Why no other manufacturer has done it is beyond me, for it fuses the effortless control and excitement of a paddle -
shift gearbox with the greater engagement of a manual.
Our car came with the automatic transmission, a smooth
shifting gearbox with a special feature.
Not exact matches
It'll be the first time Smith has raced a car
with a paddle -
shift gearbox and he's anticipating some issues getting to grips it, but how can anyone assume that this won't be resolved given that the 76 - year - old brings vast experience, and will definitely be hoping to teach a few of the younger drivers (including Ferrari juniors Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman) some tricks.
It's hardly a chore
with a
gearbox as responsive as this one, but stop - and - go traffic reminds us why so few people pick a stick -
shift transmission for a commuter car.
The enhanced soundtrack through the stereo speakers isn't especially pleasant nor natural, the
gearbox suddenly starts to betray itself
with slower
shifts and strange moments where the revs hang at a fixed rpm, and the sheer performance on offer feels slightly disappointing.
The V8 still comes
with a six - speed manual as standard, but the optional six - speed Sportshift
gearbox has gone, replaced by a new seven - speed Sportshift II «box - the extra cog helping to mix improved acceleration
with all new levels of
shift quality and refinement.
Absolutely great styling inside and out, quick
shifting gearbox when equipped
with the semi-manual f1 paddle shiftier transmission.
Stripped of air - con and stereo and fitted
with PCCB brakes, a six - speed stick -
shift gearbox and the smaller, lighter battery, it comes in under 1300 kg (the 1M tips the scales at 1570 kg).
The
gearbox then redeems itself
with damn - near imperceptible part - throttle
shifts that happen within, oh, fourteen - billionths of a second of tugging on one of the steering - column - mounted magnesium paddles.
The
gearbox,
with its snappy, short - throw
shift, is a great partner for the sparkling six, and the brakes, while laughably grumbly (in finest M tradition) and a little over-servoed at the top - end of the pedal travel, stand up well to fast road driving.
The
gearbox seems manual, there's a plate on the dashboard, in front of the
shifter with the «position» for each of the gears... Don't think F1 cars had sequential
gearboxes until late 80's.
The eight - speed dual - clutch
gearbox matches the drama
with shifts that pop like a tight, perfectly timed jab.
The car uses a six - speed paddle
shift gearbox, but how exactly this works
with the complex hybrid drivetrain has yet to be revealed.
The
gearbox is superb, allowing
shifts as fast as I could manage
with no issues.
Even so, as the V - 8's angry voice reflects and bounces it ways up rock faces as the twin - clutch 7 - speed
gearbox punches in
shifts with a wicked ignition crack, you know the 570S Spider is a pretty serious supercar.
And the eight - speed
gearbox can be stirred manually
with a plus / minus
shift gate but there are no paddles.
Shifts come quick enough in manual mode from the paddle - shiftable dual - clutch
gearbox (borrowed
with some improvements from the Dodge Dart and Alfa Giulietta) when you don't feel like dictating every
shift, the auto mode does a reasonable job of predicting when you'd like to drop a cog or
shift into top gear.
The Tremec
gearbox is a variant of the one used in the Viper; happily,
shift efforts here are lower, but the linkage is notchy,
with a strong centering spring that wants to keep you in the 3 - 4 gate.
Of the three
gearboxes across the range - seven - and nine - speed torque converter autos and the SL 63's multi-plate wet clutch automatic - it's the SL 63
with the fastest
shifts, but it still doesn't quite match the latest generation of twin - clutch autos for snappy changes.
In addition to a more nimble chassis, the BMW offers greater range in character
with electronically adjustable dampers, the ability to alter
shift speeds in the dual - clutch
gearbox, and the convenient «M» button on the steering wheel to activate your preferred settings.
We initially kept getting lost in the seven - speed manual
gearbox, but after many months, we can guide the
shift lever through its gates
with smooth flicks of the wrist.
All R8s come
with a six - speed manual
gearbox with a gated aluminum
shifter or a single - clutch automated manual that's decidedly five years ago.
It can be paired
with a six - speed automatic transmission
with paddle
shifters or a seven - speed manual
gearbox.
It is, foremost, a lot of fun to drive,
with accurate steering, a firm chassis, and an available six - speed manual
gearbox (in addition to a quick -
shifting six - speed automatic).
A six - speed automatic is the sole transmission offered, but as we discovered while flinging the XKR - S Coupe about in Spain, the
gearbox is quite good, and happy to «crack off
shifts with a hammer - like punch.»
Fitted
with the six - speed manual
gearbox — which has a slightly notchy and rubbery
shift — it'll reach 62mph in five seconds, topping out at a limited 155mph.
The engine is linked up to a paddle -
shift operated sequential
gearbox (
with six speeds), and in combination
with that low weight, 0 - 60mph is said to take just 2.5 sec, while the top speed is 170mph.
It develops its 148bhp at 6000rpm and 140 lb ft of torque at 4500rpm, and is coupled to a close - ratio five - speed
gearbox with a short -
shift mechanism.
With 560 hp and a quick -
shifting eight - speed
gearbox, your self - restraint will come under fire.
When fitted
with the electro actuated
gearbox, the faster
shift times (down to 100ms) and increase in power enable the GranTurismo Sport to accelerate from 0 - 62mph in just 4.7 seconds, reaching a top speed of 186mph.
This six - speed may not be the world's silkiest
gearbox, but it's still fun to finally drive the Hemi V - 8
with a stick
shift.
With abundant torque on a wide band, there's no need to work the clutch pedal and
gearbox as much as in the days of the peaky E30 M3, but we do it for fun — a rev - match feature helps execute perfect
shifts, down and up.
On the plus side, the revised
gearbox has a snappier and more precise
shift action, while the brakes make up for a lack of monster stopping power
with a pedal action that's well - weighted and progressive, which helps to make light work of heel and toe downchanges.
A six - speed, Durashift manual
gearbox with a revised final drive ratio and low friction transmission oil also helps to reduce fuel consumption along
with underbody aerodynamic improvements, an Active Grille Shutter, Ford Auto - Start - Stop, a
shift indicator light and low - drag Econetic wheel covers and tyres.
«No - nonsense interior, quick -
shifting gearbox, and a really usable steering wheel
with a small and ideal thickness, more like a race wheel.»
Its brakes are by Alcon, the
gearbox itself is a six speed sequential by Hewland
with pneumatic
shifters, actuated by two small carbon - fibre paddles on either side of the steering wheel.
Some cars are ruined when their manual
gearboxes are swapped for paddle
shift transmissions, be it dual - clutch
gearboxes or old - school torque converters, but that's certainly not the case
with the Giulia.
A CVT
with shift paddles is now available, but the transmission you want is the new six - speed manual — a gear - changing jewel that embarrasses the
gearboxes in cars costing three times as much.
We would have preferred more obedience from the paddle
shifter (finished in an electroplated surface
with the Sport package), though those who put their faith in the computer's logic are likely to be less disappointed
with the nine - speed
gearbox, especially since the downshifts are nicely rev - matched and the upshifts relatively swift.
This 695 has been developed
with help from Maserati, utilising the standard 178bhp 1.4 Turbo T - Jet engine, along
with a paddle -
shift gearbox.
Even if you're used to driving these performance - oriented
gearboxes that keep first gear out of the way (as it's typically only used for setting off from a stop),
shifting this worn - out transmission,
with its long throws and sloppy actuation, requires concentration.
The
gearbox is fantastic, too, snapping precisely through the gate
with as little movement as the Mazda's famously crisp
shift, despite a lever seemingly twice as long.
Power is funnelled through a ZF - sourced eight - speed automatic
gearbox with Alpina's trademark «Switch - Tronic»
shift buttons on the back of the steering wheel.
The Xtrac - built, single - clutch automated manual
gearbox is clunky, yet it
shifts quicker than a straight manual transmission
with its heavy clutch action.
Mated to this was an Alpina - developed Switchtronic five - speed
gearbox with steering - wheel - mounted
shift buttons, while other benefits included twin - tube gas dampers, anti-roll bars, vented discs all - round and those gorgeous 18in Alpina wheels.
A twin clutch
gearbox with paddle -
shift is fitted and drive is sent to the rear wheels.
Audi's mechanics couldn't find anything wrong
with the
gearbox, so we taught ourselves to
shift with greater diligence, and over time and miles, the severity of the problem faded.
That
gearbox also includes a new
shifter — borrowed from the ZL1 —
with slightly longer throws and a nicely shaped
shift knob.
That powerplant has been highly modified, and is paired
with a version of Volvo's I -
Shift gearbox and a 200 - hp, 885 - lb - ft electric motor.
Porsche experimented
with a dual - clutch
gearbox in the 1960s, shelved it due to persistent problems
with rough
shifting, and then resurrected it in the 1970s for a German government project.