Quote:
Originally Posted by shadrach74
While I agree with much of what you've said, I take issue with the bolder statement. PDK is in fact a manual gear box with automated clutch and throttle inputs. It in fact has clutch and friction plates (2 sets). It is very fun to drive and is fast and more precise than almost any driver could be. I still find the manual tranny to be more gratifying. It's like putting a plane on auto pilot, it will hold a course more precisely and fly an ILS with no deviation, but it does not compare to the feeling one gets from hand flying well which one will lose the skill to do if always using technology to help.
I imagine people said the same thing about synchromesh when it first was introduced. Certainly there are not many folks that have a clue about double clutching anymore and on some level someone who drives a crash box well has superior skill too someone who can't.
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Sorry, chap, PDK is NOT a manual gearbox. Period. It's automatic.
What's it's not is a torque converter automatic. It's an automatic with two clutches etc. It changes gears automatically. It does not allow for manual changes. It's an automatic.
Moreover I don't care if it's faster and more precise than a human driver. That's an argument for having the car do everything as you just sit there as a passenger. It's an argument for the ultimate driver's car being one where you actually do no driving at all. And thus it's a non argument!
The synchro thing is a complete red herring too and one that people often bring up in a futile attempt to justify PDK. Synchro is just a more refined mechanism. It's doesn't take control and involvement away from the driver and hand it over to a computer and servos.