So I took a 430 F1 for a drive last night…. questions…
Discussion
I went out for a drive in the aforementioned car but didn’t really like the F1 gearbox at all. I'm not quite sure if I'm old fashioned or just wasn’t getting the hang of the F1 change. Don’t get me wrong the thing was very quick and was a beautiful car but it didn’t really float my boat. Also you seem to sit very low down in the car which would be great for the track but not for everyday driving.
Re the F1 gearbox, I tried in both sport and race but it seemed to be doing the same thing, ie on all upchanges it seemed to change very aggressively with a big jolt (this is when I kept my foot on the accelerator when changing). If I took my foot off the accelerator, then changed gear, then back on the gas it was a lot smoother. Is this a trick to making the most of this F1 gearbox?
I heard a rumour that 80% of 430s and Gallardos are now sold as flappy paddle. Is this the death of the manual?
Re the F1 gearbox, I tried in both sport and race but it seemed to be doing the same thing, ie on all upchanges it seemed to change very aggressively with a big jolt (this is when I kept my foot on the accelerator when changing). If I took my foot off the accelerator, then changed gear, then back on the gas it was a lot smoother. Is this a trick to making the most of this F1 gearbox?
I heard a rumour that 80% of 430s and Gallardos are now sold as flappy paddle. Is this the death of the manual?
I've now gone flappy paddle for the first time. Don't be put off by your first drive - it takes a modicum of practise to get the best from the box. As the previous poster correctly states, a minor lift when changing really smooths the shift - tho in sport mode in the Gallardo it's aggressive full stop. I've been particularly impressed with the gearbox round town. They are not infallible, but MASSIVELY better than they were just a few years ago.
Curiously I am not finding it's dulling my enjoyment of, or involvement in the driving experience at all.
Curiously I am not finding it's dulling my enjoyment of, or involvement in the driving experience at all.
the 430 f1 box is as good as it gets, 360 I'd take a manual, they're very jolty and not great for driving at slow speeds. I couldnt fault the 430 box, hence I bought another F1 this time round. Unlike the Astons and other F1 boxes the 430 does what its told. You change up, it changes, down, it changes.. other F1 boxes take time to think about things before deciding if they actually want to make the change and sometimes they choose not to! This is where F1 becomes annoying. Maybe give it some time to get used to, I'll never go back to a manual Ferrari now...
brendonj said:
I went out for a drive in the aforementioned car but didn’t really like the F1 gearbox at all. I'm not quite sure if I'm old fashioned or just wasn’t getting the hang of the F1 change. Don’t get me wrong the thing was very quick and was a beautiful car but it didn’t really float my boat. Also you seem to sit very low down in the car which would be great for the track but not for everyday driving.
Re the F1 gearbox, I tried in both sport and race but it seemed to be doing the same thing, ie on all upchanges it seemed to change very aggressively with a big jolt (this is when I kept my foot on the accelerator when changing). If I took my foot off the accelerator, then changed gear, then back on the gas it was a lot smoother. Is this a trick to making the most of this F1 gearbox?
I heard a rumour that 80% of 430s and Gallardos are now sold as flappy paddle. Is this the death of the manual?
Re the F1 gearbox, I tried in both sport and race but it seemed to be doing the same thing, ie on all upchanges it seemed to change very aggressively with a big jolt (this is when I kept my foot on the accelerator when changing). If I took my foot off the accelerator, then changed gear, then back on the gas it was a lot smoother. Is this a trick to making the most of this F1 gearbox?
I heard a rumour that 80% of 430s and Gallardos are now sold as flappy paddle. Is this the death of the manual?
sitting very low?, aggressive gear change?, in a ferrari?, surely not?
Driven old man's Spider and found it very jerky. He stood by the opinion that 'I was talking crap' until he drove his mate's coupe, which is immeasurably better
Went to Ferrari, they said that there is an adjustment for the distance between the clutch and the fly. Some have a bigger gap, and take longer to dis/re-engage during a shift, allowing the revs to drop/raise (depending on throttle) and causing a jerky shift. Car is going in to have that and a couple of other bits sorted soon so I can report back after its been done
Went to Ferrari, they said that there is an adjustment for the distance between the clutch and the fly. Some have a bigger gap, and take longer to dis/re-engage during a shift, allowing the revs to drop/raise (depending on throttle) and causing a jerky shift. Car is going in to have that and a couple of other bits sorted soon so I can report back after its been done
You need more time in the car, i thought the same as you @ 1st, felt the Lamborghini E Gear system was better but i was wrong.
The 430 encourages heal & toe down shifts for a smoother change, but takes time to get the hang of it. What we're you using Race for
??? Simply not designed for Road use & nor did i even bother to use it on the track. Normal driving mode is best used on the road & Sport if you’re pushing on or for track use.
Ref the upshifts, again for everyday use lift off say by 20% but again especially in Sport don't lift, Ferrari instructors encourage you to change with full commitment for the smoothest/quickest change.
Watch the 5th gear Jason Plato review of the 430 for a good low down on the car.
The 430 encourages heal & toe down shifts for a smoother change, but takes time to get the hang of it. What we're you using Race for
??? Simply not designed for Road use & nor did i even bother to use it on the track. Normal driving mode is best used on the road & Sport if you’re pushing on or for track use. Ref the upshifts, again for everyday use lift off say by 20% but again especially in Sport don't lift, Ferrari instructors encourage you to change with full commitment for the smoothest/quickest change.
Watch the 5th gear Jason Plato review of the 430 for a good low down on the car.
Agreed on most of these points, had a 360 manual and was tempted to go the same way on the upgrade. Glad I didn't, the 430 F1 is outstanding - great around town and awesome on track. You can smooth out the change by lifting slightly if you choose to and it is not an effort. At full gun in race mode on the PH challenge this Monday and the change was sharp but stil a bit jarring. I managed 1'28.0 vs a 1'38.2 in the 360 manual, most of that down to actually seeing the circuit rather than about 30ft into the fog but was definitely easier to get a smoother line into corners with F1. The trade off between the fun of heel and toe and smoothly changing in manual vs the control and added speed of the F1 is subjective but I wouldn't go back. Also I find fast road driving better since you don't hold the wrong gear too long or not changing through laziness at times... still getting used to it but no regrets at all so far
nastywej said:
Watch the 5th gear Jason Plato review of the 430 for a good low down on the car.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCWPPBvD_Ac
nastywej said:
What we're you using Race for ??? Simply not designed for Road use & nor did i even bother to use it on the track. Normal driving mode is best used on the road & Sport if you’re pushing on or for track use.
??? Simply not designed for Road use & nor did i even bother to use it on the track. Normal driving mode is best used on the road & Sport if you’re pushing on or for track use. I found the changes smoother in Race as the quicker changes mean there is less time for the revs to drop between gears. Also the TC is far more lenient in Race allowing you to have more fun before being reined in.
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