Paddle shift is now an after sales option

[Lance B]

Without trying to be smart. I don't get that...

You shouldn't be chaning gears while trying to indicate or highbeam someone anyway!

In a RHD car designed for right hand drive, ie indicator/high beam on the right, I can use the indicator *and* change gears at the same time, as the right hand can use the indicator whilst still on the steering wheel and the left hand can be used to change gears.

In a LHD car but with the steering on the right(like most Euro cars and US cars) the indicator is on the left and so is the gear change, so you can't do both at the same time. It's not a big deal, it's just that it would be quicker and easier to have the paadle shifts on the steering wheel.

Many a time I have come up to a corner, or need to do a lane change at a moments notice, and I need to change down at the same time as I want to use the indicator, so it is an either/or scenario rather than be able to keep both hands on the wheel and do both at near the same time. Paddle shifts on the wheel would alleviate most of this problem as my hands never need to leave the steering wheel and thus both indicating/high beam switching and gear changing can be accomplished at the same time.

As for high beamimg, ever come up to a corner where you want to change down only to find that a car is coming the other way and you also need to dip your lights? Hard to do both at once when the high beam switch(on the indicator stalk) is on the same side as the gear lever and therefore your hand is required to do both at the same time.

[Lance B]

Looks like I am in the minority - I use D and S most of the time.

This is the beauty of a forum, seeing what everyone else does.

What is the advantage of using the paddles/gearshift to manually select gears? I thought the DSG was faster, and besides, the thing overrides my decisions in full manual mode anyway....

DSG *is* faster, but it is only faster for changing from one gear to the other *when* you compare shift speed to that of using a normal manual gearbox in normal manual cars with a normal manually operated clutch set up or torque converter auto's. DSG is *not* faster for knowing *what* gear you actually require in advance. In a DSG gearbox, the shiftspeed from one gear to the next is *exactly* the same in tiptronic mode as it is in full auto mode, but the auto mode can never *predict* what gear *you* want to use when coming up to a corner or decide to overtake. When I am coming up to a corner, I change down to the gear that *I* want before the car even *thinks* about changing gears and then it may not actually be the gear I require anyway.

I find using the tiptronic mode a much more satisfying drive as an auto gearbox can never know the correct gear all the time as it doesn't know what is coming up ahead.

Using a paddle shift makes this a whole lot quicker and easier, especially when you need to use the indicator as well as change gears using tiptronic mode.

[3Putt]

I'm with you Lance, go the paddles for sure!

Only problem is i've heard they are not in a great position, and they are a bit hard to reach (especially if you have short fiongers like me!).

Does anyone know if they are adjustable, like the Shimano RapidFires on my Trek mountain bike?

Don't know about paying $1000 for paddles, but i would shell out for launch control, ala the Golf GTI. Hope its made available, or a mod is found for it. Not likely i reckon, DSG clutch prob couldn't cope with the extra weight / grunt / 4Motion hey?

Does R36 have launch control?

[Steve]

There is launch control available for the R36, and that uses the same DSG box as the 3.2 does. I'm pretty sure it's just an ECU thing.

The paddles... well, they aren't ideal. They're small and fixed to the wheel, so finding them can be a bit hit and miss. We need to borrow the E-Gear paddles from Lamborghini...

[3Putt]

Would be all over the launch control if there was a mod.

The DSG is controlled thru a "mechatronic" unit, which has its own ECU (or similar), so if anyone knows the mod, i'm all ears...

[R36 Dreamer]

I'm with you Lance, go the paddles for sure!

Only problem is i've heard they are not in a great position, and they are a bit hard to reach (especially if you have short fiongers like me!).

Does anyone know if they are adjustable, like the Shimano RapidFires on my Trek mountain bike?

Don't know about paying $1000 for paddles, but i would shell out for launch control, ala the Golf GTI. Hope its made available, or a mod is found for it. Not likely i reckon, DSG clutch prob couldn't cope with the extra weight / grunt / 4Motion hey?

Does R36 have launch control?

The way I understand it, all cars with DSG have launch control.

To test, simply put the car in "S", turn off the ESP, and put your (left) foot on the brake. Then try to rev the car with your right foot, the clutch should disengage the gear and the car should free rev. If you hold your foot flat on the accelerator it will rev to about 3,000 rpm (petrol) and then when you take your foot off it will take off.

I am certain the 3.2 has this feature (tried it out on the test drive) and my R36 definately does.

Have a go and let me know.

[OilBurna]

hmmm might try on the way home from work... yes mr officer I was just testing my new launch control feature

[Mischa]

The way I understand it, all cars with DSG have launch control.

To test, simply put the car in "S", turn off the ESP, and put your (left) foot on the brake. Then try to rev the car with your right foot, the clutch should disengage the gear and the car should free rev. If you hold your foot flat on the accelerator it will rev to about 3,000 rpm (petrol) and then when you take your foot off it will take off.

I am certain the 3.2 has this feature (tried it out on the test drive) and my R36 definately does.

Have a go and let me know.

only certain cars have it. pretty sure no diesels across the range do

[R36 Dreamer]

only certain cars have it. pretty sure no diesels across the range do

I could be wrong, as I have never owned a diesel, so haven't ever tested.

I would have thought that it would be a pretty simple mod - but I have also heard that the early versions of DSG were unable to cope with big Nm torque loads, which is why DSG wasn't available on higher capacity petrol engines early on - maybe same for diesel as well.

[STV4SYT]

I would say i use the paddles less than 10% of the time, just driving around, it's in D, if im on a road with speed humps its manual in 3rd, if i hit the twisties i use the paddles, rarely use S it just holds the gears out higher and IMO with 350NM of torque on the TDI there is no need for it.