auto vs. manual

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The Cambiocorsa/F-1 transmission isn't an automatic... it's a manual transmission with a hydraulically-actuated clutch, though it does have an automatic mode. Clutch life will vary with your driving style and how much stop & go driving vs. highway driving you do. On another forum that has good number of modern Maserati owners, I've seen reports of clutches lasting as little as 15k miles, but also have heard of folks getting close to 40k out of theirs. As far as ease of driving goes, there's no significant difference between the two, one's a straightforward manual tranny, and the other is a clutchless (well, clutch PEDAL-less, to be accurate) manual tranny with paddle shifters that you can also use in automatic mode. I have an '02 with the F-1, and I would have to say that the only thing I don't like about the F-1 is that at low speeds, like parking lots or crawling traffic, the clutch engagement can seem a little jerky.

Some claim that the more you use the car in automatic mode, the faster the clutch will wear out, but I've not seen or heard of any definitive proof of that. If you're shifting in manual mode with the Sport/Power setting on, then the clutch will indeed engage faster than in automatic mode, but if you have that setting off, then the shifts feel identical to when in automatic mode, IMO.

If I could snap my fingers & have my particular car either way, I would probably choose the manual... simply because if I'm going to be shifting, I just feel more engaged with the process when using a clutch pedal, but I don't dislike the F-1 & I'm not interested in getting rid of mine just for the purpose of finding a manual one.

There were less 6-MT's made, so they're a little harder to find than the F-1's, but if you look around, you can find 'em available out there.

EDIT: Noticed Bob's post after mine popped up... that's the forum I was referring to. That one seems to have quite a bit more activity from modern Maserati owners, while this section of F-Chat seems to be better for classic/vintage Masi info.

 

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