Shank2117

even the i LOVE manual. in cars such as the average sports sedal and the IS-F. I love the paddles, theres nothing like being able to race/mess with the paddles and sometimes on a regular cruise home or sitting through traffic just slap it into automatic.

Kaydee

i want an automatic mated to a manual transmission with the shifter located where a shifter would normally be. I hate having to put my hands on 3-9/10-2. Nobody drives like that but newbs

Shank2117

however it is proven that the new ferrari paddle shifts can shift WAY faster then a manual tranny. i think they are called "Semishift" or "semifast".

mikez

Really? I thought all the professional touring car drivers, rally car drivers, F1 drivers drives with the hands in the 3-9 or 10-2 position

CDNROCKIES

Actually in the F you can use the gear shifter just like you would the paddles, just a straight up down shift motion though.

Most paddle shifters currently are on performance vehicles....I don't think having your hands at 10-2 qualifies you as a newb when you're pushing a sports cars limits.

Threxx

I've done a bit of auto-cross racing before. Paddle shifters certainly help w/ an automatic... my 335i has them and in sport mode will actually snap your neck back on WOT shifts... I like the way it feels, but I'd still rather have a manual. In a straight like the 335i auto and 335i manual are very similar in performance, but on the auto-x course having a manual is just easier to control gear selection with for me. Maybe if I practiced a bit more with the 335i it would be better. One thing I really need to get better with on the auto-x course is hand positioning to always be able to shift when I need to despite constantly turning the wheel. It's a non issue with the manual since you almost always have a hand down by the shifter and a foot near the clutch.
For now, when racing on a road course, I'm actually more effective using the manual shift gate on the center console.

DSGs are awesome though... I might actually prefer to have a DSG over a manual based on my experience with them in an 08 Audi TT I test drove.

Kaydee

I guess I should add that I meant for relaxed driving and you feel like shifting instead of letting the computer do its work

the IS-F comes with a automatic transmission which makes it a tiptronic, even though it's fast I still don't like it

IS-SV

Yes, IS350 allows the console shifter to be used for manual shifts too.

FKL

depends on if it is a pdk/dsg gearbox. if so, then hell yes. You cannot manually shift that fast regardless.

2002GGPIS3

I'm personally for paddle shifters, the technology has caught up to manuals finally. I think the EVO X is the best example, on a racetrack the MR(paddle shift version) is faster then the GSR(manual version). That said, I know the enjoyment of a manual and all peformance cars should have a manual option.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

I would rather get paddle shifters, but i think everyone needs to at least learn how to drive a manual, myself included, who knows, soon manual cars may not even exist (unfortunetly)

mmarshall

Drive a VW/Audi DSG and see if you still miss a conventional 3-pedal manual. The DSG is one of the finest no-clutch transmissions I've ever seen. Even its Tiptronic cousin (IMO) can't compare with it.

shyguy16

NOTHING will ever replace 3 pedals and H gated shifter for me.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

I own and drive both. I never thought I'd like an automatic, but the paddle shift in the IS-F really is hands down better than a manual. It never makes a mistake and it never lets you do something idiotic like downshift into first while still moving. Yes, shifting into first while moving is dumb. Here's why:


Getrag 233 (Toyota V-160) First gear



Yes, that gear weighs over 4 lbs! And all you have to stop it from spinning is a little synchronizer ring with (in this case) three cones hoping for the best. There is no need to shift a street car into first once you are in motion. You're just damaging your gearbox. AMHIK.

To ice the cake, the IS-F won't let you lug the engine either, so Lexus has done a lot to ensure you don't do anything stupid and damage the car with attempts to do the ill-advised or impossible. Ever miss a downshift, stuff it in a gear too low and let out the clutch only to have your engine scream to 11,000 rpm (4200 past redline)? Can't do it with the F. Ever.

So, despite driving manuals and not even owning an automatic anything for MANY years (been driving stick for 42 years - since I was 6 on a tractor in the barnyard), I have to say I really like what Lexus has done with the F. And if I do decide I want to humble myself, I can always get in the Supra and remember how impossible it is to shift 100% smoothly and consistently.

CDNROCKIES

^^^^
Great post!!