Paddle Shifter -problem
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Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2005
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Paddle Shifter -problem
I drove the 06 with paddle shifters and I think GM missed the boat. The natural sport position is to have your left hand on the wheel and your right hand on the stick. I was taking turns hard on a great road in back country San Diego and it did not feel natural or fun. My friends BMW 530 has the sport mode and you just tap the gear shifter and it gives the old time stick feel. For 07 I would rather have radio controls on the wheel and tap the shifter to change gears.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: South Glastonbury CT
St. Jude Donor '06
Originally Posted by dmeyers
I drove the 06 with paddle shifters and I think GM missed the boat. The natural sport position is to have your left hand on the wheel and your right hand on the stick. I was taking turns hard on a great road in back country San Diego and it did not feel natural or fun. My friends BMW 530 has the sport mode and you just tap the gear shifter and it gives the old time stick feel. For 07 I would rather have radio controls on the wheel and tap the shifter to change gears.
active, upshifts are delayed to increase your control of the
vehicle. This takes away from the overall feel.
--Mike
Pro
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I don't know what you are talking about! I had a BMW 330 with the sport shift and an 06 paddle shift. There is no comparison! The paddle shift is much better and more natural. Maybe it is a presonal thing, but there is nothing "natural" about either position, it is just what you are comfortable with. 
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 27,420
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From: San Clemente CA
Originally Posted by black783
Thanks for the report!!
To me though...just having the right hand in action isn't enough...that left foot needs to moving also.
To me though...just having the right hand in action isn't enough...that left foot needs to moving also.
A Corvette is meant to be shifted by hand and left foot. 
Moderator
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Northern Virginia
Cruise-In I Veteran
Originally Posted by VET4LES
A Corvette is meant to be shifted by hand and left foot. 
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2005
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I own a 05 VY z51 vert auto and my other sport cars are both sticks I chose auto in my c6 due to wanting everyday driver. I am also sceptical on the paddle shifter option on the c6 (dont get me wrong) I feel GM should not have rushed to offer such a system on a TOP NOTCH sports car being it was first introduced on a GTP Boneville and without having the experience of (FERRARI,BMW and AUDI ) to name a few which all use components by MAG MORELLI who has been developing the F1 style paddles for years. I hope the system GM incorperates works well and not cause any big issues. MHO
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Moderator
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From: Northern Virginia
Cruise-In I Veteran
Originally Posted by steve miller
how can you downshift the A6, and turn the wheel at the same time?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,009
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From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
The paddle shifters are not perfect, but some of the criticisms are slightly off base:
Proper high performance driving technique calls for downshifting while going stright, in the braking zone. Trying to shift (up or down) when you have the steering wheel turned enough that the paddles are hard to use, is normally poor technique.
Proper technique also calls for keeping both hands on the wheel until the shift is needed, then returning the right hand to the wheel immediately.
If you take the class at Spring Mountain or a similar place, they will rag you without mercy until you break the bad habits.
Not that I ever had any bad habits.
Of course, my wife might disagree...
Proper high performance driving technique calls for downshifting while going stright, in the braking zone. Trying to shift (up or down) when you have the steering wheel turned enough that the paddles are hard to use, is normally poor technique.
Proper technique also calls for keeping both hands on the wheel until the shift is needed, then returning the right hand to the wheel immediately.
If you take the class at Spring Mountain or a similar place, they will rag you without mercy until you break the bad habits.
Not that I ever had any bad habits.
Of course, my wife might disagree...
Racer
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 437
Likes: 0
From: Wantagh New York
Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim
The paddle shifters are not perfect, but some of the criticisms are slightly off base:
Proper high performance driving technique calls for downshifting while going stright, in the braking zone. Trying to shift (up or down) when you have the steering wheel turned enough that the paddles are hard to use, is normally poor technique.
Proper technique also calls for keeping both hands on the wheel until the shift is needed, then returning the right hand to the wheel immediately.
If you take the class at Spring Mountain or a similar place, they will rag you without mercy until you break the bad habits.
Not that I ever had any bad habits.
Of course, my wife might disagree...
Proper high performance driving technique calls for downshifting while going stright, in the braking zone. Trying to shift (up or down) when you have the steering wheel turned enough that the paddles are hard to use, is normally poor technique.
Proper technique also calls for keeping both hands on the wheel until the shift is needed, then returning the right hand to the wheel immediately.
If you take the class at Spring Mountain or a similar place, they will rag you without mercy until you break the bad habits.
Not that I ever had any bad habits.
Of course, my wife might disagree...
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,670
Likes: 0
From: Franklin Michigan
Originally Posted by dmeyers
My friends BMW 530 has the sport mode and you just tap the gear shifter and it gives the old time stick feel.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 1
From: Rehoboth Beach Delaware
Originally Posted by steve miller
how can you downshift the A6, and turn the wheel at the same time?
I don't think it's recommended if you've done any road racing.....
Two hands on the wheel at all times unless you're shifting while in a straight line !!!
Drive a course like Lime Rock....you enter the front straight from a down hill sweeper....upshift to top gear in faster cars, but begin breaking and downshifting to maybe third gear as you pass the timing tower and start seeing the distance markers leading you into the big bend sharp curve....hardly have time to think let alone take one hand off the wheel as you enter the curve. All your gears should be set and braking completed prior to entering the curve...if not you end up in the grass !!!
Ergonomically easier to downshift a paddle mount on the wheel as one or both of your hands are always in postion to hit the paddle ???
Last edited by RBYCC; Oct 15, 2005 at 12:03 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 1
From: Rehoboth Beach Delaware
Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim
The paddle shifters are not perfect, but some of the criticisms are slightly off base:
Proper high performance driving technique calls for downshifting while going stright, in the braking zone. Trying to shift (up or down) when you have the steering wheel turned enough that the paddles are hard to use, is normally poor technique.
Proper technique also calls for keeping both hands on the wheel until the shift is needed, then returning the right hand to the wheel immediately.
If you take the class at Spring Mountain or a similar place, they will rag you without mercy until you break the bad habits.
Not that I ever had any bad habits.
Of course, my wife might disagree...
Proper high performance driving technique calls for downshifting while going stright, in the braking zone. Trying to shift (up or down) when you have the steering wheel turned enough that the paddles are hard to use, is normally poor technique.
Proper technique also calls for keeping both hands on the wheel until the shift is needed, then returning the right hand to the wheel immediately.
If you take the class at Spring Mountain or a similar place, they will rag you without mercy until you break the bad habits.
Not that I ever had any bad habits.
Of course, my wife might disagree...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,365
Likes: 7
From: Parkland Florida
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Originally Posted by RBYCC
How do you downshift any manual transmission while turning the wheel???
I don't think it's recommended if you've done any road racing.....
Two hands on the wheel at all times unless you're shifting while in a straight line !!!
Drive a course like Lime Rock....you enter the front straight from a down hill sweeper....upshift to top gear in faster cars, but begin breaking and downshifting to maybe third gear as you pass the timing tower and start seeing the distance markers leading you into the big bend sharp curve....hardly have time to think let alone take one hand off the wheel as you enter the curve. All your gears should be set and braking completed prior to entering the curve...if not you end up in the grass !!!
Ergonomically easier to downshift a paddle mount on the wheel as one or both of your hands are always in postion to hit the paddle ???
I don't think it's recommended if you've done any road racing.....
Two hands on the wheel at all times unless you're shifting while in a straight line !!!
Drive a course like Lime Rock....you enter the front straight from a down hill sweeper....upshift to top gear in faster cars, but begin breaking and downshifting to maybe third gear as you pass the timing tower and start seeing the distance markers leading you into the big bend sharp curve....hardly have time to think let alone take one hand off the wheel as you enter the curve. All your gears should be set and braking completed prior to entering the curve...if not you end up in the grass !!!
Ergonomically easier to downshift a paddle mount on the wheel as one or both of your hands are always in postion to hit the paddle ???
What I meant was how do you do a hand over hand turn, and shift at the same time? Answer: You Don't!!
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 27,253
Likes: 134
From: Short Hills, NJ
Originally Posted by SDCEB
The paddle shift is much better and more natural. Maybe it is a presonal thing, but there is nothing "natural" about either position, it is just what you are comfortable with.
Two hands on the wheel at all times is a good (and safe) way to be, most race car drivers do it that way (when they're not shifting of course) as well. 