Sequential Shift vs Manual

[sau_mathur]

Weve heard Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear go on about how much he HATES the f1 style sequential shift gearbox. Sure, one isnt as much in control as one would like to be in, with this type, but the newer systems are very very efficient, and they work well with highly tuned engines of the supercars these days.

I would love to hear what u guys have to say abt this...and what your opinion is...Is jeremy clarkson just incapable of using the f1 shift the way it is needed, or is there more to it???

Hope to hear from u!!!!

[RC45]

On the street sequential shift can be a pain... motorcycle riders can vouch for this... sometimes you want to skip from 6th straight to 3rd when slowing in traffic...
but you have to go 6th-5th-4th-3rd which is easy, but a pain sometimes...

But in a racing situation you are on the boil at all times and will want to exploit each of those ratios on the way and down through the box... even if only for a split second as you scrub off speed.

(assuming this is what you meant by your topic...)

[tanelvali]

I prefer manual. Only sequential I have driven was BMW M3 Cabrio. IMO it just lacks of prompt response.. comfortable, yes, but I like to do my own driving.

[Kangaroo Boy]

I want a H pattern Dog Box for my car like a V8 supercar. I've been told they are pointless unless your racing.

[coombsie66]

In the end are you talking about a sequential shift or an electronicly controlled paddle shift, cus the thue sequentials are great for the acceleration (the box as in dani's clio above) but a pain on the downshift, but the flappy padle ones i dont think give any feel.
Plus u can have the paddle one as in the M3CSL and 360 which are like manuals but opperated automatically, so still sound good and shift quickly, or the normal automatic gearbox which u can tell when 2 cahnge gear wiv some silly buttons (most common type!) these still have a viscous torque converter so sound shite, and are slow at shifting.
IMO i just like a good manual box

[graywolf624]

"beat sequential F355 and M3, so when "racing" in a racetrack, the manual is better than the current sequential gearboxes. However, I own an Alfa Selespeed and at the end, it becomes boring, confortable in the city, but boring in twisty roads."

actually the smg in the m3 shifts faster then the m3 manual. Same with the f355. Faster then any human can shift. The issue comes in on transmission weight.

Another side point.. unlike the street versions, the actual f1 versions have an optional button for clutch modulation.. at least ferraris does.

[Toronto]

I don't know why they call it F1 style gear box, mainly be cause an f1 car has 2 sets of paddels, 1 for the clutch another for the gears. If this type of gear box was to be put on a car it wouldn't be that bad, it is manual put the clutch you use with your hands not you foot. and you can jump down gears just like in a stick. i hope this is the way BMW does the new m5, cause "F1 style" is not as good as real F1

[sameerrao]

Weve heard Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear go on about how much he HATES the f1 style sequential shift gearbox. Sure, one isnt as much in control as one would like to be in, with this type, but the newer systems are very very efficient, and they work well with highly tuned engines of the supercars these days. I would love to hear what u guys have to say abt this...and what your opinion is...Is jeremy clarkson just incapable of using the f1 shift the way it is needed, or is there more to it??? Hope to hear from u!!!!

There is more to it - the way I read it, Jeremy is not a gadget freak. He frequently criticizes the F1 gearbox, selective ride and handling, active brakes, etc in his reviews.

Why? Three reasons:
1. These aspects take away control and involvement from the driver to some degree - particularly wrt SMG
2. He would prefer
a) a car honed to perfection by the factory development team and end up with a car that is not perfect for every occasion or road or whatever but is good mechanically rather than
b) a car that has 3 possible suspension positions to suit different circumstances.
3. These new technologies are still not yet perfected - the SMG is pain to select reverse and don't work well in an auto mode.

This may be clarified by an example - he likes the F355 and F50 a lot - because the cars are mechanically honest - it will do exceptional well on the race track or on smooth roads but will suffer on bad roads. He is willing to accept it warts and all. He criticized the suspension in cars such as the Bentley GT for all its options (soft, firm, etc.) because these settings are not necessarily ideal - soft is too soft, firm is too firm and therefore he will leave it in the auto mode. So he concludes why have three options when one setting is all you will use. He cursed the BMW SMG, Aston semi-auto and Ferrari F1 gearboxes for the additional cost and lack of superiority over the manual boxes

[sameerrao]

Jeremy Clark is a hypocrite. he whines and dies about all these new electronic automatic transmissions...and WHAT does he drive? an Mercedes SL with a....wait for it.....semi-automatic.

Before this he used to have an F355 with a proper manual transmission. So cut him some slack. And the SL is an automatic anyway you cut it.

There is a difference between an shiftable automatic and semi-automatic like the BMW SMG. A true semi-automatic is a clutchless manual gearbox while the SL has a shiftable automatic.

[teto]

i don´t really know cause i haven´t try a sequential shift...but i can surely tell you that manual is just great for me...it gives you the impretion that you are doing absolutly everything....without help

[Tomerville]

A true sequential manual is amazing, but you burn through clutches like no other...

[RC45]

I think this thread is discussing a number of different things all at once.....

What is really beimg discussed?

Stick shift sequential transmissions...

Paddle shift auto-clutch electronic shift transmissons...

Paddle/button shift semi-auto transmissions...

or

Paddle/button shift full auto transmissions?

[sau_mathur]

i was just hoping to find out what everyone thought about the padle shift f1 style gearbox, as is supplied in the merc sl55amg, and all the ferraris these days, and the traditional manual. But its great the posts that people are putting... gives me more insight into the topic.

[hemi_fan]

I drove a 99' A4 with an autobox that has a semi-auto mode. I didnt really like it. It upshifted really quickly, but the downshifts were really jerky and not very good. Both myself and my dad prefer manuals over that type of tranny, but weve never driven a paddle shift car with no automatic mode, so i dont really have any personal experience with them, but i still think a regular stick would be most fun.

[RC45]

A sequential stick shift seems the best compromise for us "die hard H-gate" fans...