Quote:
Originally Posted by Glock 32
Alot of people expected it to be smooth like a steptronic auto gearbox and did not know that they bought a sequential MANUAL gearbox which is mostly why it got a bad wrap, IMO.
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Keep in mind, BMW's SMG is not a real sequential manual. First off, it has an automatic mode which a true sequential manual transmission does not. Secondly, it can be shifted non-sequentially (using kick-down, or quick successive pulls).
The reason a true sequential manual has no automatic mode is that this type of transmission is 100% mechanical and, in classic form anyway, needs no ECU or computer of any kind to control the shift process. With a sequential manual, the shift forks are actually controlled by a cork-screw-like rotating shaft that is specially designed to snap them into place in succession (either up or down depending on the direction of the rotation). Tradionally, you rotated the shaft with a ratcheting mechanism (like a motorcycle might still have today), and also a clutch pedal was still necessary since the clutch did operate automatically either. Nowadays they can be shifted via levers and the clutch is often times automatically openned and closed. But the concept remains the same - the transmission can only be shifted sequentially.