Want some opinions on what's more fun to drive or more involving. I haven't driven any SMG yet, just MT and tiptronic slushers. My V6 passat has a 5 speed automatic with tiptronic, but it's nowhere near as fun as a real MT.

Basically if you were buying a M3 or a 360 would you rather have a SMG or a MT ?

By all accounts the SMG will get you around the track faster, and if launch control is incorperated it may get you better take offs. That's all well and good, but is it as fun to drive as a 3 pedal MT?

Also the Slushers in the AMG's for example are said to be nearly as good as the SMG's at holding gear and while shift times are not as fast as a SMG they may shift as fast as a regular MT. Also with some engines types these may be better able to take advantage of the forced induction to spool up or keep boost while shifting. Note I'm not sure I agree with this type of transmission in a sporty car.

 

I like my SMT a lot, but I won't say it's either more or less quick than the standard manual or more or less fun. It definitely lets you make more concentration available, though, for the parts which a computer CAN'T do well. If a computer can do a rev-matched downshift quickly and absolutely perfectly each time... what's not to like?

 

I think the better your heel-toe teqhnique, the more fun you "give up" with an SMG.

I think if I was buying a 360 (yea, right), I'd have to go with the F1 shifting...

M3 would be a harder decision.

 

the smg is awsome on the M3. drove it yesterday, it is the real deal bang-into-gear shet. Not as fun as clutch but faster, triptronic is the girls version of SMG

 

ferrari i'd get an F1.
bmw i'd get SMGII definitely.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pierceman
[B]the smg is awsome on the M3. drove it yesterday, it is the real deal bang-into-gear shet.

 

One thing I am curious about is why Porsche has the tiptronic tranny(which is just an auto) and Toyota has put the money and the time to put a REAL sequential trans in their 24k dollar MR2 spyder??? weird huh?

Another thing; is BMW's SMG a REAL sequential like the Enzo, the 360, the 575 and the MR2? or is it just a beefed up version of the tiptronic and the sportomatic???

 

The BMW, Ferrari, and Toyota use a clutch, rather than a torque converter. This makes them "real" computer actuated, hydraulically shifted manuals rather than highly tuned automatics.

I think defining these as real "sequential" shift transmissions is a misnomer. There are plenty of sequential shift (typically racing) transmissions that do not have computer activated, hydraulically actuated paddle shifting.

 

thnx

 

Porsche currently uses a tiptronic probably only because that is what was available at the time they introduced it. Word has it that they will be using a version of Audi's DMG in their next version (997), which is to be said that is is even more advanced than BMW's SMG. It essentially has two transmissions in one and still is in one gear while shifting into another so there is no momentary shift lag. BMW is the real SMG, almost the exact opposite of the tiptronic. Mercedes uses a very good auto in their AMG cars, probably the best around right now is in their E55's.