I've gotten so tired of answering the question at work now that when people ask, I just say, "i forget exactly what it's called, but it's the same type of transmission that's in the new Ferrari 458 italia." It shuts em up pretty quick.

 

I believe the professional term would be "Semi - Automatic".

 

Why bother trying to explain it? If someone asks, "it's an automatic". No one cares if you drive an auto or stick.

I'm not sure if they tc-sst rev matches. The MR is supposed to rev match on down shifts, in S-Sport mode, I think.

 

I always thought that if the car can shift by itself it's an automatic, it just so happens that tcsst you can do both, a true manual car is one that cannot shift by itself and requires someone to shift gears. So I would say our car has an automatic manual transmission. I too get tired of explaining so sometimes I just say " yeah it's an automatic, they don't come in stick ". But I think for now I will use the " it's the same type of tranny the new Ferrari 458 italia and GTR have".

 

Automated manual .... my girlfriends smart car has the same thing :P

 

SST is a manual transmission with 2 wet clutches odd gears and even gears..... Automatic tranny's have torque converter ours doesn't.... SST is like sports bike clutches.... Its made by a german company Getrag that also did GT-R tranny, BMW,VW,Porsche,Audi, Saab etc.....

 

 

Auto-manual is the term i use, actually had my friend climb in my car the other day and do the.....
Friend: OMG!
ME: what, whats wrong!?
Friend: NO NO NO OMG ITS AN AUTOMATIC!?
Me: Oooh here we go again, no its a auto manual
Friend: Oh ok but its still an automatic
Me: its a bit more then that
Friend: no no its still an automatic
Me: Get out......

 

pssst. SST has wet clutches....

So I take it you don't actually drive the RA under your avatar? Every Mitsubishi SST rev matches, in every mode...

- Bryan

 

It amazes me how many tryhards think they're going so fast cos they drive a manual... unless you're some form of racing driver there's no way you're going to beat this transmission for shifting speed... you know that when you engage the clutch in a manual transmission you STOP accelerating, right? But with this transmission... you don't? And for f@*ks sake there's more to cars than OMG 0-60 times...

 

Now for the bonus challenge!

Can anyone use the word SPORTRONIC while keeping a straight face?

Go on, try.


Rich

--------------------------

"...well if it doesn't have a clutch pedal, it's an automatic!"

"Like, no way, man, it's sportronic!"

"Gee willikers, I sure feel like a jerk now. Wowee, sportronic! It's sporty, and... electronic... does it, like, have a positronic brain?"

"Yes! Like those robot dudes in the Will Smith movie!"

"Robots changing your gears... sport-ronic... cooool... "

 

I tell them it's a "HYBRID".......

 

"hybrid" sounds good, if someone does downgrade the tcsst I can always say "it shifts faster than you can anyday". I like this transmission it tries to give the best of both worlds.

 

It's simple really, the argument arises from trying to determine if the TC-SST is a manual or automatic. In reality, it's neither. It's a crossbreed of sorts that shares characteristics with each, but in itself, is something completely different. My wife's 2005 Audi Allroad is an automatic, or sportronic/tiptronic if you will. It is an automatic slushbox that gives you the opportunity to select your own gears, and simulate the control of driving a manual, but in the end, it's an automatic, no question. It doesn't rev-match and has a torque converter, as every automatic transmission does. The TC-SST, like Audi's DSG, or Ferrari's 458 Italia trans., should not be confused with an automatic (sportronic/tiptronic/whatever) or a manual.

Next time some asks, say it's neither, it's something much much cooler. They'll have to expand their mind a little bit, and realize it's just not an A or B answer anymore. It's a technology that has been used in Formula One since the late 80's, but only recently become cost effective to be put in to high end sports cars and luxury brands.

If you haven't realized yet, Ralliart owners are very fortunate to have this technology in their cars. When the "spy shots", and rumors started flying about the new '09 RA, no one expected us to get any variation of the 4B11 or all wheel drive, let alone the pricey complicated trans found in the MR. Now the only way a sane person can try to justify it in their minds is by saying it has to have some major differences compared to the TC-SST found in the MR, but besides the top end gear ratio's, their doesn't seem to be any *major* differences at all.

 

It's an automatic that behaves like a manual. I've owned nothing but true manual tranmission cars until i got my RA. The fact that it does ~almost~ everything i tell it to is great. I over look the obvious "you're an idiot, I'm not going to down shift to 1st at 60MPH", because I would never do that in a manual transmission car anyway...

I like having total control of my cars while driving. I really like being more involved in the process, which makes manuals very appealing to me. The paddle shifters/bump stick help reduce the uninvolved feeling, but it's not a true replacement for a good old clutch and stir stick. The TC-SST is still pleasing to drive though because it behaves like a manual when i let off the gas...