Quote:
Originally Posted by Sportstick
As an MT driver, I realize that many, if not most, attributes favor the AT. However, "engagement" is one of the very few which seems a stretch from the basic meaning of the word. The AT is a wonderful car, but it seems inescapable that there is, by definition, less to do. (BTW, I've seen no statistics on a MT being a distraction....one could speculate that AT drivers feel freer to play with their iPhones!?!?!). As to professional drivers, etc., they are focussed on pure speed to win the race. The trans is simply a means to an end, and automating it, if it is faster, is clearly the wise choice...they are not playing. For most of us MT folks, we know we are giving up maximum speed to have the involving experience of the drive. Take most of the superlatives for AT, but I think engagement stays behind.
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I think thats a pretty absurd argument to make, even for you sportstick. That because the driver doesn't have to use an extra foot to drive or take their hand off the wheel every five seconds that now all of a sudden they're checking instagram. If you want to apply that sort of flawed logic then a manual driver is much more of a danger with an iPhone in hand because now they have zero hands on the steering wheel. I never said MT is a distraction I just said that there is more for the human to do and therefore more that can go wrong. A terrible driver will do worse in manual than in automatic but I reckon a good driver will do better in automatic than in manual.
And you're making out engagement to be a concept that is built on how many things you can do at once, not the quality of what you're actually doing. It is not simple addition where just because you are doing more things (1: using a clutch, 2: shift knob, 3: and steering wheel) that the end result is higher. If anything it is the exact opposite. By simplifying the experience you can focus on the most important part of driving, which is putting the car exactly where it needs to be on the track. And with paddle shifters I can keep the car at the perfect gear ratio in a fraction of the time it takes you to shift into the proper gear, by orders of magnitude. Not to mention I have two more gears so each gear offers more precision. Any psych study out there will show that humans do not exactly excel at multitasking.
In competitive racing it is not only about max speed but it is also about safety and reliability. Speed advantages aside, I truly think it is more engaging and safe because it lets you actually do what the human is supposed to do which is DRIVE the car by focusing on the road ahead and cars around you, instead of needlessly engaging in another laborious task by having to physically adjust the power/gear ratio while removing your hands from the device that controls where your car is on the road and allowing an opportunity for human error to take place such as possibility of shifting into the wrong gear or shifting at the wrong time. Advanced AT's get it right each time every time.
Explain to me a scenario where you think you it is more advantageous to exit a corner or clear a chicane better with one hand on the wheel instead of two. Then and only then will your argument win. Unless you want to go ahead and define engaging as how many things you can do at once, in which case go ahead and use your iPhone while driving your MT, because by your current logic then you'll be reaching maximum levels of engagement.
Sidetone - Sorry for the rant, I never thought I'd be defending the automatic transmission to this extent but it needs to be clear that with less to do, there is more opportunity to perfect the necessary objective.
Sidenote 2 - Think about it in terms of DTC/DSC, is a driver more engaged with those off because now he really has to use concentrate to manage his speed going into corners so as to not produce too much wheelspin and lose traction or would that same driver be better off with them on so he can focus on his surroundings while having the computer adjust the throttle/brake/differential automatically??