S2000 w/SMG
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,749
Likes: 1
From: Santa Monica-SoCal
a note from the editor of www.windingroad.com re: smg
I'd like to see an article on the experience
of driving with SMG and other paddle shift
transmissions. These are showing up more
and more.
But it's hard to try out from a long-term
perspective. Do I want to buy a car with
SMG only to decide three months later that
I hate it? From your brief comment in the
first issue I assume you aren't a fan. Why?
Thanks again and good luck.
Terry Nicholson
Actually, we have a warm spot in our
hearts for sequential manual transmissions.
The question is whether SMG fits
with your engine choice and driving style:
Big deal #1 is this: A traditional manual is
less smooth than SMG. As a result, a traditional
manual lets you feel more of the
dynamics of bringing on the power with
each shift (as you let out the clutch and
then bring on the power). This non-linearity
makes a traditional manual feel faster
at street speeds. This is most impactful
with lower power/torque engines. With
more torque, SMG still feels punchy
because you don't need the artificial
non-linearity of the transmission to generate
the sensation. The engine does it.
Also, SMG seems more beneficial with
larger engines because the traditional
manuals that can handle big torque
tend to be a bit brawny and clumsy.
Big deal #2 is that SMG distances you
a small but perceptible amount from
what is happening in the machinery
down below. You pull a paddle or lever,
and then a fraction of a second later
something happens. This could be
called "the moment of uncertainty." You
don't have this in a good traditional
manual, because you feel the mechanical
action of the shifter, synchro cones,
and clutch quite directly. Some people
are bothered by this separation from
the machine more than others. The
moment of uncertainty also diminishes
over time (you build trust). Finally, for
some people, the feeling that the SMG
system will get it right, and they may
not, means that SMG actually has a
moment of uncertainty advantage (you'll
almost never stall an SMG car moving
away from a red light, nor will you miss
a shift at high speed).
If you love traditional manuals, you
won't necessarily hate SMG, but you'll
never love it either. On the other hand, if
you prefer manuals to automatics, but in
your heart of hearts you don't love the
action of shifting, SMG is the weapon of
choice. If the engine you're looking at has
more than 300 lb.-ft. of torque, SMG is
even easier to love.
I personally have driven a nice dsg tranny and while faster blah blah blah, it was as exciting as playing gt4 at home.
I'd like to see an article on the experience
of driving with SMG and other paddle shift
transmissions. These are showing up more
and more.
But it's hard to try out from a long-term
perspective. Do I want to buy a car with
SMG only to decide three months later that
I hate it? From your brief comment in the
first issue I assume you aren't a fan. Why?
Thanks again and good luck.
Terry Nicholson
Actually, we have a warm spot in our
hearts for sequential manual transmissions.
The question is whether SMG fits
with your engine choice and driving style:
Big deal #1 is this: A traditional manual is
less smooth than SMG. As a result, a traditional
manual lets you feel more of the
dynamics of bringing on the power with
each shift (as you let out the clutch and
then bring on the power). This non-linearity
makes a traditional manual feel faster
at street speeds. This is most impactful
with lower power/torque engines. With
more torque, SMG still feels punchy
because you don't need the artificial
non-linearity of the transmission to generate
the sensation. The engine does it.
Also, SMG seems more beneficial with
larger engines because the traditional
manuals that can handle big torque
tend to be a bit brawny and clumsy.
Big deal #2 is that SMG distances you
a small but perceptible amount from
what is happening in the machinery
down below. You pull a paddle or lever,
and then a fraction of a second later
something happens. This could be
called "the moment of uncertainty." You
don't have this in a good traditional
manual, because you feel the mechanical
action of the shifter, synchro cones,
and clutch quite directly. Some people
are bothered by this separation from
the machine more than others. The
moment of uncertainty also diminishes
over time (you build trust). Finally, for
some people, the feeling that the SMG
system will get it right, and they may
not, means that SMG actually has a
moment of uncertainty advantage (you'll
almost never stall an SMG car moving
away from a red light, nor will you miss
a shift at high speed).
If you love traditional manuals, you
won't necessarily hate SMG, but you'll
never love it either. On the other hand, if
you prefer manuals to automatics, but in
your heart of hearts you don't love the
action of shifting, SMG is the weapon of
choice. If the engine you're looking at has
more than 300 lb.-ft. of torque, SMG is
even easier to love.
I personally have driven a nice dsg tranny and while faster blah blah blah, it was as exciting as playing gt4 at home.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 800
Likes: 0
From: The O.C.
Originally Posted by Ks320,Aug 1 2006, 07:52 PM
The difference is that F1 cars are meant for racing only. The cars need every single millisecond that humans can possibly shave off. It's not about the driving experience there.
Afterall, the S2000 is only a normal (maybe limited) production car. It's a car that people drive for fun on public roads and occasional track events.
Afterall, the S2000 is only a normal (maybe limited) production car. It's a car that people drive for fun on public roads and occasional track events.
Registered User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta
Please leave my favorite car alone. I've driven a 3 series with BMW's SMG thingy and while it does shift extremely fast, it's still missing a pedal. It takes 3 hands to press the buttons to get it to do a clutch dump, and even then, it's not the same.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post