The death of the clutch pedal

[Big time]

Paddles ( they still have clutches ) aren't really any more expensive to repair !
The selectors are designed to operate sequentially ( same as bike 'boxes ) and having double clutches means less stress so likely to last better AND again not any more difficult to repair.
Now, the electronic smarts for all the rev matching etc that will be in performance cars will be complex, but aftermarket for race cars now are cheap so can expect same in future.

Many otherwise good (street) cars get dumped when the auto transmission fails as it's too expensive and complicated to repair or replace.
Paddles and robots will only make it worse.

[Matra et Alpine]

What modern auto failure rates ?
I agree the old hydraulic change with the mass of chambers and fluid paths was horrendous with an awful slush box on top.
But a DSG with PROPER clutches is no more difficult/complex realy than a manual.

[RacingManiac]

I think there are a lot of calibration/mechatronic development associated with DCT/DSG type transmission...I think looking at VW's DSG and even Nissan's DCT in the GTR, where some failure have happened, and was fixed through some relatively minor hardware/software upgrade, there are stuff still to be learned from how to employ them properly....

[pimento]

Wasn't the GTR's grenading 'fixed' by nerfing launch control on the early ones? A software fix to a hardware problem.

[Ferrer]

I've heard horror stories about VAG's double clutch gearboxes as well.

[RacingManiac]

Wasn't the GTR's grenading 'fixed' by nerfing launch control on the early ones? A software fix to a hardware problem.

A lot of it has to do with engagement strategy and material use. Compare to automatic gearboxes with a "elastic" torque converter, the slip and engagement strategy is critical to the life of the hardware, and there are different strategy for different load as well....

VW's first gen DSG has a lot of issue with the mechatronic unit, which controls the shifting operation based on ECU command....

The GTI had just gotten a firmware update on the DSG as well, and it changed a lot of the low speed behavior of the transmission...

[Matra et Alpine]

How many of these failures are down to launches tho' ? Not what the average car has to face

[teatako]

OK - so I read the thread and while I agree pushing a pedal with your left foot and moving a lever with one of your hands does seem to be an integral part of the so-called driving experience, it may be a little early to be saddened by the demise of the ritual of manual gear-shifting.

Yes, the companies that make the most desirable cars on Earth have been adapting themselves to the 21st century and its new customers' demands, but to say every über-rich super car customer is the same would be oversimplifying.

The modern performance car isn't about raw speed but about enhancing the experience, in my view. And I think many car enthusiasts may feel the same way.

I would expect a few customers in the future still expecting a visceral driving experience and more of a physical interaction with their car, especially when they realize their neighbor's Ferrari is too easy to drive. Who knows? I can think , off the top of my head, of a three-piece steering wheel where you pull towards your chest the left side of it to downshift, right side to upshift. Maybe some sort of weird thing where you flap paddles AND press a clutch. Something to keep the illusion of physical effort and interaction with the car. Mucho macho, isn't that what performance motoring is about?

[jcp123]

Sure it would. As mentioned, it's a "feel" thing. Even clutching my bike is deadened by the all-too-easy click of the ratcheting shifter...there's something satisfying about rowing your own gears with a proper clutch and gearshift I can't put into words.

[cali]

i start losing interest with a sports car w/ an automatic transmission. what's the point of having it?