Then unfortunately you miss the point of paddles entirely. Left leg is for braking, right leg is for gas.

And, btw, many driving enthusiasts still haven't had a good paddle shifting transmission. And I still haven't seen proof that many feel that way.

 

If you honestly enjoy driving a car with paddle shifters more than a manual, then you sir are in the minority. But enjoy.

Even Ferrari owners overwhelmingly agree with me http://www.ferrarilife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6794

 

It's brand new technology, of course I'm a minority. Not everyone feels the same way you do about it. Which is why many more cars are going to paddle transmissions. You shouldn't be so closed minded without trying it. That's what drives me nuts about all you guys more than anything. I used to be just like you, "no way paddles are for me". Then I tried it, saw how much quicker the transmission was and how much better of a driver I became. Live in your box if you want, but I'm free from it.

 

And apparently, that forum doesn't make up the majority of ferrari owners...

http://autotraderblog.co.uk/2009/11/...nyone-miss-it/

 

I'm a manual guy myself but there's no denying the speed and efficiency of dual clutch set ups

 

If you use your left leg for clutch only when you racing other wise it is in sleep mode, then you shouldn't be on the high horse at all from the begin with against the half automatic. Probably it would help in your lap times vs the manual. Unless you are highly good in carrying speed around corners , plus you never fall out of boost.
The left leg can be used on the dead pedal to hold yourself , and for braking.
Not the clutch pedal makes the car fast or entertaining.
Granted many fake performance half automatic is out there. The SST is not one of them. Dont do any judgement before you drove one. I mean drove it.

Even the older racing trannys /sequentional/ use clutch for the start only , and from there they do not use clutch/ they dont have to/

 

funny thing is many drivers "prefer Manual in racing" , but the same time they dont race or race very often.
Also when they have money, somehow they pick the paddle shifters after they drove it.../the real paddle shifter/

Not to mention any real racing enviroment where is the money is less concern and allowed , seasoned and genius race drivers prefer "automatic"...
Versus the internet forum racers.

 

Internet forum racers... I love it.

 

I am talking about driver preferences. About feeling intune with the car, a feeling removed when I drive a car with paddle shifters. Lets be clear the vast majority of us (i.e., drivers) spend the majority of our driving time not on the track. If I were some win at any cost sponsored driver then sure, any technology that could shave a fraction of a second off my time would be the Holy Grail. But when I go out for some spirited driving, I want it to be in a manual car. I just feel that it takes more on my part and that I am somehow more a part of making the magic happen when I am working the clutch and heel/toe working the brake&gas. To each their own. Ferrari was early to adopt the paddle shifting technology for street use. Yet many Ferrari owners want a return to manual gearbox options. Probably for the same reasons I do.

Someday cars may be all computer controlled, and we can drive through some crazy neural interface, but I will likely still appreciate the simple joy of driving a manual transmission sports car. Even if I come in last place, I bet I would be having the most fun. /shrug

 

that s cool, and a good personal opinion. Which we all respect.

 

That is all a personal perspective that you personally have. You have yet to even try a paddle shifting car. There is quite a bit to it. It makes spirited driving much more fun imo. But all of this is personal perspective, and no measurement can be put to this.

Obviously not enough... did you read that article? 1% of the 430's were purchased with a manual gearbox. That's very low. Sometimes a small group can seem like a majority since they have found a common interest in bringing something back. It doesn't mean that it is a true majority. Fact remains that ferrari doesn't sell enough manual gearboxes.

I'm happy that you can have fun driving a manual. I did as well. I loved it, it's really cool rev matching from 100mph into a 25mph corner and nailing it perfectly. But lets get real, when it comes to racing, coming in last is hardly where the fun is. Battling it out is .

Anyways, I'm done with this topic, this thread has been derailed enough as it is.

 

What exactly in all my posts would lead you to believe I have not driven a car with paddle shifters? In fact, my posts seems to quite clearly indicate that I do not get the same level of driving satisfaction when driving a automatic or car with paddle shifters. An opinion which seems to require having a basis of comparison to reach.

You obviously prefer (or have convinced yourself that you prefer) a car with paddle shifters. Good for you

 

... because you said your left leg falls asleep. When in fact you use your left leg just as much or more in a paddle shifting car vs a manual car. So either you haven't truly driven one or you don't know how to drive one. Either way bad for you

Yah pretty obvious I like the paddle shifting transmissions, because I wasn't as closed minded as you and saw the major advantages.

 

Always said I wouldn't buy a car with flappy paddles.

Then I drove an Evo X MR.

Owned it now for over a year, and I love the TC-SST more every day.

(PS: I'm a track driving instructor, so I've driven my share of manuals, automanuals, etc. My favorite is still the TC-SST. Mitsubishi just nailed the software, which is really the determining factor in these transmissions. Porsche's PDK comes close. Haven't driven Ferrari's new twin-clutch yet, though. Anyone want to let me drive their California or 458? :-) )

 

I tried paddle shifters on my brothers C6 Vette. I thought the auto mode was nice, seemed to have good s/w. But "manually" shifting it never came naturally, not in the couple of weeks I drove it around.

I kept missing shift points, finding my left foot pounding into a floor board where the pedal used to be. And my right hand kept doing "things" that I really can't control, just muscle memory and habit.

Then again, for the folks with the new love of the paddle shifters, I noticed my instructor's e46 M3 and his use of them was pretty good. OBTW, he's got 10 years less than me with a clutch under his foot and the shifter in the RH. At 44, I've been driving manual trannies for 30 years now on the road, longer when you count off road with tractors, motorcycles and trucks...

I'm broken. The technology is cool and without question a competitive edge. But I like being broken. I can be "special that way"

(There is a lot less crowding on my short bus with the other special drivers!)

Just teasing -- an interesting argument to read.