Ode to the six speed sequential robotized "manual" transmission

"Manuél Ferrari" (manuelferrari)
12/23/2013 at 16:24 • Filed to: None

Everyone loves manuals.

Some people love DCTs.

Most people hate single clutch sequential robotized transmissions. These transmissions are going extinct. And that's why I love them.

None of us want the good old fashioned stick to go away. The good news is that it's not extinct yet and hopefully it never will be fully extinct. There should/could always be a market for certain cars to come with a stick.

But the 6 speed sequential paddle shift tranny will be extinct in production cars soon. It will only live on in racing applications. It's use in production cars will end up being a footnote in automotive history as DCTs are much smoother and more refined.

The quirkiness of single clutch sequential transmissions is what makes them endearing to me. They're basically modded versions of the 6MT offered in the same car. They're usually terrible when used in automatic mode. And they can scare passengers when you dial the settings up to make the shifts as quick (and violent) as possible and rip the upshift paddle at WOT.

Every one of these transmissions, from BMW's SMG to Lambo's E-Gear have received bad press. "Good on track, bad on the street" is the usual critique. The only such transmission I've experienced that was actually smooth in automatic mode was a late iteration of Ferrari's F1 (in the 612 Scaglietti). All of the other ones I've driven or read about/watched reviews of were somewhat to very jerky in automatic mode. Which requires the driver to have experience driving a stick so that he/she can pull the paddles at the right time and modulate the throttle for smooth driving around town.

Some of these transmissions are downright scary in automatic mode because they upshift too soon from 2nd to 3rd and can leave you with no torque in the middle of an intersection if the car's engine is peaky. Some are confusing to operate because getting into neutral and reverse is the opposite of intuitive. And some are expensive to own because they weren't made in big numbers and the parts are therefore expensive. By all accounts these transmissions are bad for daily driving and should only be used by experienced racing drivers who are good enough to benefit from quicker shifts. Anyone [who doesn't have a disability that makes operating a clutch pedal impossible] who bought a car with a robotized 6 speed is crazy. These people should have just got the stick version (if it was available, some cars like the LFA were paddle shift only).

I salute the crazy people. Quirky cars and quirky car technology are fun. Not everything has to be logical and sane all the time. If car purchases were always about logic then sports cars wouldn't exist and we'd all be driving whichever economy sedan/wagon had the best price and IIHS crash rating at the time of our purchase.

DISCUSSION (46)

Bytemite > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 16:30

I love it.

Less weight than a DCT and all the feel of a manual.

Manuél Ferrari > Bytemite
12/23/2013 at 16:33

I especially love the sound of the Aventator's transmission. Never been in one but have read that it's so violent it can unsettle the car if you shift during cornering.

How cool is that?

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 16:34

Cars that are Amazing Despite this Transmission:

Kinja'd!!!

I'm seeing a pattern.

Kinja'd!!!

In '09 they offered the automanual as an option in the GranTurismo, from what I've read only about 320 of these cars ordered in '09 have it.

Bytemite > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 16:34

:) thats the way it should be. Proper racecar tranny, proper racecar bite.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 16:40

I hope their values plummet so I can buy them cheap!

What gave me the idea for this post was how much flak the Audi R8 got before switching to DCT. I want an R8 6MT. Would much rather have the stick. But if the prices of used single clutch flappy paddle R8s plummet it would be tempting to get one! Imagine if a low-ish milage 2009 V8 could be had one day for $55K but the 6MT was still going for $70K cause everyone wanted it more. Would be tempting to get the cheaper car...

Manuél Ferrari > Bytemite
12/23/2013 at 16:42

Exactly! Especially with a Lambo. It's supposed to scare you!

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 16:42

Seems like a reasonable prediction. I assume this is why it's so hard to find a 6MT Gallardo. I'd probably go for the R8 at $55k, that's Corvette money!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 16:44

Drool a 6MT Gallardo would be awesome. They are hard to find. They're out there but not a ton of them. Most people bought E-Gear. And those that have the 6MT don't want to sell them unless they have to.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 16:51

I can never seem to find more then 1 or 2 on the internet for sale at a given time, I'm sure the prices will stay the same if not go up as time passes, while the E-Gears will gradually fall. The R8 will hit reasonable prices first, obviously, because it's an Audi and not a Lambo.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 16:55

Except the Lambo is an Audi too, haha.

You are building a strong case for buying a 6MT Gallardo. Prices will only go up! Happiness will be achieved! There will be peace in the Middle East!

Ok maybe not the last part but prices def could go up over time. And it would make anyone pretty happy.

Forget the R8, let's work 20 hours a day until we can buy 6MT Gallardos

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 16:58

Let's do it! We don't need sleep or food! All we need is a gated shifter! It will sustain us.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 17:00

Exactly!

And once we have them they will help us make more money, right?

Everyone wants to do business with Lambo guys. The image of the stereotypical Lambo owner is a positive one, right?

Oh wait....

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 17:05

shit.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 17:10

I got it. Once we have our lambos we can start a new club called "The Non-Stereotypical Lambo Owners Club". Our goal will be to improve the public's perception of the regular Lambo owners who don't wear a Batman suit and visit sick children (though it would be cool to do that if the OG Lambo Batman doesn't get pissed about it).

We can drive our Lambos to yoga classes and host New Age thought parties at our houses.

Who am I kidding, that's not gonna happen ;)

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 17:14

hahaha just a dream I suppose. (tasteful mods only if that actually happened). I think we all need to just go out and buy V12 Vantages, I'll take the Zagato.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 17:27

Speaking of which I'll share a V12 Vantage related link with you:

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/20/mot…

I haven't had a chance to watch the video yet so not sure if it's good

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 17:34

It's a pretty good comparison, I'm just so disappointed by the fact you can't get it in a manual anymore. It does come with the automanual though lol!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 17:37

lol

it def should come with a manual. because v12 vantage is more about feel and fun than anything else, isn't it? there are so many other cars you could get for the track

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 17:38

That's the point of Astons! Not the track or pure performance, but passion, feel, and emotion.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 17:43

I guess they don't consider MTs emotional, lol

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 19:05

I just had to snap a pic of the two Lambos that are for sale near me:

Kinja'd!!!

Luckily neither have 6MTs. So I don't need to have a kidney extracted tonight.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 19:06

Yeah, tonight. Those things look equally amazing in real-life pictures.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 19:08

Yeah I'm safe for at least one more night, haha

I checked their inventory online. They have 2 more of them inside. None of them have sticks.

As you said the 6MTs are very, very rare... I actually think it's easier to find an Audi R8 6MT. Which is kind of odd.

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 19:18

I once heard that 55% of R8 buyers got the manual (when the R-tronic was the other option) it seems unlikely but it's probably somewhat true.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 19:48

That might be true. It's based off the same transmission that the Gallardo got. I dunno why so many R8 buyers disliked it yet the majority of Gallardo buyers went for E-Gear. My only guesses:

1. Lambo buyers care more about 0-60 specs

2. R8 drivers care more about low-speed jerkiness because they are more likely to DD their car

3. Maybe the Gallardo's E-Gear had more settings you could adjust than the R-tronic did.

4. Maybe R8 buyers were more cost conscious. The R-Tronic option raised the V8 R8 price by a higher percentage than E-Gear did the Gallardo

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 19:59

All of these reasons make perfect sense. Could not have said it better myself. I just don't understand why someone would test drive an E-Gear Gallardo and think, "Wow this jerky feel and slow gear change must be better then changing the gears myself. Maybe that's just how all exotics must feel by default! I'll take three."

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 20:05

Probably because the salesman took the customer out on the highway and snapped off a shift in Corsa mode. It's easy to excuse the jerkiness when you feel the car attempt to break your back!

I read in a Ferrari forum that F430 Scuderia owners get addicted to the violent shifts :)

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 20:16

That's probably the same reason the Aventador is so popular!

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 20:19

Yes I think the Aventador comes with a warning label for people with pacemakers. Upshifting at WOT in Corsa mode in that car can break a pacemaker

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 20:23

Having an automanual is one of the most important features of that car, if it came with a dual clutch everyone would've been excited, but it would've also been way too Audi. That car is perfectly Lamborghini. Unless it had a manual. Then it would've been the best car ever made no fucking question.

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
12/23/2013 at 20:25

I wonder if it's technically feasible to modify the Aventador's transmission to make it stick operated. Probably is. Some rich guy must be planning it now!

Brian Silvestro > Manuél Ferrari
12/23/2013 at 20:35

I know I would be!

His Stigness > Manuél Ferrari
12/29/2013 at 19:49

I love how you fail to mention you're one of the crazies that bought one of these single clutch automated manuals lol. But then again I will be taking that car off your hands and I shall run into the craziness at breakneck speed!

Manuél Ferrari > His Stigness
12/29/2013 at 21:46

Haha that was inferred

I know this is crazy but sometimes I wish the E90 had SMG. It's just so much more raw and involved

His Stigness > Manuél Ferrari
12/30/2013 at 15:43

No you just made it sound like you've driven them and like them, but not that you own one.

I don't know about that. I haven't driven either enough to decide but if we lived in a perfect world I'd say I like the DCT better. It's faster, you don't have to lift, and the throttle blip is AWESOME!!! That's why I giggled like a little kid every time I downshifted.

Manuél Ferrari > His Stigness
12/30/2013 at 16:43

Oh yeah DCTs are definitely better. They are faster and smoother.

Single clutches are just fun cause of their character. They make you feel like you're in a race car. I think most race cars with sequential transmissions still have single clutch transmissions. They are lighter and maybe simpler to repair if there is an issue.

His Stigness > Manuél Ferrari
12/30/2013 at 19:13

Yeah they are fun for character, and I'm sure I'll love the SMG (I already really like it), but the throttle blip in the E92 is just really addictive. I guess I could learn to do it in the E46 though.

Manuél Ferrari > His Stigness
12/30/2013 at 19:20

If you think that throttle blip is addictive then you need to drive a DCT that does it perfectly.

The Ferrari F430 and later and current Porsches give you the nice exhaust bark every time you shift.

We'll take my old man's F430 out if he ever gets the F1 transmission fully fixed. He's working on it now

His Stigness > Manuél Ferrari
12/31/2013 at 02:39

The barks are pretty awesome.

Damn, no F430 this weekend then? I was hoping to be able to check it out.

Manuél Ferrari > His Stigness
12/31/2013 at 02:46

It might be ready soon

Will be down to luck

His Stigness > Manuél Ferrari
12/31/2013 at 02:49

Is your dad the type of guy who will get fed up after a while and take it to Auto Gallery, or will he persist and try and fix it himself?

Manuél Ferrari > His Stigness
12/31/2013 at 02:51

He never gives up

That's why everything takes so long ...

His Stigness > Manuél Ferrari
12/31/2013 at 02:56

Lol. I know when to admit defeat and just pay someone else to do the work, even when I know I can do it, I just won't to.

Manuél Ferrari > His Stigness
12/31/2013 at 02:59

Yeah but he has lots of time

I do all his office work ...

His Stigness > Manuél Ferrari
12/31/2013 at 16:11

If you didn't and just did your own work would you actually have free time, or at least work normal hours? And just curious, but how does your board (assuming your company has a board) feel about your dad working on cars all day?

Manuél Ferrari > His Stigness
12/31/2013 at 18:11

I'd probably work WAY less

I would complain to the board but the two of us are the board, lol