[s-cars] "The Aluminum Crowd"/Tip vs. Manual Musings

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

I actually find exploring autobox handling to be tougher than  manuals.  The 
days of 'lazy' autoboxes has given way to some pretty neat  toys.  I enjoy the 
v8 (I built Ingo's to some wild specs for the  previous owner) 5spd, but I 
don't miss it when I give it back and hop into our  slushbox.  As I've aged, big 
cars with sticks, just don't do much for  me.  Rocking shifts of all that 
weight, and working to make it do what the  sport mode auto does with aplumb, 
makes me think I'm missing something.  
 
Don't get me wrong, I can't imagine a slushbox in my urq, or even an  A4.  
But as they hit the 4000lb mark, I lose interest and benefit.   Part of what 
makes the S8/A8/V8 flagships unique IMO, is audis target of making  the trans do 
what you can't well with a stick.  Smooth to redline, good  gear ratios, and a 
pretty decent shift program in sport mode.  
 
The one that really put this in perspective for me was the 928S4 in manual  
vs autobox mode.  I say put the trans that matches the chassis and  character 
of the machine, and my own opinion proposes mainly that desire is  proportional 
to weight.  The S car being one of the few exceptions, but I  suspect with a 
v8 in it instead of the I5 turbo, it would fall into line as  well.
 
Never an autobox?  I don't agree at all.  Even my TRD  supercharged 
landcruiser will whack redline effortlessly by pushing the sport  mode button.  On the 
S8, I don't get it frankly, that machine is meant to  drive hard, and the 
autobox allows you to do that without the desire to work the  suspension over to 
take the manual trans bucking.
 
Add in these massive dual mass flywheels added to address the shift  
smoothness problem, you start to lose all the goodness and desire to manual  shift.
 
IMO
 
Scott J
In a message dated 4/19/2007 9:14:28 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
t44tqtro at gmail.com writes:

Scott-
Kind of like what Bill said- it's not that the manual is  faster, but that it
feels better.

Personally, I really hate  automatic transmissions (except in heavy-duty
trucks). I won't buy a
car  with an automatic unless I have no other choice. Given the  disposable
income, I'd choose
a traditional manual over F1/SMG/DSG in  pretty much any car unless I was
buying a track toy.

I've had enough  seat time in DSG and slushbox tiptronic cars that the
novelty of shifting  gears
really wears off and it's not involving to drive. I always end up  putting
the car in automatic mode.

That never happens with a manual  (of course, it can't happen). I prefer
shifting gears myself, with
3  pedals and a stick.

Automatic with turbos doesn't work for me at all-  A4, S4, RS6, allroad,
V70R, Legacy turbo, WRX- I don't like how
any of  them drive.

Taka


 



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