JP66

So I imagine this has already generated a thread or two, and honestly I did not research the topic so if the regulars are bored with this discussion and would rather refer me to a previous thread I totally understand, but with all the aside here's the question . . .

Is the future of racing going to be all automatics?

I have another hobby flying RC airplanes, and in that world the advent of electrical motors changed the hobby forever. Many folks adhere to the older technology of gas engines but the clear trend is towards electric airplanes, and if the trend is steady gas planes will be "classics" and not actual competitors.

So from what I understand the current generation of automatic "Tiptronic" style transmissions can outperform manuals hands down so does that mean the future of racing will go fully automatic or has it already done so?

Just a newbie wondering . . .

sbelles

Yes

ShakeNBake

It'll probably be gear-less.

Sterling Doc

Some day auto racing will be quaint sport like racing horses. Automatic transmissions are but one step on the path.

winders

I don't think it will be automatics. It will continue to be dual-clutch paddle shift gearboxes with auto-blippers. The drivers will still be in charge of selecting the gears and actuating the paddles to get to them.

CharleyH

Exactly my thoughts on the subject.... Once you have driven a real paddle shift manual (not automatics with paddle actuation) you will never want to go back! That is one of the best parts of driving my Radical.

JustinL

The future is now. I can't think of any modern production race cars that use a clutch pedal for shifting gears. F1 have clutch paddles for launch, GT3 cars have a pedal to get going, but it's not used after the car is rolling.

There are of course us amateurs who race old cars with h-pattern gear boxes with clutch pedals, and Nascar probably still uses hydraulic clutches with 4 speed gearboxes.

JP66

Do the PDKs compete in the same PCA classes as the manuals? If so have the PDKs proven to be advantageous?

TXE36

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I'm not convinced "Easier" = "Better". Sure the newer shifting mechanisms are faster, but if that's all that matters the human will be removed from racing as well at some point, where the car not only shifts itself, but perhaps drives itself. Even if it doesn't get to the extreme, do we really want real racing to become just like a video game?

I personally enjoy running through the gears and doing heal-toe downshifts on the track and consider it part of the sport. It's definitely more involved than a couple of paddle shifters and a dual clutch transmission.

But then again, even I'm "cheating" a bit as I drive a synchronized box as full on "old school" would require double-clutching and an unsynced box.



-Mike

wanna911

There are really 4 categories.

Auto -

Dual Clutch -

Single Clutch Paddle -

H-Pattern Manual -


Real torque converter auto's are not advantageous to a good driver with a good manual. Even the new Z06 is faster with the manual vs the auto GM claimed shifted faster than PDK.

Single Clutch Paddle Shifters pretty much are run in all pro series. These are high costs to maintain, so I don't think this will trend into amateur racing.

Dual Clutch - banned in many racing series, but as soon as that is lifted, there will be a bunch of people driving around in auto. Like almost every 991 GT3 or Turbo driver I've seen.

Manual will still rule amateur racing and track days for some years to come because of the much cheaper cost of maintenance and older cars. Series will balance performance with difference classifications and penalties for DCT.

ProCoach

While they can still be in charge of that, the automatic (or better yet, optimal) algorithms will continue to improve, so that will be an option (at least in PDK).

This is not a bad thing. Both clients I worked with this past weekend had converted paddle shift cars. They made less mistakes, were more often able to focus on areas of safety and performance improvement and, by and large, performed at a higher level than most club-level racers because of this "aid."

Yes, I still like to row a stick every now and then, but good things are not only coming, they're here now!

Veloce Raptor

Agreed.

Many who race PDK Caymans (Caymen?) in the GTB 1.5 class run in full auto with Sport Plus on. They can text their friends, siip a latte, and do their nails on the straightaways, and left foot brake the whole time. Undeniably easier and much faster accelerating (especially when combined with DFI) but wow...totally uninvolving.

rlm328

I have had several of the younger generation who wanted to take my Cayman out for a drive. I would flip them the keys, they would run over to the car, and come slinking back in about 30 seconds because they did not know how to operate a manual transmission.

Automatics are unfortunately the wave of the future.

https://rennlist.com/forums/racing-a...vacuum+cleaner

ir_fuel

I would call that a bad thing.

gums

It's called progress, and you can fight it but you won't win.