Team-BHP - Automatic or Manual

I have shifted at redline in S mode. Definitely possible. But you have to keep the throttle very much floored or close to for it do that. But the acceleration and the noise (oh the sweet noise!) will scare the pants off you and you definitely shouldn't attempt this unless you have a clear stretch of highway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImmortalZ (Post 1114619)

But the acceleration and the noise (oh the sweet noise!) will scare the pants off you and you definitely shouldn't attempt this unless you have a clear stretch of highway.

Not really ImmortalZ, there are faster accelarating cars. The H automatic is so sedate that one can go to sleep! It does touch 120 fast!

While on the subject of gearboxes some might want to read up on sequential shift gearboxes. These essentially are manual gearboxes with clutch and gear selection activated electronically, I guess using servos (or some advanced tech)

Ferrari uses this in some of their road cars (the paddle shift option)

I would think these gearboxes offer lightning quick responses rendering them very quick.

Traditionally auto trannies were inherently wasteful of power on account of the torque converters. But with lock up modes etc they seem to be making that power loss negligible

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKG (Post 1114823)

yes , i drove an audi a6 , with the six speed dsg gearbox, they are manual gear boxes , but allow automatic gear changes in the auto mode , since there are 2 clutches, one clutch for the even no. gears , one clutch for the odd no. gears,in the auto mode the gear shifts happen in a fraction of a second (much faster than the driver using the the paddles) .

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKG (Post 1114863)

I think Porsche is offering this on the Boxster too. A big plus of these gearboxes would be the seamless shift.

Perhaps I am too old fashioned but I never minded knowing when I went from 1st to 2nd to 3rd :D

You know its funny when many went gaga over the tiptronic in Porsche I actually utterly disliked it. I drove both a Boxster and a 911 with it. I will never ever consider a auto no matter what in a sportscar. Now who actually wants to not know when he is going from one gear to another? If I have engaged a gear I'd like to know I engaged it. I somehow don't like the thought of not knowing when I've shifted in a sports car with the only indication being a glance at some silly digital readout saying 1 2 3

this has been around for quiet sometime , so soon we will see it on all luxury and sports cars., i agree with you , when i first drove it i dint enjoy it much , (felt like a very powerful kinetic honda,haha) but as the speeds increased, crossed 200kmph, i realised that with this setup in the auto mode you can completely focus on the steering input and nothing else,(coz as you ease off on the throttle ,the gear box is down shifting by itself), i guess this is the advantage , but i also do agree it takes some of the fun away , also people claim the car will give better mileage in the auto mode.

Quote:

Originally Posted by siddartha (Post 1114872)

this has been around for quiet sometime , so soon we will see it on all luxury and sports cars.

Seamless shift on a Phantom?? Sure would love it. On a Ferrari or Porsche? NO WAY!!!

The road to a purist's heart still is "Less is More" :)

Perhaps the definition of a sports car is shifting but to me its the rawness of the experience that actually endows the car with a distinct character.

A lot of these aids do make driving safer and allows many to experience on the edge handling, but to me you also lose the challenge of mastering the machine. If I can't handle a car's suspension, its gear box or its engine and chassis and not achieve the experience of driving it at as you say at a higher speed, I'd rather remain scared of attempting it than flick some trick switches and head into that world knowing I'm cheating. I would prefer to take my time and out of respect for the car slowly learn to master it all

Oops I guess we are totally digressing now...but this is an interesting subject...what should be optimised in a sports car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKG (Post 1114874)

Seamless shift on a Phantom?? Sure would love it. On a Ferrari or Porsche? NO WAY!!!

The road to a purist's heart still is "Less is More" :)

i get you , i am a purist/minimalist as well, and with so much electronics/technologyworking , i might just fall asleeep in the driver's seat .

Quote:

Originally Posted by siddartha (Post 1114888)

i get you , i am a purist/minimalist as well.

When you are sipping champagne in the back seat of a Phantom chatting with your significant other you hardly wish to spill some over because some twit of a driver got the gear change out of sync.

Seamless double clutch gearboxes ordered please!!

But just imagine you are out blasting down winding roads in an open topped sportscar then let the world know those gear changes and the engine sound emanate as a result of your talent as a driver and not some electronic circuit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKG (Post 1114891)

so true , but what i see happening is that , the high end luxury cars are very good performers and sports cars are getting more and more luxurious , i guess the car companies have very successfully combined the two.

so are luxury cars becoming more sporty or are sports cars becoming more luxurious?

Quote:

Originally Posted by siddartha (Post 1114903)

the high end luxury cars are very good performers and sports cars are getting more and more luxurious

That's very true. The last time I drove the 525d I actually found myself driving it more like a sports car, holding in lower gears, keeping the engine revved, cornering harder....what a brilliant machine. It definately is a sports sedan par excellence!