No More manual for A4?!

[Taka Mizutani]

Mark-
What generation F1 system? I don't know about the latest F430 and F430
Scuderia versions, but the ones prior to that are, IMHO, not civilized at
all.

Head toss on every shift, even in the softest, "automatic" mode. This holds
true for the Maserati versions as well- in the Gran Sport and the
Quattroporte.

DSG, on the other hand, is totally seamless, which I do like, in terms of
efficiency. However, I find it to be completely characterless and like a
video game. With the lack of tactile involvement, I end up keeping the
transmission in automatic mode and drive it like a slushbox. I never have
this problem with a 3-pedal car (however I hate driving heavy trucks with a
manual).

Twin clutch automated manual transmissions are definitely the future- BMW
has switched and Porsche has introduced their own street PDK as well. That
would work nicely in a Cayenne. I still prefer a manual with a gear lever
and three pedals for street driving. C'mon, there is nothing like that
clunky "clank clank" action of a Ferrari gated shifter going through the
gears. Very deliberate, stiff and slow, but very unique among modern cars
and part of that "Ferrari mystique" which one only understands when you have
had seat time in them.

Taka


On Fri, Aug 22, 2008 at 1:27 PM, Mark R <speedracer.mark at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have to say, paddle shifts ARE the future of manual transmissions.
> Ferrari's F1 system is simply magnificent, and the VAG DSG is very, very
> good.  Personally, I'm a 3 pedal guy, but when a transmission shifts
> perfectly every time, blips the throttle on downshifts, AND allows you to
> downshift at redline of the lower gear.... well... what more can you ask
> for?
>
> Sometimes your hands aren't in the right postion (retrain the driver or add
> longer paddles), and some systems (VAG, BMW come to mind) could use some
> software tweaking for the enthusiast, but they're really quite good and
> shock load the drivetrain less.  I can tell you from personal experience,
> rear wheel lockup (due to rev limiter) on a downshift at corner entry sure
> does get exciting!
> The systems with small little shift buttons are just poor ergonomically.
>
>  I think a lot of thier confusion (or hatred) is that people either
> perceive
> them as an automatic, or want to drive them as such.
>
> But drive a DSG (or another similar system) and I think everyone would come
> to the same conclusions.  I still like my 6 speed manual transmissions, but
> I'd drive a good paddle shifted car.
>
> Mark Rosenkrantz
>