Hooked on Paddles.....!!!

So whats the differnet between moving that and an automatic (the Porsche)?

How does the SMG work?

Basically, all the new models have some form of a semi-automatic system?

 

That's true, but I have driven a Maserati CambioCorsa on both street and highway, and found its paddle-access very ungainly when any drastic steering-wheel turning is involved.

In a twisty highway situation I don't think you'd be making such sharp turns as to need to reposition your hands on the wheel, but you would still need to get to both paddles, requiring hand-repositioning. Or so I found on California #1. With buttons on the 9/3 wheelspokes, no problem.

It's also true that I spend more off-wheel time with the 5-speed in my 328GTS, but it's also more fun.

 

I thought so too at one point, but I no longer think so. First finding a paddle isn't anywhere as distracting as taking your hand off the wheel to do a manual shift. The paddles are always in a known position, just as your manual shifter is, and the paddles are closer to hand. Second, you really shouldn't be shifting with extreme steering angles. On my car, I can reach the paddles with top or bottom fingers within about 90-120 degrees and that is a lot of steering input.

 

Interesting comments about stationary versus rotating paddles......I don't have an opinion on this yet except that I didn't find the BMW rotating paddles to be an annoyance.

 

That's probably a matter of taste. I've found the placement of Porsche's up-down levers mounted on both sides of the wheel to be much more useful than Ferrari's stationary left-side right-side paddles.

 

Automatic just sits in the "drive postition" Tiptronic can be in "drive postition", or the gear lever can be slid over to the right, into a seperate gear shift area. where if you push the lever up, the gear shifts up. If you push the lever down the shift goes down. No clutch to press.

Automatic tranny just sits in drive, you dont push on the lever. A computer thingy changes the gear for you.

 

Where is the gear lever on the Tiptronic?

 

My experience was very different, I have owned 03 Maser, 01 360, and 04 575 with paddles, and a 04 360 gearshift (in my opinion only way to own a 360, not enough torque for paddles) I bought an 05 M3 (though now gone), test drove both SMG and 6 speed, really do not like the SMg, nor the fact the that the paddles move. I love driving very twisty roads and it was not comfortable with the paddles moving.

 

And, an F1 shifter will also get you "hooked" on buying new clutches.

 

Only with misuse... but misuse a standard shifter, and you could burn up the clutch even faster than any F1...

Only difference is that its easier to not notice you're abusing an F1... your left leg has to work harder to abuse a standard shifter... but it can certainly be done.

 

Maybe, but I sure see a lot more F1 cars at the dealer for clutch replacement than I do stick shift cars.

 

still, i drove both versions and wasn't impressed. afterwards i got in a traditional manual car (m3) and it gave me 10x the excitement.

 

I guess i'll have to actually try it. Just seems more like playing a video game than driving. Maybe I'm just old school.

 

That I do NOT doubt... its so easy to abuse an F1 clutch without noticing... for example, trying to creep slowly up a hill. In a stick, your left leg would be in pain and you'd know full well that you're slipping your clutch horribly for long periods of time. Its tiring and annoying... you'll stop doing it.

In an F1, an unaware driver could do that for 10 minutes in traffic and seriously trash his clutch. But I consider that the driver's fault... and he could have done the same in the stick, but it would require a lot more left leg effort.

 

Cut your left leg off. It is unless in driving.

12 cylinders or walk.