At the Tokyo auto show there was a S2K fitted with sequential 6 speed sys. They say it will be made folks that have imployed squential gear boxes on bimmers and mercs. So that makes me believe it's being made my Siemens which does mostly Bimmers and Mercs and is based in Germany. Though I wish it was from Magnetti Marelli that supplies racers of all types of racing and they makes the gearbox sys used by Ferrari F1 cars and roadcars and new Austin Martins. But we can't get everything I'm sure that more then likely with be F1 paddle shift on the S2K will probably push the car into 40 grand region easy if it makes it state side.

But if your all out race I think the best is the new Gemini 6 speed sequential with quick-shift ignition cut..which means you never have to take you foot off the throttle. This sys makes upshifts in mere 10 milliseconds which is faster then a F1 car which I believe is around 13 milliseconds.

 

Screw those weak *** sequential systems. Just look at the BMW one, the Mercedes one, even Porsches one is weak. They all take forever to shift since its essentially a manually shifted AUTO tranny. The real deal is the Ferrari F1, which is an electronically shifted manual. Maybe Hondas new one is different, but if its anything like the Sportshift Ludes, forget it.

 

Ok I can't say anything about the Bimmers since I don't remember much about its trans. But I can tell you go drive a AMGSLK32 Merc comes with sequential or auto manuel but it performs better shifts then the stick and also does 0-60mph in 5.1sec...but most that tyme is spent spinning your tyres with 332lbs of torque at just above 4k. Also the tiptronic trans in Porsche is the same sys you will find in the new MR-S with sportshift that new option for 02' MY. The Porsche sys takes about half the time it takes for regular auto box and stick shift to shift into gear. I believe it only takes around 20 milliseconds for a shift. Someone go measure 20 milliseconds and tell me if they can shift that fast. Alfa Romero Salespeed trans shifts in around 15-17milliseconds..I just remember its noticably faster then the Porsche sys. Also the MR-S when it was tested was tested against a Ferrari 360 with F1 paddle sys and they up shifted almost the same the ferrari being faster but down shifting was won by the toyota because they where hella alot smoother. Also most newer sys you can select what you want like econo gearing or sport gearing. Most are using CVT so they can basically use virtually any # of gear ratios. Also if it only takes the porsche sys less then quater of a sec to shift into gear I doubt a person will be able to beat a shifting speed like that.

Also the Gemini sys I mention is being put in turner Lotus Elise's. I mention these gear boxes were used in the Le Mans races and also Skip Barber is using them in there open wheel car series now.

 

Hmm, i dont reacall mercedes ever offering a manual tranny in the US, but i could be wrong. As for the Porsche, my mom has a Boxster S with tiptronic, and ill tell you, i can shift a hell of a lot faster than that slushbox can, maybe it only takes 20 milliseconds to shift, but there is usually a slight delay on upshifts and you have far less control, esp. on downshifts. The Gemini system is probably a manual tranny with a hydraulicaly operated clutch and gears. This is similar to ferraris setup, but im sure costs an arm and a nut. Oh, and about the MR-S, i think that has the buttons like the IS300, Celica, etc, which shifts pretty weakly. Last time i drove one it sucked, maybe the new ones are better. Im not trying to knock Sequential systems, its just that most(not all) of them were not designed to shift hard or extremely fast, but more for luxury car owners who are feeling "sporty". Plus, i just love heel-toeing

 

There is a good article in the latest EVO (british magazine) about the different gearboxes available: BMW M3, Ferrari 360 F1, Merc. AMG, MR2 etc. etc.
The normal gearbox they're comparing against is the Honda S2000.

This magazine also includes articles about the new Civic Type R and the new Integra (RSX) Type R.
Highly recommended magazine!
/Tom

 

Yeah, that EVO magazine is sweet, but its like $7.00 here in the US. Guess ill have to make a run to the bookstore and pick one up anyways

 

Well, it’s like $8.50 here in Sweden, about the same as your american magazines over here…

 

SLK Roadster (230 and 320) and the new C-class sport coupe offer manual trannies. Go to http://www.mbusa.com for verification

 

Well there is fine reason for delays on tiptronics trans and it deals with the computer learning shifting habits of the driver..if the drivers change it will always initial try to shift like normal driver. So it would take it time to adapt to the new driver. That and new #'s from the AMGSLK 0-60mph in 4.8 secs with your so call slush box.

Yeah I get EVO,Autocar, TopGear, CAR and Japanese sport car and that mag is thin compared to EVO but it cost almost the same amount.

Hey Swedish ITR which EVO is that the last one I got is the one with new Lamborghini Murcielago on the cover with the 911 super test it was issue 36 Oct. I haven't gotten Nov issue there normally few weeks behind here on oversea mags.

 

Just FYI, the BMW SMG II tranny that will be available on the new M3's is a standard gearbox with a computer controlled clutch. In other words it's like Ferrari's system. It also has a ton of programmable modes that allow you to get the best launch and also adjust the speed of the shift.

 

...a sport shift/sequential auto tranny and a semi-autmatic F1 style tranny. The newest itteration of the semi-automatic F1 sytle gearbox is found in the new 2002 e46 M3's and is labeled as the SMGII[$2400 option here in the US], there is both fully automatic shifting modes, and six semi-automatic shifting modes, the fastest one allows upshifts to be completed in 8milliseconds, which is actually fasther than the Ferrari F1 tranny found in the 360 Modena, and the 98/99 F355's!
Also, you don't have to lift your foot off the throttle when upshifting either, since teh gear changes are made by ECU interuptions of the motor and the gear changes are made using a pneumatic system.
Lastly, I believe F1 x-trac tranny's shift at ~ 2-4 milliseconds, significanlty faster than any roadgoing car, to date!

 

Well remember F1 cars are fully auto gear boxes where it just works by it self without any shifting though some drivers still use it. But Juan Montoya wasn't very often when driving..and why not hell if the computer can do everything for you and and you only have to worry about passing people then thats just few things you don't have to do in cockpit. Well unless E-trac released a new gearbox it was running 11-12milliseconds. Because if it's 2-4 milliseconds is so small time frame hell you couldn't really shift any faster then that since thats like instant without any delay at all. Hell when down shifting would be like as soon as your downshift into the one gear and sound of shift hits you, your already going down to the next gear.

 

Uh, I'll stay with the deliciously scrumptous 6 speed MANUAL trans... For the money I'd much prefer to have an i-VTEC 2.0L DOHC version of the F20C and a fix of the 1970's Porsche 911-type oversteer in that car...

 

[Hey Swedish ITR which EVO is that ]


It's the Nov. issue.
It has the new Merc SL, Maserati Spyder, BMW M3 and Jag XKR on the cover.

By the way, I was on the launch party for the Maserati Spyder here in Sweden last week, it was sweet, but the shop where it was held also had some Ferrari 360's, 550's and 456's in stock, and those are in my opinion a bit more desireable, especially the 360. It was a cool event, I got to sit in all cars and the food and wine/beer was free...

 

Hey Swedish ITR, are there made Swedes that are into Honda ITR, etc... If so thats cool...What about Volvo??....Have you heard of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden?

 

I've been passing through Ornskoldsvik a couple of times on my way to the northern parts of Sweden. That's the hometown of Peter Forsberg (The hockey player who used to play for Colorado Aval.) Why are you asking? Do you know people there, or have you ever been there?

There's not that many people here in Sweden that are into the Japanese cars, European cars are what's big here. But it's growing, we got two 10 sec. Supras here in Stockholm now and that gets a lot of attention.

Of course Volvo is big over here, my family used to have a couple of station wagons. Swedish people love station wagons! Some of the Volvos with turbo are pretty quick though... (a lot of tuned ones around)

I'd say there's only about 10 ITRs here though, since Honda only sold 5 or 6 of them back in '98. Mine is imported from Germany.

 

No system you can puchase can shift in 20 milliseconds. I believe it is closer to 80. As for the best system out there, its the BMW SMG II, not the Ferrari F1.