fun. In many ways it is MORE fun to drive as I can actually use much of the performance envelope, tho it IS rather loud and people notice when I pass with WOT.

BTW, the Bimmer demonstrated how well a computerized interface can make a scary car controllable. Switch off the driver's aids and it is Halloween on wheels. With them on it feels wonderful [the engine is VERY GT3ish!]. The GT2 demonstrates how well the chassis tune and balance has risen over the years. I have driven the newer tts with all the aids and find them wonderfully stable but woe that the driver is no longer so important to the car performing well.

PDK/Tip? Just another driver's aid. Guys have had aids for a long time now but this might be the most noticeable. Anyone who moans that it ruins the cars needs to turn ALL their aids off and see what the cars are actually like to DRIVE. A very different experience. [Not suggested for those without serious driving education.]

tee hee.. have fun

JR

 

I've done it with no aids at all. The only thing that takes getting used to is no abs

 

^^ amen brother...the implementation of abs is a good thing, having come out of the high dollar programs in aviation, prototype, projects to trickle down to the consumer car average family car and now standard, it has saved many lives, many families and loved ones were abel to walk away from disaster due to it's usage.

 

I will stay with Manual until they no longer make a car that I want with a manual tranny. Eventually, cars will not be offered in manual.... so until that day.... I will always choose manual.

As stated, speed is not everything. It's the driving experience and connection that makes it enjoyable for me.

 

Totally agree with you

 

I'm torn on a manual vs an auto manual. Ferrari, Lambo etc have all gone that way as has F1. The jury is still out on how much HP the street version of PDK can handle. The BMW SMG tranny bombed out. Everyone I know that had one hated it and had endless warranty issues. I have a C63 that does some nice imitations of a manual (blip thottle down shifts etc) but I alway find myself just leaving it in sport mode and not fooling with the paddles. When I do use the paddles I find myself not as fast as I don't pratice with them everyday. I think if you the paddles all the time with an automanual it becomes more fun and fast, but still not as involved as a true manual.

 

no over revs, LA traffic sucks if you live hear have fun with your stick stalling . When you sell it (tippy) you take a hit but only if you bought it at a high price. My neighbor has the same car stick I have a tip his is fun to drive if you hit no traffic.

 

shifter > paddle

 

^^^ most sequential boxes have both...a lot of the race cars equipped with the hewland or hollinger boxes use a floor mounted sequential lever which got plenty a workout due to the short straight cut gears winding out the revs in lightning quick fashion

 

Paddle shifts are for people who aren't interested in driving.