Automatic or Manual Gearbox?

[VS_emira]

Hi Everyone,

Wondering what is your choice for the gearbox and what is your "driver" for your choice.

Thanks for sharing

From my side I intend for the Automatic Gearbox but wondering if it will be suitable for trackday or a manual one would be better

 

[PaulP]

I’m going manual with a bit of trepidation.
1) my last ICE
2) The sound of a manual upshifting is 100x better than the whaaaaaa-wuuuuuhhhhhh
3) I think it may resell better (small part)
4) Daily driver so I’m a bit nervous about all the shifting… been 20 years since I owned a manual but I DD it back then obviously

 

[TomE]

Manual for me, because I'm old and hence "old school" about the engagement of driving a manual sportscar.

The V6 auto (IPS) is very slick for a torque convertor and in sport mode it will only change when you flick the paddles, so you have complete control over when it shifts. It changes quicker than I can in a manual. In drive mode it's fully auto and looks after itself very well, plus you can override it with the paddles and it'll then revert back to auto after a few seconds. When upshifting it actually works better if you keep your foot down and flick the paddle, rather than lift off like you would do when changing gear in a manual. The auto-blip on downshifting makes you sound like a driving god!

On track in sport mode I think the auto would be fine and great fun. I've heard others say (for the Evora with the same gearbox) in auto mode it can sometimes be late on downshifting on track, because it's basing it on engine revs and braking/deceleration rather than knowing when you intend to turn in for the corner.

The i4 DCT will be even quicker to shift.

 

[Tommyboy1986]

I intend to daily drive and I absolutely love paddle shifter so auto all the way for me

 

[Tonyshepp]

For the last 20 years I've always had autos or DCT. I've ordered manual as pretty soon all cars will be EVs so want to enjoy the experience of shifting gears manually. My daily is a DCT M3 and it's good but it's too easy flicking a paddle.

 

[Pegasi]

Honestly an Auto paddle shifter does check a lot of boxes for me but I am going for the manual. My reason may be a little childish but it makes me feel more like a racecar driver with the stick. I can have fun driving 19 MPH in a neighborhood. I just like driving sports cars in all situations and the clutch is a big part of that. I do plan to track the Emira, so ultimately I would rather do that with a manual.

 

[Tommyboy1986]

There is no wrong set up in the emira it’s just a wonderful car so we just have a to enjoy it in what ever configuration we want ! I come from a 2019 c63s saloon so love the paddles I know this gear box won’t compete with what I have I just love feel of changing gears on the paddles

 

[Pegasi]

There is no wrong set up in the emira it’s just a wonderful car so we just have a to enjoy it in what ever configuration we want ! I come from a 2019 c63s saloon so love the paddles I know this gear box won’t compete with what I have I just love feel of changing gears on the paddles

In one of the videos Gavan described the I4 as "free rev-ing". It really made me wonder how fun the I4 could be with paddle shifters and that engine. I really hope that I am able to drive other Emiras with a different engine/transmission. That would be really fun.

 

[Tommyboy1986]

The i4 gear box will be another level!
Just go with the v6 and enjoy the last of the naturally noisy era and then if the i4 is as great as they say then change it up in a few years , I doubt we will lose a great deal on the first editions any way so it’s a win win

 

[virtualmacho]

Manual. The more pedals, the more exercise for my aging brain...

 

[DJW]

Auto . Enjoyed the manuals in 4 different V6 Lotus cars, but also enjoyed the Evora 400 auto greatly. Great summary by @TomE above.

You can’t go wrong with either

 

[Honeywell]

The M139 engine is very interesting from an engineering angle. I quite like the idea of owning a state of the art road car engine at the point in history when the art peaks and then changes to electric. The gearbox is also a fresh bang up to date design of the DCT systems that we first saw used by Porsche some decades ago. Arguably this is going to be the pinnacle of what an ICE DCT 4 engine will ever be. And it's built by hand by AMG, which again I think is interesting. Hope they torqued the head bolts correctly...

The V6 entered service in 2005. It's a it of a grandpa (but I admit, it does sound good).

 

[Honeywell]

Plus the i4 has 354lb/ft of torque to the v6's 310lb/ft. Plus two extra gears. Plus less shift gap. Plus less weight. Plus that weight lower down (no heavy supercharger on top).

Apart from VMax I see the i4 winning any drag race with the V6.

which isn't the point of these cars but still, I'm reconciled to it not being the lesser model just because it's cheaper.

Also aren't 90% of Caymans sold with PDK? Would suggest to me that for resale there must be a lot of people out there who like DCT boxes. Or is that just because Porsche manuals are too over geared and dealers push PDK "for the resale"?

 

[Tonyshepp]

Plus the i4 has 354lb/ft of torque to the v6's 310lb/ft. Plus two extra gears. Plus less shift gap. Plus less weight. Plus that weight lower down (no heavy supercharger on top).

Apart from VMax I see the i4 winning any drag race with the V6.

which isn't the point of these cars but still, I'm reconciled to it not being the lesser model just because it's cheaper.

Also aren't 90% of Caymans sold with PDK? Would suggest to me that for resale there must be a lot of people out there who like DCT boxes. Or is that just because Porsche manuals are too over geared and dealers push PDK "for the resale"?

The engine poll on here suggests the manual V6 is the favourite purchase for Lotus owners, can’t argue with the poll

 

[Honeywell]

69,000 rpm twin scroll turbos, direct and port injection, 30psi boost, closed deck engine block, >7000rpm. Plus I think the V6 might only be available for a few years, the i4 will run as the only model and then it will get a power upgrade (which is only software anyway) so there's that future option.

Now, if they can make it sound OK...?

 

[Honeywell]

The engine poll on here suggests the manual V6 is the favourite purchase for Lotus owners, can’t argue with the poll

Yeah but is that because we are all early adopter nerds? When the cars actually go on sale and Dom and his mates at the gym actually see one in the car park for the first time because you've parked next to their resale grey Cayman and become aware and want one - Dom always buys PDK. He lives in London etc. if he's under 30 he probably struggles to understand a clutch and gearstick...

 

[NickR]

This is well worth a read. It goes into detail regarding the V6 that Lotus use

Toyota 2GR-FE Guide – Everything You Need To Know

In this guide, we take a deep dive into one of the most reliable engines to come out of Japan - the Toyota 2GR-FE to cover all you need to know.

www.drifted.com

 

[NickR]

For me manual V6. It's not about the numbers but a last chance to engage in old school driving experience. I already have an iPace with all the lane keeping etc and I tend not to compromise.
If it was a daily driver I might look at it differently.
If you just want speed then forget the i4, the electric sports car that won't be long coming WILL have more torque and faster 0-100 times. My 2 tonne iPace does 0-60 in 4.5sec

 

[Tonyshepp]

For me manual V6. It's not about the numbers but a last chance to engage in old school driving experience. I already have an iPace with all the lane keeping etc and I tend not to comprise.
If it was a daily driver I might look at it differently.
If you just want speed then forget the i4, the electric sports car that won't be long coming WILL have more torque and faster 0-100 times. My 2 tonne iPace does 0-60 in 4.5sec

Exactly this if you want no drama acceleration EV's are the thing. If you want emotion from a car then 6,8,10 12 cylinders are the thing. In one respect its a shame there's no visible indicator that you have bought a V6 rather than the cheaper I4 (I know the engine cover is different but to Joe Blogs he wont know) - to signify its top of the range (being the car snob that i am)!

 

[Honeywell]

I enjoy my manual GT86. I just think that with this level of performance it might be best to have 100% of my attention span on braking, steering and accelerating and dispense with the need to trouble my left foot and hand as well.