Raise Your Hand if You Want 3 Pedals!

I have a gt3 which I use for manual mode and an f430 for paddle mode.......works for me!!

 

Paddles on a track also mean you keep both hands on the wheel during a shift. That is meaningful for those prone to twitch at high speed and direction changes.

 

It's been interesting following the evolution of the Ferrari F1, from the 355 through Maranellos, 360s, 430s. The old flappy paddle things, IMO, were pretty bad. If I bought a 355, I'd look for a manual. The original 360 Challenge car shifts were clunky and slow. Sometime around the CS, the 575, the paddles started to come around. The Scuderia paddle shift is brilliant.

To me, there's nothing more thrilling than clicking down through the gears in a sequential/paddle system; reminds me of a real race car. Manual shifting is fun, too, but for me it's a vintage experience. A proper modern sportscar needs a lightning fast sequential style shifter.

 

before long there will not be any 3pedal manual shifted sports cars; the writing is on the wall, sadly

 

That's probably true, like there are no more wooden steering wheels, weber carbs, and wire wheels anymore.

I'm not saying shifting is old fashioned. I'm just saying that if you want a car with wire wheels, you buy something vintage. There's nothing wrong with that.

Technology and market trends move on.

Now, before I get flamed--- I still think Ferrari should be the last hold out in this trend. Ferrari IS an enthusiast's car brand and obviously, there are a lot of enthusiasts for manual boxes.

That means the 458 should come with a manual option IMO.

 

7 speed with #7 dropping cruise RPM's to 2,000-2,100 at 70 MPH for better fuel efficiency.

 

YES...........three for me.

 

Want to talk opportunity for error? As a 23 year old (a very long time ago!) my very last job before starting a business was driving a cement mixer with two sticks (5X4) Yep, 20 combos. Triple clutching was needed to shift both and there were no synchros of course. Sometimes when you really screwed up all tht could be done was pull over and start over.

Dave

 

Any instructor would quickly rectify this or make them stop.

Dave

 

Well I don't care is the 458 and later cars do come out with a 6 speed manual because the best looking Ferraris are a thing of the past.

 

I can see the truth in your statement. The same can be said for other car makes as well as today's movies, today's TV, today's music, today's sports heros, etc.

It depends on your point of view but what you say is true for you, but nay not be for others. Personally, I see no problem here on either side of the issue.

 

I'm raising my hand.

Would not even buy a car with paddles. Might be clever but I want to drive my cars not play space-invaders.
Pete

 

Hopefully you kept it under 100 mph and controlled the probable oversteer.

 

Me too. I really have no interest in owning a sports car with paddles. Track car, yes, but not sports car. Paddles are a great way to upshift at redline with throttle pinned to the carpet, but they just don't do anything for me at any other time when driving on the street.

The problem is that as technology marches on, one really has little choice but to go with the flow. There were presumably many folks who enjoyed cruising in their horse-drawn buggies and hated the idea of an automobile. But once the car was invented, it just didn't make sense to use a buggy. Unfortunately, I think the same is true for gear changing. Three pedals may be more fun, but paddles make more sense.

Thank goodness Porsche still make buggies. Really, really fast ones.

 

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well put.

 

The only way to hit a hundred would be to miss a shift on a steep hill and end up hopelessly in neutral. These transmissions were ultimately banned since this was not unusual! Since I'm still around to talk about it, it is safe to say I never saw 100. It had zero steering feel. You just kept sawing on it until it went where you wanted.

Dave

 

F1 all the way! I was always a three pedal guy in my Ferrari, Porsches, NSX's and such but after acquiring a CS I realized that the F1 is a VERY good performance gearbox...especially with the pace of todays cars and the speed with which they accelerate through the gears.

 

VW is recalling their Dual Clutch cars.

To me, the Dual Clutch is an exercise in complexity for the sake of complexity.
Even VW, with the huge quantity of cars that they produce can't get it right.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090820/CARNEWS/908209995

Having Computers control Hydraulics which in turn control Mechanical Components is a recipe for failure.

Three pedals and a stick will continue to be the more reliable method of changing gears in a car. And should there be a failure, it can be fixed without a computer.

 

I have/drive/track an F355B 6-speed.

It would not bother me to have an F1 transmission, but be d@mned sure to leave a clutch pedal in the foot well. There are simply to many times when the computer cannot figure out the engagement strategy for the clutch. Take for example, accelerating all the way up to 2 MPH--slower than idle speed! Whats the computer going to do? It may have 7 choices--all wrong.

As for reaching for the stick or a set of hand pedals--meh--about the same kind of involvement with the car. But it is the clutch work that separates the smooth from the ham-fisted.

On a track, F1 is the obvious choice. But, then again, 90%+ of the miles will not thatle place on a track--even if all you do is drive to the track, drive on the track, and drive back from the track. Thus, even I (a known man communes with car kind of guy) can accept the paddle shifters if they are a must. But please leave the clutch pedal available in the foot well.

 

+1 for ferrari and lambo, manual for porsche.

 

3 pedals!

 

It strikes me that most posters on this thread, whichever setup they prefer, would rather fight than switch! Fred

 

There was a time when I would have shouted down anyone who said they'd take a Ferrari with paddles over a stick. After all, a stick is more involving and it's not a real sports car without a stick etc, etc.

Having now done about 8,000 miles in various F430s and Gallardos with paddles, much as I love the Ferrari stick as a piece of art, I would never ever buy a car of this ilk without paddles. It's simply more fun when you're really hammering it.

I suspect that most here calling for a stick option haven't driven an F430 or Scuderia with paddles. It's a blast!

 

I've owned both and everyone knows my preference.....three pedals forever!!