So how do you do it? Is it the same as the auto stick in the automatic crossfire, where you just flip the paddle when you feel/hear the gear completing or no?

-Sam

P.S.: I know this isn't a 100% crossfire question so I hope you guys don't clobber me, I was just curious as to how a paddle shift works haha.

 

I've had the good fortune to drive a few very nice paddle shift equipped cars - Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano, Jaguar XF-R and XK-R - and yes, you just pull the paddle when you reach your shift point. On those cars the shift was "right now" when you pulled the paddle, and on downshifts the computer automatically matched revs. I got to drive the two XK-R fairly hard on the street and just loved it. The XF-R I got to hammer for a couple of laps on a temporary road course - with Robert Guerrero (ex Formula 1 driver and Indy 500 Pole sitter) as my instructor!! - and it was sweeeet!!!

I've also driven the current Mazda Miata with the shift buttons on the steering wheel and, well, it was less than sweet. Punch the button and...... wait for it..... shift! Yawn. More of a novelty for an automatic trans in that car. Sorta like the Autostick feature on my former 2000 Dodge Stratus ES V6. I've not driven an SRT6 so I can't attest to how quick they shift, but I know they don't rev match on downshifts.

 

IMHO, the Crossfire autostick is just OK. You really can't do a better job of up-shifting than the car's own ECU, and down-shifting benefit is reserved for the occasional passing lane boost.

I did have a couple hard runs with the new 370Z paddle shift, and it's darn hard NOT to use the things. Pretty sweet. Your thumbs rests so naturally on the paddles on the wheel that manual shifting seems instinctive. Habit forming.

 

Haha, nice. For some reason, I always figured it was hard. Another question though. I'll use the autostick for and example. Lets say I'm driving at like 40 mph and I've bumped the autostick in to "2" or second. I don't know if 40 is the limit on that gear but lets say it is. When I hit the gas, obiously the car won't go any faster because that's its threshold in that gear, so I start to hear the car get louder. What's happening when that happens? If i continue to step on the gas while being in just that gear, does it ruin the transmission? Or even when you're in a manual and you shift into second lets say and you reach your max speed in that gear, but you keep mashing the gas and don't upshift, does that ruin the transmission? Thanks guys!


-Sam

 

in auto or manual you cant hurt the tranny as the ecu takes over at redline. downshifts wont occur if its out of range of the gear you select ie: you cant shift into 1 gear at 90 mph. also it will shift into a higher gear if it determines the revs dictate it ie; 6000rpm in 1 gear the ecu will auto shift to 2
now if you are running at 4000 rpm in 3 and slam it into nuetral you could have an issue or reverse. woulndt recommend trying it!!

 

Don't have those issues with an MT6. You do what you need to do, and pay the consequences if necessary. I can tell you that the engine cuts off at the redline if you fail to upshift in time. Has happened to me a couple times when I got on it in 2nd gear.

 

By engine cuts off, you mean turns off or automatically upshifts?

-Sam

 

Even Mercedes can't get a manual transmission to upshift, that's why they use them newfangled automatics. No -- some kind of rev limiter cuts in. As soon as you bring it back under redline, you can upshift and continue to accelerate. It just feels like the engine cuts out when the rev limiter activates.

 

Ahh gotcha. Thanks!

-Sam