Paddle shifter styles?

Interesting post. My Porsche has the button shifters on the front of wheel, which I am not a big fan of. You have to push and pull to shift up and down. I much prefer the paddles behind the wheel like on my wife's Benz, even though they seem small and stubby compared to what I have seen on Ferrari.

If I may ask a question, where do you hold your hands on the steering wheel? I was taught old school 10 & 2, but have been trying to reprogram myself to use 9 & 3 hand positions...T

 

For Porsche, the optional sport steering wheel has the larger paddles behind the wheel, which are a much improved shifting experience (and beautifully tactile). The buttons, IMHO, feel too "intricate" for shifting gears.

My Audi has the paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, which I like. Given that you'd want your hands on the wheel 100 percent of the time, I prefer having them this way.

 

As a racer and track driving enthusiast my main complant about my Scud is the column mounted shifters. Every paddle-equipped race car I have driven, the GT3, Mclarens are all
Wheel mounted. My hands never leave 9 and 3 when driving with pace and I want you be able to use a single finger to shift. Fortunately downshifts are almost always in a straight line, but up shifts in a sweeper can be done with some steering input and I have to move my entire hand on the Scud wheel, defeating in part the entire purpose of the paddle.

IMO column mounted paddles are more street driving oriented and wheel more track oriented.

But this debate has raged for a long time.

 

I'm a long time track guy and I love Ferrari's mounting of the paddles. I move my hands on the wheel, pre-positioning them before turns, so they're usually fairly close to 9 & 3. Knowing that the paddles are always exactly where I expect them to be is a huge plus to me. But I don't drive formula cars, only production based cars, so I can see where someone who's used to keeping their hand in one place would prefer the paddles to move with the wheel. Still, I can't help but think that this is one that Ferrari got right, even though it doesn't follow "conventional wisdom".

 

Now I drive an Alfa 4c and I have to say... I like the Ferrari method best.

The Alfa has the paddles connected to the wheel so they move as the wheel moves. I prefer the Ferrari method of them staying still. I know where they are at all times.

And, the Ferrari paddles are bigger and set up better for a positive feel.

I didn't like the Mac 12 c either because they also move.

So far no one has beaten the Ferrari method IMO.

 

+458

Got started with the F355 F1 and then the 360 F1. Now have the 458 dct. So thats what i have been using since 2000.

Never could get used to the Porsche buttons after the Fcar system. So we ordered the manual which is what the wife wanted anyway.

The 2015 audi RS5 dct has little paddles on the wheel. Wish they were bigger. Much prefer the Fcar system by far. Maybe I'll tape some tongue depressors on those little paddles to make them bigger and see how that works. Lol

Of course I would paint them black.

Wonder if I'll say aaahhh when I shift.

 

I concur on fixed paddles: the 8C is set up that way and I like them much better than wheel-mounted ones. Fun fact: engineers wanted fixed paddles on the 4C as well. They even rigged one with column-mounted paddles to try and sway management, but ultimately failed. Luckily, they got their way on the forthcoming Giulia, which will have column-mounted paddles.

 

I have only ever driven 3 pedal Ferraris but my M3 has paddles fixed to the wheel and their placement seems wrong to me for a fast revving road car. Coming out of a tight turn, upshifting while unwinding lock means I have to think where the paddle is which is not ideal. The only sensible placement for me for road driving would be fixed E and W. Maybe I would feel differently on a track though.

I guess it all depends on how rotate your steering wheel... shuffle or over the top.

 

Doesn't Formula One have the paddles on the wheel?

 

Same here on my 997. If you have a 997.2 with PDK, you can buy a steering wheel with paddles for about $1000. I am considering that for my car, as I think the buttons are pretty awkward.

 

Agree. I was practicing with them yesterday in my 997.2S and it was a bit cumbersome. Admittedly, I'm a newby to any kind of shifting. I kept my hands at 9-3 and could use my middle finger to downshift (pull the button), and thumb to upshift (push the button). But, my wife's Benz, which has +/- paddles on wheel seems more natural...T

 

I'm with Mike on the shuffling of hand position. I generally try to keep my hands close to 9 and 3 in the turns, as that gives me the best steering control if (when) I need to catch the back end.

That said, I do that in my old school three pedal cars, not a paddle shift. But I would expect that for someone that does this, having the shifters in a constant position would be a plus.

 

I think you have to factor in turns lock to lock.

If the steering wheel requires multiple turns, then I prefer the Ferrari stationary position. Otherwise, I think it would be best to have them move with the wheel, to make shifting more natural - especially in turns.

Hence, probably stationary for road cars and moving with the steering wheel for racing cars.

 

I prefer column mounted but I can understand why some say they prefer the wheel mounted.

 

Not sure, but there's no comparison between formula car steering and production car steering. I've driven very few formula cars in my career, but one does tend to maintain hand position due to the steering ratio and cramped confines of the cockpit. Contrary to popular opinion, that's not necessarily the right thing to do in a production based car.

Someone else mentioned the fact that the ///M3 paddles are on the wheel. I hate that (fortunately, my old school ///M3 has 3 pedals). When the option exists, I use the gear lever to shift an SMG ///M3 instead of the wheel mounted paddles, which are always moving. ;-/

Like I said, Ferrari got it right.

 

I think it's a change of habit. The intent of having paddles reachable from the wheel is that you have both hands on the wheel full time -- the technology is derived from racing, where you want economy of motion and as close as possible to zero chance of driver error. So, I think Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, et al got it right in their F1 cars: "paddles" built into the steering wheel.

With a stick shift or automatic, you let go of the wheel frequently with one hand, so I suspect it's more about getting accustomed to a different driving technique. But yeah, in a road car it probably doesn't matter, because there is ample time to remove your hand from the wheel and get it back in time for any steering input. You're just not driving anywhere near as fast, so it's more personal preference than anything. That's probably why stick shifts continue in road cars but are disappearing from (non-vintage) racing.

 

Interesting preference for column-mounted paddles.

I also know where the paddles are at all times. In front of my hands, since they do not leave 9 and 3 except in a parking lot, in which case the speed of up and downshifts is a bit less important.

I just never need to move my hands when driving in any situation where a quick shift and maximum control of 2 hands on the wheel matters; hence I want the paddles next to my hands. I am that nerd with both hands at 9-3 at essentially all times.

 

I agree. I always thought I would prefer the paddles on the column. However, I find I drive my 12C with my hands always in the 9-3 position, where the wheel mounted paddles are really convenient. I also like how you can upshift or downshift with a single paddle by going in the opposite direction in the 12c. It makes it easy to shift during those moments when I cant have both hands on the wheel for some reason.

 

How much does the steering wheel rotate on an F1 car? 90deg either way from center than I think wheel mounted is the way to go.

They are wheel mounted in my Lexus but 2.9 turns lock to lock means the right paddle isn't always in the right place in slow maneuvers. Would prefer column mount on a street car but of course far prefer 3 pedal for anything other than commuting

 

I don't like wheel-mounted paddles. I find it impractical and silly to fix my hands to one spot on the wheel so I end up hunting for the paddles some of the time when driving cars with wheel-mounted paddles that move with the wheel. IMO,wheel-mounted paddles only work well if the steering is extremely quick (i.e. more than on road cars, Fcar or otherwise) and you are racing on high speed circuits (as in F1 racing on rectangular steering wheels).

 

A guy who is fairly knowledgeable once told me that Ferrari places them on the columns to deter shifting while cornering. If you watch all the idiot spin outs in super car crash videos on youtube, you can see that this makes some sense.

 

I can't speak for all cars, but obviously on the McLaren it was a matter of preference. The paddle also runs straight through the wheel so when you push on one side it pulls on the other... This is pretty much exactly how an f1 car operates so I imagine it is where they got the inspiration. As you said it is a matter of preference.


Personally, I thought I would prefer the column mounted shifters more, but after a few back to back drives I found the fixed position annoying because I had to take my hand off the wheel to flick the paddle where I can use one paddle on the 12c to up shift or Downshift if necessary. Honestly though, if I had started out driving cars with fixed paddles, I probably would have a different opinion! There is really no right or wrong answer...


However, personally I loathe... And I mean loathe, the little button shifters they used to put on the Porsche steering wheels (still do?). They confused the crap out of me for some reason and I was always up shifting when i meant to downshift... Even after spending a biz zillion hours in them!!! Switching from another car to the Porsche I would even hit the buttons when I meant to change to change the radio station!