Automatic cars.

[ladylola]

I wonder how many deaths are attributed to auto boxes alone....?

A little old and perhaps tenuious but back in the 80's there was a case of a mercades lorry pulling a tanker of petrol or oil which crashed in a town in Germany. It's brakes had failed and the auto (or semi auto , I forget)box wouldn't let the driver select a lower gear to slow down or stop the vehical as a lower gear would have speed the engine up too much.I'm unsure as to if there were any fatalities though. I've tried googling but haven't come up with the incident but do remember reading it in Truck magazine.
As I say it was back in the 80's and auto boxes have got a lot better.

 

[Norcon]

I think the mercedes lorries were one of the first to have semi automatic gear change. I drove one through Germany as I'm Class 1 licenced.
pred will know.

 

[snico]

I wonder how many deaths are attributed to auto boxes alone....?

A little old and perhaps tenuious but back in the 80's there was a case of a mercades lorry pulling a tanker of petrol or oil which crashed in a town in Germany. It's brakes had failed and the auto (or semi auto , I forget)box wouldn't let the driver select a lower gear to slow down or stop the vehical as a lower gear would have speed the engine up too much.I'm unsure as to if there were any fatalities though. I've tried googling but haven't come up with the incident but do remember reading it in Truck magazine.
As I say it was back in the 80's and auto boxes have got a lot better.

1987 that was, in Herborn, Germany....50 people killed when it crashed into an ice cream parlour.

 

[ladylola]

Thanks snico , glad someone has confirmed it. That'll save me sorting through a shed load of old truck magazines in the loft.

 

[Djnikon]

Surely we've got good enough auto cars by now do do away with a silly gearstick so we can concentrate on driving?

Not really Joe, unless you have a good amount of cash to spend. The German manufacturers are the only ones (to my mind) that build decent AT boxes.
Double clutch and DSG are the way ahead for sure (not a huge decrease in economy and fair levels of control). Tiptronic, which seems to be a favourite at present still offers a manual "shift" action so doesn't address it.
Until all of the manufacturers start building decent AT boxes then manual will suit the mass market.
On the point of how different Oz and US etc are, they also drive 4 and 5 litre V lumps that we don't, tell an Aussie you drive a 1.4 and they will look at you like you have a disease

 

[joe-90]

Not these days. The V8 chevy is a rarity over there now.

How about paddle shift like F1 then?

 

[sooey]

What's wrong with having a manual gear change?
Good drivers don't have a problem with them, you just need a bit of coordination.

 

[Djnikon]

Not these days. The V8 chevy is a rarity over there now.

How about paddle shift like F1 then?

Have you tried one? It's terrible. In most versions the paddle arm is fixed in place which means if you do have both hands on the wheel and are turning and need to change up/down it's quite hard and can really distract you.
I tried the BMW 530 with sequential and nearly walled it.
My 320 coupe is a DSG and it's terrific. I have the option of semi-auto if I want but in sport mode it's not needed, brake control module is pin-sharp.
But, I also have a manual older 320 that I still like to drive as I like to feel that degree of control. I also find it harder to react quickly with both arms on the wheel, but I think that's down to habit of driving a manual, for the record been driving 15 years, no crashes.

 

[EddieM]

automatics are for old people.....and boring drivers!!

hear hear, i totally agree.

 

[joe-90]

automatics are for old people.....and boring drivers!!

hear hear, i totally agree.

That's a first - you two agreeing on something,

 

[Djnikon]

automatics are for old people.....and boring drivers!!

hear hear, i totally agree.

What? Even the beastly M3 RSG? Can't say I would want to have an old fogie behind the wheel in that. The M3 has to be the most fun you can have fully clothed, even though its an auto.

 

[EddieM]

lol my old man briefly had an r8 and an aston martin (only on loan), he's 77 and a very very scary driver, and not in a good way. i drive like he should!!

 

[Djnikon]

Haha, R8 and a scary driver is not a good combo. Mate of mine has a V10 RS6 and I won't get in it with him. I always joke he should give it to me and take my 3 series diesel

 

[EddieM]

Haha, R8 and a scary driver is not a good combo. Mate of mine has a V10 RS6 and I won't get in it with him. I always joke he should give it to me and take my 3 series diesel

550 bhp+ needs a bit of respect!!

 

[kirkgas]

automatics are for old people.....and boring drivers!!

hoy shut it ya young whipersnapper, ive spent the last week or so trying to decide between an xf jag and a bmw x6, both 3L and auto,
although...............................