Specifically '06 E-Gear vs. 6-Speed Manual

Oh man, my day is now complete. Thanks.

 

one e-gear owner i know loves it... but hates that there isn't a fully auto mode, you have to manually upshift, or downshift.

 

My G customer has E gear and really doenst like it. He said it horrible to drive in traffic and auto mod is horrible. Friends at the dealer said they had to replace a couple failed E gear clutchs, and yet to have any major problems on 6spds. Personally I will allways be driving a manual car and refuse to change over, its all about being one with the machine.

 

Gallardo or Murcielago? The search function will give you some clues either way.

 

Haven't checked this on the Gallardo, but on the Murci it automatically shifts for you very close to redline, or, if your buddy wants it more tame, hit the "low traction" button (car with curvy lines coming from the rear tires) and it will auto-shift at around 3250 rpms if memory serves.

 

they must of had 04-05 models... the 06 gear ratio and clutch is improved!

 

I was a 6 speed man all my life - now I have an egear - gotta say i like it!

 

of course there is a fully auto mode. My wife uses it only SOMETIMES!

 

I'm a manual six speed fan always have been, have a F-430 F-1...trully an awsome tranny but I will order a manual tranny as I enjoy the experience. The Lambo paddle shift trannys are a little more rough in shifting. (04 E gear was what I drove) so the tranny might have been improved in the newer model years.

 

i've actually been thinking about posting regarding this so the timing is perfect. i used to own an '04 Gallardo w/manual transmission, and about a month ago, replaced it with an '06 Gallardo w/e-gear. this car is the first "paddle-shifting" system i've really used, and chose it more out of curiosity. first, my impressions:

i've always been a manual guy. i like the feel and control you have over a car with a full manual, and generally think it's the better way to go. on my old '04, the dealer changed the clutch a few times under warranty. i never once launched the car, but did feel it start slipping after a while. when cold, it tended to stick a bit going into 2nd. occasionally, the gated shifter would cause you to miss a gear, and the overall shifter action was not as smooth/decisive as i would have liked. i used to own an NSX that i thought had a superb shifter (much shorter throw, much more direct/decisive action). the gear ratios on the old car did make it a bit awkward to drive. 1st gear was very long, 2nd gear was very short. but in general, i still liked having a manual, and since the dealer covered all of my clutch changes under warranty, i couldn't complain.

i now have e-gear. there are definitely some cool elements to it. 1) the downshifts are very cool. a friend of mine said that the car _sounded_ like a bull when downshifting. a very angry bull. and the auto mode is convenient when you're stuck in traffic, particularly if you drive the car frequently. also, when you go into Sport mode and turn off traction control, the shifts are almost violently fast. it shakes the car. i definitely would not be able to replicate that with a manual.

the downsides: shifts are just not smooth. there are actually 2 reasons for this.

1) because this is a true manual, it does not have a torque converter like an auto-box does. as a result, when you upshift, you will keep the accelerator down, but the computer will ease off the gas anyway (causing you to lurch forward a bit), then dis-engage the clutch, shift, engage the clutch, then apply gas again. but because you right foot stays constant, your body is not expecting the car to suddenly slow a bit. it's just not an intuitive feeling. so you feel yourself moving forward and back a bit unnaturally, even if the actual gear shift was smooth in and of itself.

2) actual gear changes are not smoothly done, depending on speed and how much you are pushing down on the accelerator. if you are applying light pressure with your right foot, the shifts are smooth. but if you are applying medium to full pressure, they tend not to be. i don't know if this is specific to e-gear or to all paddle-shifting systems, or if it's something that can be adjusted with a software change. but i've heard similar complaints from others about the lack of smoothness. it is particularly noticeable when you are slowing down to a stop. the system will automatically downshift for you as you slow, regardless of whether you are in auto mode or not. these downshifts at low speeds are not always smooth, and often times, you have to brake because it tends to lurch forward a bit as you come to a stop and the car downshifts to 2nd and 1st.

another downside: lack of control. ultimately, i prefer to have more control over the car. when i had the manual, i knew exactly what the car was capable of in the entire rev range of each gear. i could finesse the speed by letting the clutch in at certain times to control speed. i could upshift or downshift and skip a gear or two if necessary. but with the e-gear, i don't really feel the same sense of confidence or control. at first, i thought it was just experience and learning the system would take time. but i've driven over 2k miles now and i'm still not feeling what the car is about yet.

when downshifting from high speeds to very low speeds, i really don't like the action. i remember one time i was coming up to a increasing radius turn at high speed, braking hard, and the downshifts were really clumsy. i didn't want the car to downshift when it did, but i couldn't control it. and when i then wanted to accelerate again, i was in the wrong gear and it took about a half second too long for me to get in the right gear. with a manual, i can press the clutch, go into neutral, and then stick it into the gear i want and blast away. instead, if i try that on e-gear, i can put it into neutral, but when i select the "upshift" paddle to engage a gear, the system tries to select a gear that it thinks is safe based on the speed i am going (which is usually a gear or two too high), and i have to downshift to get in gear and that takes too long.

anyway, this probably sounds like i really hate the e-gear system. that's not true. if i had the chance to do it over again, i would get a manual. but the e-gear does have some bennies like i referred to above, and overall, i can live with it. but my next car will most definitely be a manual. i've heard the new double clutch systems are amazing, but have yet to experience those.

h

 

Tremendously helpful post, Henry. Thanks!

 

You had so many clutch replacements you lost track?? How many miles did you drive it?

 

Nice write up Henry. One other thing that has always bothered me about F1/SMG/EGear and "true" manual based paddle systems is how they shift when cold. All F car and Lambo gear boxes I've driven are notchy, usually to 2nd when cold. As soon as the car is warm, the synchros work correctly and the box is fine. In a paddle box the same issue exists but the gear box is just forced into gear. It seems like a lot of load on the forks and synchros and I wonder if there will be downstream issues with paddle boxes.

 

when i let go of the car after about 18 months, i had about 13,000 miles on it, so it was driven. also tracked 4 times. but i also did that with the nsx when i had it and didn't have to replace the clutch at all.

 

Great in-depth post, Henry!

 

Sounds like you *should* hate the e-gear. I would. Certainly enough negatives to leave it behind when you select options.

Gary

 

well, hate is a strong emotion i leave to things like green onions and bad plastic surgery. but most definitely, i will be choosing manual systems going forward.

 

the notchiness is true. and 2nd gear will loosen up after the car warms up like you say. funny how that works. you'd think italians used the same guys to build all their gearboxes. maybe its something in the metal gate or something.