Manual or Auto?

[olds]

You have 800 horsepower in your car as a street driver, or this is the plan ya?

My question is what guy in his right mind would not want to downshift that kind of power? Go with the t-56.

#1 and biggest negative of auto - can only downshift 1 gear at a time.

[gearhead1186]

with that kinda power ur only going to need to downshift one...

downshifting two gears with that power wuld be useless... (read as: sliding sideways into a tree)

[Stale67SS]

Race cars have 3 pedals !! So go for the T56

[Weldon0405]

Well, I thought I knew which I was going to vite for prior to reading through this great thread; however, I realized where I stand on this matter once I was educated on what the Shrifter Kit is. I am new to the forum and do not have true race experience, but I will add my 2 cents and experiences.

Lets start with my daily driver; 2005.5 Audi A4 Quattro with the 2.0T. The tranny is a six-speed Tiptronic. The tranny is an automatic which can be manually shifted by moving the shifter to the right from the Drive position. The manumatic tranny makes cornering very simple. Begin braking, manually downshift to the gear you want for coming out of the turn, and continue on by putting the tranny back in Drive for the small stuff. I personally really like the manually shifted automatic.

I took a defensive driving course about a year and a half ago while in a DoD training course. This course was taught by a contracted group of racing instructors (I'm not sure exactly what company they work for). I thought I knew about driving until we hit the road course... For everyday life with driving in the rain and whatnot ABS is awesome, but it does not come close to holding it's own with Thresh hold braking a non-ABS car. Maybe I'm just not skilled enough with a manual tranny, but I found it much easier to make significantly better lap times with the Auto over the Manual on the courses with tons of turns. (Plus it was much easier to control the car going through the turns while being able to maintain both hands on the wheel.) And the auto we were driving wasn't even a Manumatic.

Well, like I said, I am by know means an expert on this situation; just two pennies from a newbie. I know I would have never picked the automatic over the manual until I drove a Manumatic.

[nvr2fst]

Just curious if anybody knows about Mastershift's new paddle shift set up. I think it was debuted at Sema for the "manual fanatics". Although the clutch pedal is not deleted for those who strive on the " 3 pedal way or no way" it does eliminate the manual thrashing gears through the console and putting them up at the wheel. Any thoughts? I heard it may be released some time in January. I personally like the idea of the paddle shifted auto (attributing I guess getting older or getting lazier) and twist machines product is right up there against todays auto technology, but I already have a manual 6 speed and debating on going opposite.
Dave

[Steve Chryssos]

Originally Posted by Weldon0405

Well, I thought I knew which I was going to vite for prior to reading through this great thread; however, I realized where I stand on this matter once I was educated on what the Shrifter Kit is. I am new to the forum and do not have true race experience, but I will add my 2 cents and experiences.

Lets start with my daily driver; 2005.5 Audi A4 Quattro with the 2.0T. The tranny is a six-speed Tiptronic. The tranny is an automatic which can be manually shifted by moving the shifter to the right from the Drive position. The manumatic tranny makes cornering very simple. Begin braking, manually downshift to the gear you want for coming out of the turn, and continue on by putting the tranny back in Drive for the small stuff. I personally really like the manually shifted automatic.

I took a defensive driving course about a year and a half ago while in a DoD training course. This course was taught by a contracted group of racing instructors (I'm not sure exactly what company they work for). I thought I knew about driving until we hit the road course... For everyday life with driving in the rain and whatnot ABS is awesome, but it does not come close to holding it's own with Thresh hold braking a non-ABS car. Maybe I'm just not skilled enough with a manual tranny, but I found it much easier to make significantly better lap times with the Auto over the Manual on the courses with tons of turns. (Plus it was much easier to control the car going through the turns while being able to maintain both hands on the wheel.) And the auto we were driving wasn't even a Manumatic.

Well, like I said, I am by know means an expert on this situation; just two pennies from a newbie. I know I would have never picked the automatic over the manual until I drove a Manumatic.

You nailed it. The two benefits of a paddle shifted transmission--any paddle shifted transmission--is speed and focus. A paddle shifter simply frees you up to concentrate on throttle, brake, steering. Car control. And virtually all paddle shifted transmissions allow you to change gears faster than the time required to push in a clutch pedal, row a gear, and release the clutch pedal. And don't forget to add in the time it takes to take your hand off the wheel and reach for that shifter handle. It's just another example of computers enhancing man's capability. Superhuman.
That visceral sensation of manually yanking back and forth on a stick is powerful and undeniable. I love it too. Then feet from my desk are two paddle shifted autos, one Richmond 6, one T-56 and two Harley Davidsons. Out in the parking lot is a paddle shifted dual-clutch Audi. I enjoy them all. Shifting the Richmond 6 or T56 is like reaching down into the transmission and grabbing the shift forks.
But it can be hard to admit that as amateur drivers, manually changing gears has its drawbacks. And it's not just shift time. Consider power loss during coupling interrupt. And don't forget that occasional missed shift or non shift due to hesitation or confusion. But all that gets washed away by the visceral sensation of manually changing gears--espcially on a message board. After seven years of making and selling paddle shifters and transmission controllers, I've heard it all. And I take it in stride.

To me it sounds (and looks) like this: "Man, I'm keepping mu typewriterr. No computerised word processor forr mee. Ever!! When I push the keys on my yypewriter, I feel each letter's arms swing forward snd mechanically thwack the paper. And then it smaks back home. What a feelingg. I feel connected to te paper. Typewriters fprever! Wprd peocessors are for girlz and handicaped people. Typewriters forever.

That analogy sounds pretty silly, but it provides some perspective. Desktop computers and word processing software killed the typewriter. Paddle shifters are simple input devices--not unlike the keyboard or mouse in front of you. It's a tool connected to a computer. And a computer is a device that simplifies or multiplies our abilities as humans. Once you get past that notion, you might see yourself entering a corner faster, shifting without hesitation and focusing on the perfect line. I do. Paddle shifters are fun. It's just a different kind of fun.

[Steve Chryssos]

Originally Posted by nvr2fst

Just curious if anybody knows about Mastershift's new paddle shift set up. I think it was debuted at Sema for the "manual fanatics". Although the clutch pedal is not deleted for those who strive on the " 3 pedal way or no way" it does eliminate the manual thrashing gears through the console and putting them up at the wheel. Any thoughts? I heard it may be released some time in January. I personally like the idea of the paddle shifted auto (attributing I guess getting older or getting lazier) and twist machines product is right up there against todays auto technology, but I already have a manual 6 speed and debating on going opposite.
Dave

Disclaimer: Twist Machine provides paddle shifters for Mastershift.

No other company has made more progress towards adapting mechatronic manual technology for hot rods. And it's been a long road. Mastershift has spent years refining the process. Mechatronic manuals have been around since the late 80's (in racing) For OE applications, where every car that rolls off the assembly line is identical, the technology has been perfected. But in the world of hot rods, every car is unique. Making a product that can be adapted to a wide range of applications is the challenge. Adaptation is the key word. Mastershift has done it. And I think the price is reasonable. Big progress has been made in just the last six months. If the Mastershift system interests you, give them a call. Be prepared to spend some time discussing how the system works and how it installs to see if it fits your needs.

[nvr2fst]

Originally Posted by streetfytr68

Disclaimer: Twist Machine provides paddle shifters for Mastershift.

No other company has made more progress towards adapting mechatronic manual technology for hot rods. And it's been a long road. Mastershift has spent years refining the process. Mechatronic manuals have been around since the late 80's (in racing) For OE applications, where every car that rolls off the assembly line is identical, the technology has been perfected. But in the world of hot rods, every car is unique. Making a product that can be adapted to a wide range of applications is the challenge. Adaptation is the key word. Mastershift has done it. And I think the price is reasonable. Big progress has been made in just the last six months. If the Mastershift system interests you, give them a call. Be prepared to spend some time discussing how the system works and how it installs to see if it fits your needs.

Steve,
Thanks for your input on my Nov. post. I have contacted them since then and have reviewed the info they sent me on mechanics of operation, installation and trouble shooting issues they have had in the past. I was just a little leary after seeing a certain mustang not perform very well through the mastershift unit, but rumor has it that the driver was not used to or prepared for this shifting operation. Yes, I agree the cost is reasonable. Right now Im waiting on some info from them on there harness.
Thanks again,
Dave

[Steve Chryssos]

Originally Posted by nvr2fst

.....I was just a little leary after seeing a certain mustang not perform very well through the mastershift unit, but rumor has it that the driver was not used to or prepared for this shifting operation. .....

And think about that car's engine. A twice blown small block has a less than predictable power curve. It's a moving target as far as calibration is concerned. A runaway freight train. If you're seriously considering a mechatronic manual, keep outside variables to a minimum. A torquey, predictable engine with a wide flat power curve and the right final drive ratio will go a long way.

That might blow your mind a little. Gotta equate shift time to rpm and power band. A 500 rpm window for shift time is fine. If the engine spins right to redline that window becomes critical. When a human misses a shift, or shifts too slow, the human says "Oops, my bad. Let's go to Starbucks and get a couple of double shot latte's". When an expensive computer performs in the exact same way, the human says "You #@$% piece of $%$#, I want my money back!"

An SMG BMW shifted faster than 99.9% of its human owners, but the system was criticized, nonetheless, for not shifting quick enough.

I always enjoy talking about this stuff. Sorry for blabbering.

[nvr2fst]

Thanks Steve,
I appreciate the feedback and trust me I dont feel your blabbering.
Your expertise in this field weather it be auto or manual is great knowledge and I always look forward to reading posts that you chime in on.
Looking back about 3 yrs ago when I was thinking about redoing the camaro, my thoughts were simple upgrades and a repaint until I came across this forum about 2yrs ago. Dam u Lateral G LOL
Thanks again Steve,
Dave