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

[pkrasusky at ups.com]

Loving it - we drew Justy out of der closet yet again!  And without the
mere MENTION even of "Scirocco"!
 
Agreed Scott, the tranny suits the character of the car.  
 
And Taka, I'd never "just leave it in D" cause the "novelty would wear
off".  No way.  It's not about "novelty".  Drive one day in day out and
figure it out.  Being able to PREVENT a car from UPSHIFTING is huge in a
shitomatic.  Holding a lower gear into a corner helps maintain chassis
control and road speed and sets you right into powerband for corner
exit.  Without futzing with constantly stomping me right leg trying to
summon downshifts, then having the box hunt all the way down for the
"appropriate" gear.  No way.  
 
And the way the wheelbase and track simply absorb near EVERYTHING you
can throw at it, it's a great match to the gearbox's dynamic.  The
chassis on this car really seems to not move much at all - it's a very
odd, and secure feeling.  
 
Sure the Tip shifts "could" be "faster" (auto shifts are fine, if
they're used).  I've learned to work with it to the point of it now
being a non-issue, it's all in the anticipation and setup of such - plan
accordingly basically.  Stopped using gearbox to help engine brake
really, now I catch the brake's decel with the downshift - it's all in
the timing.  Works gloriously.  As rewarding as a rev matched downshift?
Naaaa, but, it's near equally effective once you 'get it'.

Would I "prefer" a 6spd in me D2?  Sure.  I think it'd make the car
really.  But does not having one *preclude ownership*?  That's just
ignorance IMHO.  But hey it's a free country for a reason.  There's just
too darn much "else" to like with the car.  Ideally I'd like simply a
better Tip program for the car.  Who knows, maybe sometime down the near
road "someone" will come up with "something"?  Carazy things always seem
to happen somehow.
 
-Paul drives big cars fast K.
 


  _____  

	From: QSHIPQ at aol.com [mailto:QSHIPQ at aol.com] 
	Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 11:34 AM
	To: t44tqtro at gmail.com
	Cc: Krasusky Paul (WQQ2PXK); wenoland at pacbell.net;
s-car-list at audifans.com
	Subject: Re: [s-cars] "The Aluminum Crowd"/Tip vs. Manual
Musings
	
	
	
	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