Racing-inspired paddles & their usage
 

Hey there guys\gals

I know most of you have MT versions of the 8, so hearing or even discussing the AT may make you guys sick on the stomach :rolleyes: lol!!!!! For the record, I would have gotten a MT but I drive highway alot and believe me driving in traffic with a MT is and has been torture for me in the past.

But for the AT guys, how often do you use the manual paddles on the steering wheel and what is your impression of its effectiveness. Just looking for a little feedback from the users.

Six days and counting to my 8:)

Thanks Guys

I use em all the time, they work just as good as using the shifter in tiptronic mode.

Can't say that I use them a lot, I normally get better gas mile-age when I let the car drive itself ;)

I would drive it with the shifters but whenever I downshift I'm not sure I'm doing it at the right time because sometimes whenever I do it the car just starts to immediately slow down and has a quick jerk to it, kind of like in a MT whenever you downshift a little too soon.

I've got that down for the most part now, still happens though and when it does I'm sure that's when I'm wasting some gas.

I use to drive it a lot like that though then I noticed I was going through gas like it was nooooothing so I just kept it in drive from then on. Occasionally I'll use it though just to hit the red-line and drive it like I stole it every now and then. To keep everything running smoothly.

Other than that I never use it. Maybe if I wasn't a starving college student I could afford to use the manual shifters and drive like a bat out of hell 24/7. Then again, that would increase my chances of being pulled over :uhh:

I like the pad-shifters and use them most of the time. I too had to get the A\T because of a bad back and would rather have the M\T. Thanks Mazda for helping us OLD ROTOR HEADS, we don't want to give them up.

Thanks for the replies.

But, after reading the manual, I'm surprised to see how many actually use the paddles as opposed to using the shifter to go + or - . I'm just guessing that it would be more natural to use the shifter especially since you can develop some bad manual driving habits with just using the upshift\downshift motion.

Similar topic... in all the ads for cars with this feature, it's always (or almost always) pointed out that they're "magnesium paddle shifters". Is there any specific reason why the magnesium matters?

metal > plastic
&
magnesium is lightweight and strong (when done correctly)

This thread should read:

"Fellow men, How many of you sit when you pee like I do?".....

He He! Sorry, I couldn't resist! :lol2:

yeah, but would aluminum or something else not work? There are other lightweight metals that would work, just interested in why magnesium seems to be really common for the paddle shifters.

Magnesium is lighter and stronger.

What's wrong with that? Sometimes I get tired while taking a piss...

Use them all the time up and down with both hands on the wheel!!!!

Although I usually prefer the shifter on the center console, I use the paddles occasionally when some idiot in a new mustang acts like he can jump off a stoplight in congested traffic. I've heard and read in several reviews of the 8 that the automatic has more torque? than the manual version? I drove both and decided on the automatic myself- I believe I also read they have discontinued the 4 speed automatic in place of a 6 speed auto- don't know how I feel about that.

Question for thread of automatics- has anyone found or know of any reason NOT to swap between automatic and sport shifting modes while the 8 is in motion? Does shifting between full automatic and sport shifting mode matter at high speeds? A couple times I've had to kick the stick over into automatic while driving, or after a quick take-off- haven't had any problems- the owner's manual just makes no mention of it.

I drive with the paddles (or the manual shift mode of the stick) the majority of the time. Keeps the revs more up into the power band, and with reading all the carbon buildup problems that people have had who haven't reved the motor a lot. I generally don't even get into 4th gear unless i'm on the highway.

I have shifted from manual to auto and vice versa when on the move many times without any problems.

When I first start I use auto-mode till its warmed up and I'm out of the neighborhood. This is sometimes the roughest time when you have a M/T with the cold engine and the choke on and idle hi. The A/T smooths this part out some. Most people don't understand that part of the fun of a Rotary is we are doing what is best for the engine, keeping the revs up...he...he...

Uhhh, no. Thats just something automatic drivers say to make themselves feel better. :boxing_sm

The automatic makes less power then the manual. These are the specs from Mazda - note this is factory crank power ratings, not dyno.

Auto:
HP 212 @ 7,500 rpm
TQ 159 @ 5,500 rpm

Manual:
HP 232 @ 8,500 rpm
TQ 159 @ 5,500 rpm

You will notice the manual makes peak horsepower at a higher RPM then the auto because the manuals have a bigger RPM range to play with.

With a true manual, you are able to match the engine speed with tire speed in-between downshift's in order to accomplish a clean shift. This is done by bliping the throttle while the clutch is depressed so when you engage the new gear, your engine and wheels are already turning at the same speed. If you downshift without roughly matching your engine and tires, you will feel the syncro's in the transmission pick up the slack - this is the jerking motion you feel. Some will just slip the clutch longer to compensate for this - however this method takes longer to shift, and adds wear to the clutch as it picks up the slack instead of the snycro's. A smooth manual driver can instantly downshift a car without a passenger feeling a thing - even when covering a 5000rpm difference in the gears. In racing (or spirited driving), this ensures a stable car (no jerk), ready to accept a corner. It also minimizes wear and tear on your clutch, transmission and snycro's as everything is already lined up when the new gear is engaged.

With a automatic transmission with "manual mode" engaged, there is no way to blip the throttle to match engine and wheels, so you feel a jerk when you downshift. You can avoid this by waiting for your wheel speed to more closely match your engine (in the new gear) before downshifting. It will take some practice to learn when that is.

I can blip the throttle in manual mode and not even feel the downshift. It's taken some getting used to, to learn the right rpm to bring up to while it downshifts, but it works and the car feels much smoother running it like this

only on the track then they are the slickest

Actually, you CAN rev match the auto in manual mode. I drive in manual mode 100% of the time and I prepare for every single corner with a rev matched downshift. Just a matter of getting the timing right.

As for the paddles, I rarely use them. If you're trying to drive fast through curves and corners, it's practically impossible to use them if you need to shift in the middle of a turn because of how they're mounted to the steering wheel and end up turning all over the place with the wheel. I suppose it's fine for drag racing but otherwise, just feels like a really cheap throw in to add some quick "ooo looky" to the AT . I feel more in tune with the car throwing a stick then pressing a button.

Whilst the paddles are a great addition. Its hard to get "used" to them when you have been brought up with a stick shifter.

Meaning my natural tendency is to go for the shifter 1st & the paddles only if its a concious thought.

Having said that, the paddles are "way cool" when you can make the most of them.

Thanks for pointing out they are made of Magnesium, as I feared them bending / breaking thinking (wrongly) they where Aluminium that would easily fatigue over time.


REgards

All I can say is Michael Schumaker, eat your heart out! By the way, I have an MT...so I wouldn't know.

Can you explain the mechanics of how you do this? How do you get around the fact that you can't disengage the drivetrain? Is there a gap in between the auto-shift that you have time to blip the throttle?

A well known fault in the auto tranny is that it does not shift immediately...there's a 1 second lag or so before the next gear catches (although it's more in the upshift, downshifts are almost instantaneous but there's still a slight gap). It's in that time frame that you can do the rev match. And how much you blip the throttle depends on your engine speed, the higher the RPMs, the bigger a blip you need to give the gas pedal to match revs.

I will say though, I don't know if this is truly safe to do with the auto tranny. However, downshifts are much smoother without a doubt, to the point where you almost can't feel the downshift if done right. I've personally been doing this the past 20,000 miles and so far so good, and it's really the ONLY way to drive when I'm flying up and down gears in the twisties.

If things feel smooth, then I'm sure it's easier on the transmission then letting the car jerk down to the next gear. Isn't it the best feeling when you don't even feel the downshift? This seems like a great technique for the auto drivers!