Gallardo: 6SP OR E-GEAR ?

I've driven both and I'd go 6 speed all the way, way more fun to drive. To me the feel run running a shifter through a gate and pushing a clutch is what driving a sports car is all about. It's too bad that these companys are trying to sell the Wanna-be F1 racers on the paddle shifters, it spoils the true sports car feel.

 

6-speed owner here. I have driven both and to me the 6-speed just makes the whole experience of the Gallardo just that much more. I admit its great to hear the rev matching downshifts of a paddle shift, but it just wasn't as fun as ripping through the gated plate. Everyone is different, go with what is the most fun. No glitches with my 6-speed so far on the technical/warranty side of your question.

 

I had a 6sp G for little over a year and I now have an Egear.
EGear suits the character of the car better IMO and if you are anywhere near competitive driving, the gated shifter is a real handicap. Back in the 50's there were people who thought power assisted disc brakes took all the fun ouut of driving and drum brakes were the macho thing to have. A few more years and the stick will be a relic of the past.

 

I've done a lot of miles in e-gears (currently on my second Gallardo) and have had only a short drive in a manual. The e-gear isn't as good as the F1 in a F430 but it is better to drive than a manual Gallardo IMO. The manual in the G felt too heavy and slow - but others swear by it so there is no easy answer.

 

A matter of what you like to be sure.

The EGear is brilliant on the track and fun on a test drive. To me, any of the F1, EGear, SMG, boxes feel clunky around town and they are always a bit off of what I want them to do. The G box is a bit cold blooded and I always wonder about how the EGear still "forces" a shift even when cold. A lot of load on the forks getting slamed. That said, I baby my trans until warm so I might be worrying about it too much.

I love the gated shifter. Kind of has that 30.06 bolt action satisfaction.

 

if you're seriously buying a 165k plus supercar I suspect the enjoyment factor should outweigh concerns about cost of clutch replacment. Life of all cutches are mainly determined by your driving style.

It's like asking what is the gas mileage for a Lambo. Who gives a shiet?

Just go with what you like.

 

Well said asianbond.

The E-gear or F1 is much more efficient if your cooking down a mountain road or tracking the car.

A Manual 6 speed is better suited for street use IMO and a whole heck of a lot more fun to drive. Personally, I like to clutch it all to often to hear the engine sing, and banging the gears the old fashion way is just more fun for me.

It's personal preference all the way, drive both and make up your own mind.

Don’t worry about cost, it’s an Exotic $$$$

 

Egear vs manual is all a matter of personal preference. If anything, the clutch in an egear would likely wear out sooner if you do city driving because I've found it is very slow to let out if you're in a place you have to accelerate from a stop slowly, so you're probably doing decent wear on it in that kind of environment. I've driven both and I prefer the egear in my G because I like both hands on the wheel and the fact that the egear shifts faster than I could ever do manually; not as nice and smooth as the 430 but nearly there. I've talked to people who don't take their G's to the track that have 20,000+ miles on the original clutch with no indication it's about to get to that point, it seems very reliable regardless of transmission so I'd just drive both and get the one you enjoy more; no sense settling for less to save a few grand a year or two down the road.

 

It's still a true statement; any car with 500+ horsepower will wear a clutch faster than one with 300 HP but how you drive it will have an effect regardless.

There's many instances of Gallardo's with 15,000 or even 25,000 miles or more on the original clutch. I believe replacement is a few thousand dollars. You'd be better off worrying about where you're going to insure it since the wrong choice there will cost you a lot more than what the clutch will cost you after a year or two of high mileage driving. I went with Allstate, got a great deal.

 

My dealer quoted something just shy of $5K. One nice thing about the G is that you don't need to pull the engine to replace the clutch.