F1 gearboxes:white elephant of the future?

Very well said

And to those who say you need to track the 458 to make the DCT a "drivers car"? Just, no!

With cars being as fast and precise as they are, the paddles makes you able to drive the car more precisely and utilize that power and modern active suspension systems. The DCT does not detract anything from the experience, it just adds something else. It's two different ways of thinking and driving. One is not better than the other, it's just a different driving experience. This discussion sometimes seems so "dusty", and I just don't get it. As someone else pointed out, should those who learned to drive and race cars with non-syncro boxes call those who drive modern manuals non-enthusiasts? It's utter bullocks, and I for one, am sick and tired of hearing about it that way - it almost gets to the point where I find it offensive and insulting.

As for the F1(singleclutch)? Well yes, I think it's very much a transition thing. It's the Laserdisc of gearboxes. That does not mean it can't be enjoyed, and the manuals were not without fault. I don't think an F12, FF or 458/488 would be half as enjoyable with a stick. An F12 manual would most likely be un-drivable in the hands of most people.

 

Why don't you just get a F355 Challenge and drive it on the road? If stirring a gear stick and a "visceral" feel is that more important than the rest of the experience, I don't see what would be the problem with that. If you think a 458 drives itself, you clearly haven't driven one. And to say in general terms what defines us as enthusiasts like that is wrong. I love driving the DCT Fcars, but I also love to drive my 750 hp '73 Trans Am(Tremec 6 Speed), despite the fact that its only intention is to kill me. I've built it myself and know everything about it, but since my wife and I also drive DCT cars, we're not true enthusiasts? What makes people enthusiasts is not how a manual makes them feel, its how they feel around the cars. You don't need a manual to connect with a 458, everything happens so fast, that you are on the sticks most of the time to catch up and hang on. You might want to expand your horizon and see that enjoying and driving a car is more than shifting gears.

 

This!

 

The irony is that if someone finally comes up with the equivalent of a Durametric cable for Ferrari/Maserati of the F1 gearbox era where you could set the clutch wear, you might see interest in the cars be sustainable. Ferrari may feel they are protecting themselves and dealers, in reality there will be an entire generation of cars (355 to 599) that many won't want to own, at least compared to historical interest in classic Ferraris.

A person interested in maintaining their car themselves is never going to consider one at the moment, knowing that if anything goes wrong with the system they are at the dealer's mercy due to proprietary software that keeps owners from really doing anything to the car. Not sure you can even reset the service light yourself, which is ridiculous.

 

There is that little thing about titles and licenses........

 

I've been in both a 355 F1 and MT at Road Atlanta. (BTW, the 355 is a terrific track car). No doubt on such a challenging track, even the early version of the F1 system was welcomed in terms of work load. The paddles made track work much easier and times were better - especially as the laps increased.

However, on the road, MT was better IMO.

I respect your POV, but to me shifting IS part of the driving experience and provides more control of the car. If you are driving in such a way that you cannot manually shift on the open road, then you are probably on your way to jail. Like I stated, track and public roads are very different venues, whereby speed should not be a priority when not on the track.

 

I wouldn't at all say that someone who owns/drives a paddle shift car is a non enthusiast. You could say a guy with a 458 who hits the tracks on the weekends is more of an enthusiast than myself in that respect because I have no plans to do so myself. (though I have in the past).

I just know that if it's a sports car and I'm going to own it, it's going to be 3 pedals. Any sports car without doesn't even get more than 2 seconds of thought of "can I live with paddle/dct". Just don't want it.

Also I disagree with the argument of "it's faster". Not doubting the fact of that statement at all but it's not a huge difference (where one car is say twice as fast as the other). If the only reason DCT is the only option is "it's faster", why do these things have power seats, power windows, radio's, a/c, etc? If faster is the only thing that matters it should just be a straight up race car.

Just my opinion! It's taken me many years to realize that faster doesn't always equal more enjoyable.

 

I don't think it will matter too much. Is DCT better? By all counts yes. Most people seem to be quite satisfied with the operation of their old single clutch F1 setups however.

If people were constantly complaining that they hated the way these drove and didn't enjoy them, that is one thing, but I'm not seeing that at all here.

It will be accepted as the technology of the time, which seems to work pretty well all things considered.

 

Not entirely sure what you mean?

I was under the impression that the 348 and 355 Challenge cars were street legal.

 

348 yes, 355 no.

Art

 

Completely agree!!!!
This post Become boring .... Sorry

 

The F355 challenge cars are not street legal and do not have a vin that could ever be made street legal.

 

The Ferrari FXX is not supposed to be street legal either and yet it has been done.

With enough money, just about anything is possible!

 

A person interested in maintaining their car themselves is never going to consider one at the moment, knowing that if anything goes wrong with the system they are at the dealer's mercy due to proprietary software that keeps owners from really doing anything to the car. Not sure you can even reset the service light yourself, which is ridiculous.

I'm not familiar with the newer cars but if this true, the DIY enthusiast is limited.

 

David,
you tell correct, and follow your thinking "A person interested in maintaining their car themselves is never going to consider also one DCT" .... because DCT is 100 time more complessed .... and is not possible to modified for three pedal .. hahaha