Automatic V Stickshift (Manual Gearbox)

Dual clutch transmissions are common in not-high-end sports cars. For example, it is an option on the VW GTi and standard on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR and Lancer Ralliart. The Nissan GT-R (which could be considered high end) uses one as well.

 

Dual clutch transmissions are still automatics. That's why they are available on automatics. I have yet to see a car with a clutch pedal with gear selector placed behind the steering wheel. It only allows you to select what gear you want manually. The actual shifting to that gear is done by the automatic transmission. You don't need a manual trans license to drive it. To me a true manual transmission is a car with a clutch. Those are the real challenge to drive and the most fun to drive.

 

Talking of fun and challenging drives, I went for a drive in a friends 1970 Series 2 LandRover last year. Basic doesn't cover it -no power steering, no synchromesh on 1st or 2nd gear, no air bag, basic heating, a/c was to open a vent under the windscreen (and avoid the angry wasps that came in through it), drum brakes all round and a top speed of about 45 mph. It was certainly a hand full, noisy and held up the traffic, but boy was it fun to drive!

 

You think that's tough you should drive 3 on the tree from the 40's -70's. It's everything you've described plus the shifter is on the steering column.

 

+1. Automated dual clutch transmissions are only automatic in that you don't do the shifting and clutch actuation by hand. There's a whole argument over which is better (e.g but F1 drivers use computer-controlled transmissions for the gearchange speed advantage!), but aside from that they really are better thought of as computer controlled manuals.

As for #2: This is also the case with some of the older Porsche models (you see it a lot in Boxsters). It's a classic automatic with paddle shifters although it has all kinds of tuning to make it feel like it isn't. The original IS (the Altezza/IS300) had them mounted on the wheel (if I recall properly). Jaguar and some/many Aston Matrin models have transmissions like this.

 

i drove a stick most of my life, but if i came to the UK and had to shift with my left hand, you might wish i had an automatic.

 

But that's the better way surely? Stronger right hand on the wheel, weaker left hand changing gear.

 

Yes, they are not.

They are completely different critters than conventional manual transmissions.

The main functional difference is that there are two mechanical paths through the transmission, one for even numbered gear ratios, one for odd numbered gear ratios so shifts can be made without interrupting power flow. They are a major divergance from conventional manual transmissions and there is no way you could cobble a manual transmission into being a DCT transmission by adding a bunch of clap-trap to it.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_clutch_transmission"]Dual clutch transmission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame].

They have been some odd-ball attempts to automate a normal manual transmission, (Renault R-8 1964 for instance) but none of them were good enough to gain significant market share for the cars they were tried in.

 

The Lamorghini DCT transmission is called e-Gear. It isn't so much fun to drive slowly.

Some of us pine for sequential transmissions with dog gears in our race cars....