The new Pontiac "Tapshift" gear controls..

[Acid X]

I just saw a commercial for the new Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, and i noticed that they had odd shift-buttons on the steering wheel. I looked it up on the Pontiac website and found that they are called "TapShifters"... Somewhat unique thinking from pontiac, but i think theyre somewhat a knock-off on paddleshifters from rally cars and such. They're a nice addition, but who would really care if they had it?

Anywho, whats your opinion on these new "TapShifters?"

 

[Concept]

I don't know enough about things like this to voice an opinion.

 

[Acid X]

Eh, well, i dont know that much about it either, but it seemed like a nice discussion. Basically, what im asking is this; what do you think of them? Do you think that you'd actually use them? etc.

 

[boombexus]

Well, I have almost the exact same thing on my car.

I drive a Lexus IS 300 and the up and down shift buttons are on the steering wheel.
It's OK, I'd much rather have a real manual transmission, but it works just fine. The only thing odd about them is you lose track of them while your in a turn sometimes.

 

[Acid X]

Ah.. Lexus' don't come with manual transmissions?

 

[-Fred-]

Not all of 'em. the IS300 does now, but it didn't when it went on sale first (and i assume Boom's got one of the early ones )

I think it's a pretty lame idea. It's a big pig of a sedan, why the hell would you want to get sporty in it?

 

[boombexus]

Yeah PR, I got the early one. 2001. Didn't offer a manual that year. But I had new car fever really bad so I couldn't wait.

Here's a pic of the E-Shift:

 

[The Porko]

The Daihatsu Sirion GTvi have it here in Aus. But its only on automatics.

 

[-Fred-]

Honda offered something similar on the Prelude and the NSX... The automatic transmission (it had these "Sport Shift" buttons on the steering wheel, like on the 911, or the IS300) was eating up almost 30 hp on the Prelude, and 40 on the NSX!


I just don't like all that Manu-matic stuff... Overly complex for nothing.

 

[Acid X]

Heh, yeah... Semi-automatics arent really worth buying.

 

[boombexus]

On the IS the shifting is pretty quick, almost no delay from when I push the button and when it shifts. I use the E-Shift almost all the time, that way I can stay in the gear that I want. It wont let you downshift to a lower gear if the RPM's are to high so that's nice. The one thing that I really don't like about it is that it wont let you use 1st gear. Only 2nd through 5th.
Overall, I like it. But I would still prefer to bang gears the traditional way.

 

[Acid X]

Haha. Yeah, i know what you mean.

 

[boombexus]

I've also used the manu-matic shifter on the Acura CL Type-S.
There up shift and downshift is exactly where it should be. Although, I did find that the motion was a bit odd. But you get used to it in time. I like that one the best out of the ones I've driven.

 

[Acid X]

I see... But are they anything like the Pontiac's shifters? They look very uncomfortable.

 

[boombexus]

Originally posted by Acid X
I see... But are they anything like the Pontiac's shifters? They look very uncomfortable.

No the manumatic shifter on the CL is where a regular shifter would be found. Push forward to upshift and backward to downshift. If I recall correctly.

Was gonna post a pic of it, but I didn't like Acuras website very much.

 

[Acid X]

Ah. I seen those.. They're horrible.

 

[TsLeng]

Many cars have these systems now. The BMW 7-series shfiter on the steering is quite special, there are four buttons, press the fronts to downshift and back to upshift(correct me if I'm wrong).

 

[MazKid]

At the Chicago Autoshow, they had this crappy interactive display with it...they sucked. Well, it was the display really.

 

[Nightmage82]

i've not driven a tapshift, switchtronic, tiptronic, paddleshift etc etc car but out of manual and automatic, manual rules for speed driving. but in a town u just gotta have auto.

if i was buying an f50 or something of that calibre i wouldn't want some ghey paddleshifter though i'd want a proper autobox just because its more direct, you can floor it and change from 2nd to 4th and enjoy a wider rev noise or when ur coming to a bend approach real fast in 5th and change down to 2nd without having to press a button 3 times and sounding like a race car... heh

 

[Blaze Kinser]

Originally posted by boombexus
But I would still prefer to bang gears the traditional way.

I recall hearing a few months ago that most automakers are planning to start phasing out standard transmissions in passenger cars. Partially because these semi-auto ones are becoming cheap enough to mass produce across the whole spectrum, and partially becuase it's getting too expensive to find new ways to idiotproof stickshifts so people won't accidentally destroy the transmission by forgetting to clutch it or skipping gears or whatever.

 

[Hell Patrol]

I need one of those tab shift on a rally car

 

[Acid X]

They already have paddle shifters on most, and on others they have semi-auto, where they can shift with the handbrake. Its pretty weird.

 

[Nightmage82]

i think it was alain prost who said that taking regular gearboxes out of formula one has been detreimental to the excitement since people were always bound to mess up a gear or select the wrong one or something which would give the person behind you a chance to overtake. which makes sense...

there's also something thrilling about accelerating with one hand on the wheel and one on the gearstick... its like ur holding on to the engine and it makes u feel like ur driving faster