My newest article: Flappy Paddles: Bad decision or worse decision

"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura) 06/06/2014 at 20:17 • Filed to: None

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http://heresthethingauto.blogspot.com/2014/06/car-co…

Nibby > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/06/2014 at 20:22

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Shout out to all those CVTs that offer paddle shifting (I'm looking at YOU, Honda Accord and Toyota Corolla S).

spanfucker retire bitch > Nibby 06/06/2014 at 20:27

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And Subaru WRX.

Zendax > Nibby 06/06/2014 at 20:33

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That is .... just the worst. You're invalidating the one good thing about CVTs.

Give me a CVT with an airplane like throttle lever that allows me to take full advantage of the infinite gear ratios. I'd buy that.

Singhjr96 > Nibby 06/06/2014 at 20:34

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WOOO, GO HONDA. I have one btw.

claramag, Mustaco Master > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/06/2014 at 20:39

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flappy paddle gear boxes: If it's good enough for F1, it'll be great in your Camry

More like floppy paddle amirte i am yes

Dsscats > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/06/2014 at 20:39

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If I get the right idea, you aren't really talking about true flappy paddle gearboxes. What you are talking about is just "virtual" flappy paddles, connected to a computer that has the same input a pushing forward and backwards on the gearstick (+/-). I'm a fan of "real" floppy paddle gearboxes where it's built that way from the start (IE Ferrari 458, Gallardo E-Gear) rather than a traditional gearbox with optional control.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Dsscats 06/06/2014 at 20:41

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I'm actually rooting for the E-Gear style. I was complaining about the virtual +/- style.

Dsscats > Dsscats 06/06/2014 at 20:43

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Ferrari ha something like the three button system you mentioned as well.

Dsscats > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/06/2014 at 20:46

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Oh yeah, that bugs the shit outta me. Just give me a clutch pedal! I also love the idea of sequential gearboxes with a clutch pedal. I just think it's awesome

Tom McParland > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/06/2014 at 22:01

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I think it all depends on the gearbox. While the DSG is excellent, I could never buy one. Because the paddles just feel like I'm clicking buttons. Now when I drove the F1 trans in a F430 Scud you needed actual force to pull those paddles...not much but enough to actually enagage it. There was a distinct "click" and the shifts were violent...as they should be. I didn't mind the paddles in the Ferrari because I still felt connected, not so much in the MKVI w/ DSG.

feather-throttle-not-hair > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather 06/06/2014 at 22:11

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I agree, but I think you need to go a step further. You're essentially advocating for video game controls, select manual and the car only shifts when asked to.

My point is this: why shoot so low? I have a steering wheel in my closet I use for forza. Its fucking nice, it rotates 900 degrees blah blah blah...crucially though, it has 3 pedals and an H-gate shifter with six gears and reverse.

The DCT in your average car doesn't give a fuck where it's inputs come from, paddles, robot brains, plus minus signs next to your shifter...it's arbitrary.

So why oh why don't we have dual clutch transmissions with drive by wire stick shifts and clutches? They could be all electronic while offering the exact same function as a manual transmission, while auto mode would still be a button press away. Yes you'd lose a bit of feel, over a traditional manual, but you would be actually having the best of both worlds, rather than the pretend best of both worlds like we've got now.

Would that be expensive? Probably. My wheel setup was around 300 dollars but I'd want something nicer in an actual car. That said, people seem happy to pay an extra grand or two for the correct transmission type right now.

Plus look at some of the shit we've got going these days in the video game world. Why wouldn't this work in a real car in place of paddles that are just plugged into a machine anyway?