Gated shifter: Why?

Karen, read post #85

 

GTC4 & GT4 2+2 have the transmissions attached to the engine in the front of the car while the Daytona has the transmission located at the back of the car (actually a combination of trans and differential).

 

I think a lot of what makes Ferrari special is the lets say tradition the excellent sound of the the exhaust the clickity clack of the gated shifter and look of the gate.. and so on...
THe big question is why do people feel the need to pay 3 times the price for a 599 without the optional F1 then with it.. I like the gated shifter but I must admit i would have ordered the 599 with an F1 given the choice at the time.....
I hope we get to see a gated ferrari (maybe the dino) in the future.....

 

I have been enjoying the "gated experience" for 30+ years in my Pantera, and now am able to enjoy the somewhat different feel of the Ferrari gate in my recently acquired 550. For the Pantera, I think that the gate probably is a necessary component that ensures proper gear selection...which leads me to a story...

Many years ago, I allowed a hamfisted but enthusiastic friend the opportunity to drive my Pantera. Somehow, he was able to force the shifter into a different gear than was indicated by the position within the gate. How could he do that? Never again have I allowed others to "experience the gate"....

 

haha..you said it!

 

Yes. There are no parts in the transmission to perform that function.

 

Queen Mother, C4, 365GT4/2+2, 400/412 all have a conventionally designed ZF transmission.

 

The oldest car with a gated shifter is a 1902 Packard.
Here is a picture of a 1913 National transmission with a gated shifter. Pretty standard fair on early cars to have a gated shifter.

I think in a Ferrari there is a need in the transmission design and also a perceived need by Ferrari to force drivers to follow the H and not move the selector side ways to the selected gear. Same reason in early car as in Ferrari's, a drivers aid to keep from screwing up the car. It really is a nice carry over from the very early days of motoring.
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My father's 1913 Cadillac had a gated 3 Speed Stick.

Sent using mental telepathy

 

That doesn't explain why the Daytona had a gate and the others didn't.

The only explanation would/could be,that Enzo perhaps thought that the 'grand tourers' didn't necessarily have to have the 'sporting' heritage imbued into the car.

For the record,I have a 365 GT4 2+2 and a 308 GT4,the 365 shifts quickest ....period...AND still goes "snick,snick,snick".....

 

Thanks (x2) Brian.

 

I did; I was asking Rifledriver "why", not if, to which he has kindly replied.

 

Your 365 GT4 2+2 stick shift goes directly in to the trans mission, The 308 has a few feet of linkage to get the movements of the stick shift to the transmission more room for slop and more mass to move so it will be slower.
The more linkage there is and the greater chance for the shifter to get sloppy and not pull out of a gear and maybe go into another. The gated shifter makes sure the driver pulls out of a gear and then selects the next one. It is a safety device in this sense.

 

Going by some of the post's,some folk here actually have to look at the shifter,when changing gear...in a gated car,that'd be a concern to me if I were a passenger with them.

 

You shouldn't have to look at the shifter while driving.

 

Only look at the shifter to see what gear I'm in.

 

Yes...an this is really hard to do on the track.

 

The explanation was here:

By: "conventionally designed ZF transmission", Rifledriver is referring to the fact that those cars have the gearbox mounted to the engine with the gear lever going straight into the gearbox so they didn't need a gate to help make gear changes more positive as there is already a "gate" built into the gearbox (and having the gear lever gaiter helps tidy up the gear lever area and prevents debris from dropping down into the gearbox).

The Daytona has a transaxle at the rear of the car and so the gear linkage is a lot longer, resulting in there being more opportunity for there to be some "slack" in the linkage, making the gear changes less positive. The gate helps take away a lot of the vagueness.

 

I hardly ever look at my stick shift when I'm driving.. makes it hard to txt when I have my eyes off the phone.

 

Sorry, thought I did. "These transmissions do not have the internal stops"

 

Lol. This is a good point.

 

Yeah,I got it...........................................................





eventually

 

.......like many of the best things in life, the gate looks good, the gate feels good, the gate sounds good.

 

No worries then!

 

EXCEPT!....why do most/all of the early(proper)V12's have gated shifters.
No transaxle,no rear engine,the only reason I can see is the reverse lockout.
.....as a "famous" Aussie politician once quoted.....

Please explain.