What if there's no more 6 speed manual gearbox? | FerrariChat

What if there's no more 6 speed manual gearbox?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by F1racer, Jan 8, 2004.

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  1. F1racer

    F1racer F1 Rookie

    Oct 5, 2003
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    Imagine if in the future Ferrari decides to stop making new road cars Ferrari with the 6 speed manual gearbox and that only the paddle change F1 sequential will exist on the new cars.

    If my memory is right....
    One time I read that until Luca di Montezemolo is in charge the 6 speed manual will always be there . So the one who will replace him when he retires could do whatever he feels like doing.

    How would you react if there's no more 6 speed manual gearbox on the future Ferrari thats come out the factory?
    I know I would be pissed off.
     
  2. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    It certainly looks like it could happen eventually, but i doubt it could happen within the next few years... Ok, the 612 has NO manual option whatsoever, but that's just one example... i doubt they'd faze out manual gearboxes anytime soon... If they do, though, i think prices will go back up for some existing cars...
     
  3. 97GTS

    97GTS Rookie

    Nov 2, 2003
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    I loved Yahoo's list of must have car options. Under SMG transmissions they touted the huge advantage of the SMG in allowing the driver to keep his/her eyes on the road while shifting. Apparently their drivers need to look down at the shift knob for each shift with a standard manual! :)
     
  4. jordan747_400

    jordan747_400 F1 Veteran
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    If there is no 6 speed, then I am FURIOUS! I am starting to be upset now. Even though a manual transmission is an option on the new cars like the 575, I still rarely see one. Though F1 transmission is a lot of fun, I think I will only do manual transmissions. Even with Luca in charge, I am doubting the future of the 6 speed :(
     
  5. dan360

    dan360 F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2003
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    #5 dan360, Jan 8, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  6. Eilig

    Eilig F1 Rookie
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    #6 Eilig, Jan 8, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017

    Are you SURE there's no manual option for the new 612?

    Back in September, I was cruising around Maranello in a rented 360 Spider, and I spotted the 612 test mule pulling out of the factory grounds. Of course I gave chase, and I think the driver thought I was one of his guys. A couple kilometers later, he pulled into a residential area, hopped out, opened the passenger door, and began fiddling with a laptop on the passenger seat, apparently doing a test data download. Anyway, I parked and was able to get two pics before he realized I wasn't a Ferrari co-worker. As you can see in one of the two pics below, there CLEARLY was a 6 speed manual in the 612 test mule:
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  7. dan360

    dan360 F1 Rookie

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    Great pic Eilig - there are no pictures of the 6 speed in the brochure, only the reference to performance.
     
  8. Eilig

    Eilig F1 Rookie
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    #8 Eilig, Jan 8, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I myself have always been a die-hard manual 6-speed lover myself.... that is UNTIL I drove the 575M F1. I think the extra torque of the V12, when coupled with the F1 tranny, plus the revised shift algorithms, is just amazing.

    The extra driver involvement of the manual though is still just not possible to beat. It would be a travesty to build Ferraris without at least having the option of a manual.

    Here's the other pic of the 612 test mule I saw in Maranello:
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  9. shelbee

    shelbee Guest

    Welcome to the 21st century. F1 is not too bad at all
     
  10. 720

    720 F1 Rookie

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    two more examples are the enzo and the stradale. manual gearboxes are old technology so eventually they will be discontinued.
     
  11. StoryBook

    StoryBook F1 Rookie
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    I love both technologies, and enjoy either one given my mood and circumstance. It would be a sad day indeed if that option were not available though.
     
  12. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    i stand corrected folks, i thought i read somewhere that the 612 only came with an F1-style transmission with some sort of automatic option... Sorry.
     
  13. StoryBook

    StoryBook F1 Rookie
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    I thought the same Des
     
  14. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Maybe it was posted here, then...?
     
  15. prova

    prova Rookie

    Nov 2, 2003
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    As you can read below (Ferrari press release) the 612 will come also with a 6 speed manual gearbox!

    ----------------------------------------------------------
    A 65° V12 engine with a displacement of 5748 cc which is rounded off to give the figure 6 (litres) in the 612 model designation. The V12 represents the very pinnacle of Ferrari engine design, thanks in particular to improved fluid dynamic characteristics of the intake and exhaust manifolds, generating a blistering 540 bhp at 7250 rpm. The six-speed mechanical gearbox is available with both a manual and a new generation electro-hydraulic set-up, known as the F1A, designed to marry fast manual gear shifting with comfortable automatic use.
    ----------------------------------------------------------
     
  16. shelbee

    shelbee Guest

    I think I prefer 612 with F1
     
  17. Eilig

    Eilig F1 Rookie
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    Yes both the Enzo and Challenge Stradale are available with "F1 only"... but think about it from this angle. Both of these cars are marketed as "race cars for the street" and "the application of F1 technology to a road car." So of course they are going to have only F1 tranny available, naturally.

    But for "regular, road going" Ferraris, I still think Ferrari will keep the 6 speed manual around for a while -- since they are marketing to a much wider group of folks.
     
  18. Prugna 328

    Prugna 328 Formula 3

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    i would not be happy.
     
  19. Dave

    Dave F1 Rookie

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    "Imagine if in the future Ferrari decides to stop making new road cars Ferrari with the 6 speed manual gearbox"

    "How would you react if there's no more 6 speed manual gearbox"

    Kind of out there with the question,
    You might as well ask....

    Imagine if in the future gravity stops and all Ferraris leave the planet, what would you do.
     
  20. Ksullender

    Ksullender Formula Junior

    Sep 3, 2003
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    I drive my car for the interaction ie: the manual gearbox. If I don't want to manually shift I drive another car, but to me and for me my experience in driving a Ferrari is the manual gearbox and I would not personally be satisfied with driving an F1 style transmission.
     

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