Jul 11, 2009
643
0
Dorking
Drove a BMW today with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Each one changed up when pulled back with your fingers, to change down you pushed your thumb down on a raised section at the top of the shifter. This meant I could change up and down with one hand on the wheel, a better design than the SEAT shifters I think. In my car I change up with the R/H shifter and change down with the gear lever as the wheel isn't always in the right place to reach the left paddle. Anyone else got experience of other shifters, ie; the Porsche type which is different again?
 
Porche PDK is operated with the thumb, right thumb is up and left thumb is down. Pretty stupid operation but sound mechanics, it's the best system available IMO but pretty old technology.
 
Also one thing that ive found silly. With the shifter it push forward to shift up. It should really be pull back to shift up for easier use just like in every touring car and rally car in Motorsport.
 
Also one thing that ive found silly. With the shifter it push forward to shift up. It should really be pull back to shift up for easier use just like in every touring car and rally car in Motorsport.

Yep, I agree. I have the same issue with motorbike gearboxes, almost all of those are round the wrong way too
 
the Jaguar ones are the same, porsche changed from the thumb pdks now have same as ours.

Maserati is quite nice on the gran sport with the paddles being fixed either side. ferrari and aston martin do the same.

all nice systems in fact i find day to day bmw is the worse. But then I just don't like them they are very cheaply made cars.
 
Need to buy a 'proper' BMW ;)

Anything with SMG (M-cars) afaik has an UP paddle on the right and a DOWN paddle on the left - both pull type, so you can pretend like you're Michael Shoe-maker :drive1:
 
Need to buy a 'proper' BMW ;)

Anything with SMG (M-cars) afaik has an UP paddle on the right and a DOWN paddle on the left - both pull type, so you can pretend like you're Michael Shoe-maker :drive1:

yup but still arn't very good lol. takes an age for it to match engine revs on the downshift.
 
Not in my experience ...unless you've not had the setting turned up high enough :blink:

E46 M3 came with a 'CSL' gearbox update from BM' around '04 IIRC which blips the throttle on the down-change perfectly.
 
Not in my experience ...unless you've not had the setting turned up high enough :blink:

E46 M3 came with a 'CSL' gearbox update from BM' around '04 IIRC which blips the throttle on the down-change perfectly.

still not a fan compared to some of the other systems. still sluggish.