SSinPA

I think the SS/SC should have had a sequential paddle shift tranny....how cool would that be. clutchless so sitting in traffic isn't such a pain. automatic rev matching on the downshift and almost instant gear engagements...What does everyone think?

killianss

drive an auto if you think sitting in traffic is "such a pain" ... mabey?

SSinPA

sports cars don't have autos they aren't as durable and can't handle the power......that is why alot of cars are either using the new CVT trannys or sequential....paddleshifters are the future

D4u2s0t

i think paddle shifters would be a cool option... i would have loved a manual, i don't like automatic... i learned on a manual, first car was manual, etc. but i drive so much for work that it's just a pain in the ass here in north jersey. driving anywhere in the summer blows, and i'm glad i have an auto. but other times i wish i had a manual. i realize a paddle shifter isn't really the same as a stick, but it's a good best of both worlds kinda compromise.

IMADreamer

It'd add 5k to the cars price tag and all the sudden this car isn't that cool at 25k.

Plus I've driven an 360 modena F1 and it's a novel idea but I really wanted a manual tranny bad.

Honestly stickshift is easy even in traffic so I say don't be a pansy and get a stick.

killianss

hey what is that CVT? i see nissan is advertising with it never really seen it or kno what it is.

SSinPA

CVT is continuously variable transmission...basically a gearless tranny that uses belts to constantly adjust the gear ratios...no set ratios and no shift shock when shifting...and for those of you who want to flame me and call me a pansy i have a 06 SS/SC so i do drive stick....why is it that most high end sports cars use it....and the new Mitsubishi lancer has it and costs only 20 grand

IMADreamer

continuously variable tranny, meaning there are no gears to shift per se. It's very common on farm tractors.

heyitsmikey1987

bullshit i had an automatic z28 with mods it was great for the track

IMADreamer

the Mitsu is an auto tranny that you can shift, don't mistake it for a clutchless manual like in a Ferrari or for BMWs SMG tranny. It still has a torque converter.

clutchless manuals are a great technology in a high end car but to get a real good smooth clutchless manual type tranny would cost a lot of money in our cars because GM doesn't have one and probably won't any time soon. They would most likely stick a crappy slushbox in there and stick some paddles on it so you could "select" gears. Trust me it's not that cool.

Most cars that you think of as "paddle shift" are actually automatic transmissions with torque converters.

SSinPA

true but the ability to select gears yourself instead of a computer gives you more control....and the instant gear engagement helps alot too.....don't get me wrong i love a manual i have always driven one but the concept of paddle shifters is great.

IMADreamer

well see that's where your lack of experience with those type of trannys misleads you. Even in the high end sports cars like the 360 modena I drove you can only go to the gear it wants you to and when it wants. In a way it's a safety feature but it's really annoying. Let's say I'm cruising at 65 and want to downshift to have some fun. You could easy go down to 3rd to do it but the computer only lets you go to 4th. This is a common problem with this type of tranny. All the high end cars have had this issue from Astons, Ferrari, Pagani, and others. I've heard the new 430 is much better about this but I can't confirm it.

I gaurantee you the cars with automatics that you can shift suck ass when it comes to downshifting unless it's one of the AMG cars with speedshift or something really high end. I've yet to drive a lower end car with the automaticshiftothingyfeature that actually lets you shift down at a decent speed.

Like I said earlier it's a novel idea, but especially on lower end cars I would never want it. I will also take my Ferrari with a stickshift please.

fbaero10

lol the cobalt is not a sports car. and i see 350z automatic, lol

IMADreamer

true and so doesn't every Mercedes so I guess the SL65, SL55, CLK55, and the SLR are not sports cars. lol Well I will take those not sports cars anyday.

fbaero10

lol who wouldnt?

knwldge54

On a 200hp car? It may be cool to fabricate but it seems better situated on newer Corvettes instead.

E-Town SS

In the car that I drove with paddle-shift technology, it needed like the tranny took some time to actually shift once I tapped the paddle to go up or down a gear. Still though, it made me "feel" like I had more control of the tranny which was nice.

However, even if you have an automatic, can you not drop it into 3rd or 2nd and sort of have it act like a manual transmission?/ Just a thought.

D4u2s0t

it's not so much being a "pansy" as it is getting sick of driving in bumper to bumper traffic. you live in illinois, so you may not understand what norht jersey/new york traffic is all about. i normally drive a few hundred miles on the weekend, and try going anywhere on the parkway in the summer. you don't move. a trip that would normally take you 45 minutes may now take over 3 hours. like i said, sometimes i regret not having a manual, but others i enjoy just being able to get in and push the gas and not worry about anything else.

IMADreamer

I undestand some people live in a lot heavier populated cities then I do. I'll be honest I live in a small town with not much traffic but I've spent plenty of time in Chicago and St. Louis both of which has tons of traffic. I've just never seen it as a hassle to me to drive stick in traffic. I guess a manual transmission is just second nature to me and I don't even pay attention to it being there. If someone wants an automatic then by all means get one, I'm not going to knock someone on how they choose to spin their money, but when it comes to sports cars you usually are making sacrifices in creature comforts like an auto tranny. Granted the cobalt is no sports car.

The technology to do a true clutchless manual is just too expensive for GM to develope for this car and I'd rather see manual only over an auto with a flappy paddle gear box.


What car did you drive? That makes a world of difference. In the Ferrari I drove upshifts were nearly seemless. You knew you shifted because you could feel it but there was no delay. Downshifts however....... Mercedes while using an auto transmission really makes up and downshifts seemless though. They deserve some major credit, but it still only shifts when it feels like it wants you to.

SSinPA

I drove a Hyundai Tiburon with an autostick type tranny and it let me do whatever i wanted as long as the revs didn't redline....it held the gear when i wanted to and only shifted for me if i forgot and let it go into redline...it downshifted when i told it to as well and that is by no means a top end car. and by the way i don't care what car you drive why would you wanna drop it at 65 from 6th gear to 3rd anyway....if i was a tranny i wouldn't let that happen either.

what do you mean lack of expirence...because i've never driven a ferrari? Experience tells me you wouldn't drop any car at 65mph from 6th gear to 3rd "to have a little fun" meanwhile your tranny is in the middle of the road behind you.

IMADreamer

If I were I were on the high way and wanted to pass someone in my SS and I was going 65 I'd put it in 3rd. In almost every car I've ever driven I would do that. Why wouldn't you? What would you do keep it in high gear? I think you need to learn your gear box a little better. Hell second goes past 50 in the SS. Going to third is not going to hurt the tranny one bit.

I suggest you go out and drive your SS today and learn where the gears start and stop.

bluebaltjim

the new gti has paddle shifters and the gear change time is less than any other car including all the superexpensive high end cars like ferrari and amg's. i watched a show on speed where they tested them at a track and the only downpoint was that same feature as all paddle shifters if you dont catch it on acceleration before redline it shifts for you, so if youre a fraction of a second late you're one gear higher than you want to be.

IMADreamer

Yeah VW and Audi both have well reviewed DSG/SMG type trannies.

texmanSSdude

actually, 2nd goes all the way out to like 62 or something like that before you hit 6500 in the SS/SC, so i can imagine with a stage 2 upgrade and the 7k redline, it would even be higher. i don't see what the problem would be either to drop it in 3rd at 65....

Eddie

tell that to camaro's mustangs vettes that are consistantly holding down 700+whp and pulling low 10 second et's that. and plenty more that are faster.