General F1 trans question

My 355 had an auto button. Absolute crap & a waste of time IMO.

However, I have heard some folks apparently 'used it' to justify to their significant others; "hey honey, it's an automatic!...... "

Cheers,
Ian

 

I used the auto button only one time in my 98 355 F1 GTS and that was the test drive (the prior owner started off in auto). It's horrible - shifts are at too low of RPM and jerky.

I also tend to believe it leads to premature clutch wear. Case in point - I'm considering up grading my current 08 Maserati GT to an 09 GTS with 599 F1 transmission. Car has 13K miles and a clutch reading of 45% of wear. I'd bet 10K miles were done in auto.

 

It should work just as well as shifting manually. I never understood comments like Ians. It short shifts unless you put it in sport mode but they should work very well.

Their big problem is the placebo effect from the internet.

 

When I drive my car and shift via the paddles, I almost never shift below 5K RPM - often 7-8K. Auto does not shift the car at those high of revs. It's not a placebo.

Using the F1 at low RPM makes for a poor experience and jerky shifts. Shifting at high RPM's makes for a pleasant and fun experience

 

..joe,I applaud your ability to keep your driver's license😉👍..
Cheers,
RE

 

My wife said that it works like her 1989 Volvo Turbo 760 that she drives during her college days.

 

I am trying to tell you it should not produce jerky shifts at any RPM. If I shift it at 1500 RPM it should still be a good shift. Besides the auto mode is perfectly capable of shifting at redline and in fact it should do so. If your car does not it is not working correctly.

Additionally the clutch programming is identical for auto or manual mode. Those who believe there is a difference in wear are incorrect.

 

Brian, I've clocked many miles on my car and what I'm trying to explain to you is that low RPM shifts are not smooth while high RPM shifts are. I've driven other 355 F1's (most recenlty a 4K mile car) and it behaved the same.

It's all a moot point as I shift my car at high RPM's and it's all good.

I think you are going to suggest my system is not setup properly (on my 14K mile car) and based on my experience I think it is.

 

Sorry, I fully disagree. The system is not designed to shift at redline in auto mode as you suggest. You are suggesting in auto every gear change will be at 8500 RPM and that is false.

 

I think the software detects the pressure on throttle, and will shift if the accelerator pressure is low, and hence you don't require max revs, but when you are pressing on, it registers that you need higher rpm shifts. I must say, I've not tested that, as I can honestly say that I have never used the auto button myself

 

Hi Sid,

I've driven a 458 in auto and manual. The 458 in auto is pretty amazing and totally a different experience than the 355.

 

Yep.

 

I had a 360 and a 458. The auto mode is different. The 458 is adaptive and in Race if you push the throttle it is very aggressive. Even at lower speeds it will stay in a higher gear.

The 360 seemed to me very primitive.

 

I'm not talking about my 458, I'm talking about the 575, 360 and 612 boxes, and the 430 come to that, which all have software of the type I described, or so I've been led to believe in the past. My 458 is a different animal I know with the DCT box, even then, I haven't tried auto. Just seems to be a waste to have a Ferrari and let it try to drive itself, even if it's good at it!