Do you miss the clutch pedal?

does your Ferrari have carburetors?

did you write this on a typewriter?

then why use a manual transmission?

technology moves on. adapt or die

 

I love manually shifting my 550.

There is something joyful in rowing through the gears while accelerating and executing a well-timed downshift as you enter a sweeping corner when driving through the hills.

The driver is a more active participant in the action - yet it is all done without thinking about it.
Like riding a bicycle, it just happens.


BTW, I'm not against paddle-shifting - it's a different kind of fun.
.

 

My theory is that Ferrari is not a sports car company. They are a race car company that trickles down technology. Their goal is to be fastest around the track. Why would they keep anything in the car that makes it slower than it needs to be.

As the first responder said, it's the wave of the future.

I have nothing against manual, my three vehicles are manual, my wifes is a paddle type. Don't know what my next will be.

 

They offered the manual trans on the 599 and California early in their life but literally nobody (single digits from what I heard) ordered them, so they were dropped. After that, there was no point in doing the development work on newer models to make another transmission that nobody would buy. To be honest, none of the newer cars, except maybe the California, lend themselves to having a manual transmission. They are too focused on performance to where a traditional manual trans would be counterproductive. A large portion of the demographic that buys the California, however, may not even know how to work one properly, hence the low take-up rate.

After getting a good look at a Cali this weekend, I have to say it's probably the best looking of the current line up, save maybe the f12. Beautiful car, and I would love one of the handful with a true manual some day.

 

Totally disagree, and I am shocked that this is coming from you.

Totally agree, and I am not shocked this is coming from you.

 

To the unemployed 20 something that will read this one day, who as I write this is playing XBox in their childhood room or the basement, who doesn't have a drivers license and thinks a car is an expensive luxury that can be rented when needed like a zipcar.

When.. if.. the children come and you need the car for that house in the burbs. That stick that you move from "R" to "D" and back in that driving appliance used to come with a thired pedal called a.. "clutch" pedal. It allows you to select the gear YOU want the car to be in, not the transmission. It is absolutely LIBERATING to be in control, yet at absolute ONE with the car. You absolutely must try it once in your life.

Ferrari LOVES paddles. When it breaks you NEED them to fix it and the SD2. It makes you more dependent on the manufacturer and puts more in their hands. I like.. I LOVE my stick. I regret that I will HAVE to drive paddles if I want anything newer. Like my compatriot above, my values will likely change as I get older... but for now I'll have 3 pedals thank you.

 

to each their own, but I'm curious why you're shocked that I'd say that.

 

I don't miss manuals and don't think I ever will because I'll always have at least one around.

 

we have 3 three pedal cars. the 360 F1 Spider is a change of pace and a hoot to drive. especially fast.

 

In an ideal world i would always have both. My gtr shifts perfectly on track then lets me rest on drive home in bumper to bumper traffic. Then fun to shift xke manual on winding local roads.

You need both in your stable but that doesnt mean one has to be on a new ferrrari. Manual wouldnt belong on current f line up. Viper yes, gt3 maybe, 458 no

 

No, I don't. I really, really mean that.

The two systems are like apples and oranges. I'm not going to say the F1 is better than the manual. They are different animals and you drive them differently. They both have their points.

The other day I took my car on a spirited run and when going around a tight turn, used the F1 to downshift automatically into first at about 5 grand in a split second. On the gas -- and GO! A real thrill.

I like manuals also. They just do different things differently and the driving experiences are different but that does not mean that one is better than the other.

 

And away we go ...again.

 

I was always a hard core manual transmission guy. When I bought my 360 I left it to luck on which one I found to buy. Of course I wound up with an F1 (probability). I only owned it for about 3 months now, but I really like it and I definitely don't miss the manual. I know that a manual is better maintenance-wise, but I have no regrets so far. The up shifts at 7,000rpm+ in sport mode are simply amazing! I also love the perfectly rev matched downshifts. I feel like an amateur compared to the computer.

 

I am manual shift biased. I do not care about 10ths of a second in acceleration, I want to be connected with the car and imho that connection is felt from the hand then to the gearbox and then too the chassis followed by the tires.

 

No, not really. There's a difference here.

The question is for those that have adopted it, "do you miss it". That's a different and really good question than the normal "which is better" argument.

This is a question for people who own F1's, not who own manuals. We already know manual lovers will say they won't like F1's. But, what to F1 owners say? That's a much better question because those who have driven both are commenting on which is better.

Manual shift owners -- this question is not for you. We already know what you will say. It's for people who have switched.

 

Ditto

 

If you plan to race or track your car a good bit, the auto-manual is the way to go. But, if you plan to DD and/or use your car for week-end fun rides, nothing beats a three pedal car IMHO. I used an S5 with 7dsg as my DD for a little over two years and grew to hate it after the first three months or so. It just got so boring and I found myself getting lazy and just keeping it in auto most of the time. I have since replaced it with a 991s with 7MT as my DD and love it. While I will track my 991s on occasion where the 7dsg would be a little faster I suppose,for day-to-day use, a three pedal manual allows you to have a little more fun rowing through the gears while fighting traffic. A another real disadvantage of an auto-manual to me is cost to repair/clutch replacement, ect...

 

You can't do that with a 360. Auto mode is really, really BAD!! If you plan on using auto mode, buy a different car. The F1 is designed to shift manually. I tried it on auto once, and I couldn't believe how bad it was. The Audi DSG is a much better transmission design.

 

My DD is an auto. It's perfect in stop-start city traffic. Great for parking. Great for cruising long distances. I wouldn't change it for the world. It is also Italian and has a great engine whose power output is almost on a par with my Ferrari. But it's an auto.

The delivery is so totally different. There's little in driving that's more satisfying than a well executed gear change, especially down shifts.

Slowly but surely, cars are driving themselves. Great for convenience, comfort, safety. No question. But our cars are predominantly for fun & leisure. Where is the fun in autopilot? Where is the challenge?

Just about any kid can drive a modern Ferrari reasonably well, straight off the forecourt. They are very forgiving. The older (pre 348) manual cars need to be learned; they require experience. They are not forgiving. I like that.

 

and hopefully for people (like me) that own both a manual and F1 shift cars.
.

 

I'm surprised, but I really like the F1.

All my sports cars have been stick (all the way back to my 944 in '89) and I always thought that I would miss the 3 pedal experience. Use to love going to the track and hitting those heel toe shifts just perfectly.

However, with the F1, I find it as engaging as a 6 speed. I'm amazed at how fast and visceral the shifts are and I love the blip on the downshifts. When I'm on WOT and heading toward 8 K, I hit the paddle and BAM the backfire and the jolt the car gives you is crazy.

The only part I miss in the 6 speed is the reverse!

 

I got you, but why would that be any different than the standard argument, except with just one side of it?

 

The new dual clutch transmission are breathtakingly good.

My DD is a 5speed I love it. But after driving the California on and off the track, its a must have. I can not wait to own one