FGT v. MP4

[dbk]

On a fun street car, no thanks. The advantage of a DCT is that it makes the car go faster. I completely agree, but going faster doesn't mean the driving experience is more fun, particularly on the street. Auto transmissions have dominated drag racing for years, but no one seriously argues they are more entertaining on the street.

I would seriously argue that a DCT is (depending on what car it's in). I like the manual transmission in the GT because it feels appropriate to the car's purpose and lineage. I don't think there's a chance in hell that a 458 Spider would be more entertaining with the top down if it had a 6-speed manual transmission than the DCT. I'm telling you, that car feels so ****ing out of control fast and brilliant going through winding roads that it's like finding religion. Being able to shift at any time at any point through twists and turns with the trans making the engine scream to the appropriate rev makes you feel like you are going 1 billion miles per hour and you may mistake yourself for Alonso in the rear view mirror.

+1. DCT is happy when matched with high revs. A real PITA around town.

Depends on the car. If I had a complaint with the 458 it would be that it's too boring and normal around town, and therefore not as exciting as a car like the GT on a day to day basis. They've really refined that trans to the point that it's as boring and seamless as an auto when puttered around. If I had to pick a car to drive up and down Woodward, it would definitely be the GT, and not because it's easier to drive, it's just more fun in regular driving situations.

 

[KJD]

Kinda sad when you say the F-car can be boring but I get it.

Great fun when it goes like stink but not so much just rolling in town.

Auto idiosyncracies make it real. And sometimes work. But usually fun.

 

[Sinovac]

I understand what you are saying Dave. In the right conditions, the DCT is awesome. Call me an anachronism, but I want to shift my own gears damn it. Just wait, when the computer controlled transmissions get so smart they become fully independent of the driver, you flappy paddle shifter lovers will wax poetically about the beauty of "rowing the gears" by lightly tugging on carbon fiber spoons behind the steering wheel while casually resting an atrophied left leg against the dead pedal, all the while lamenting the loss of driver involvement. :lol

 

[texas mongrel]

I've got an FGT and a 12 c too, and as I've posted before, the fun factor of a manual transmission means you feel way more involved driving the GT. The low end grunt of the blower also adds to the fun. However, when those twin turbos on the Mac spool up at around 3000 rpm, Katie bar the door! The upper range pull is inbelievable. Regarding the DCT, McLaren reckon it requires no maintenance on clutches for the life of the vehicle, i.e. They don't wear out. To show how tricky it is to set them up correctly tho' We are now on version 10.0 of the software for the 12 c. V9.0 sucked, like driving a Caddy with slushy slipping changes. I'm about to get V10.0 and everyone says that it is perfect. It also comes with the free HP upgrade that takes the car to 616 BHP. I drive mine always in manual mode and I must admit that the more I use the rocker shift, the better I like it, especially the pre-cog feature where a half pull on the lever spools up the next gear so that when you actually shift its frigging instantaneous.
However, as noted before, when I go into the garage after being out of town for a while, its the GT that gets driven first!

 

[Xcentric]

C&D: MANUAL TRANSMISSSIONS - The best way to connect to a machine is to be connected to a machine.

 

[JJayB]

What was the MPH for both cars in the standing mile?

 

[FikseGTS]

DCT in my GT-R is fine around town, I put 15k miles per year on my GT-Rs in plenty of traffic.....

+1. DCT is happy when matched with high revs. A real PITA around town.

 

[DoctorV8]

If I had a complaint with the 458 it would be that it's too boring and normal around town, and therefore not as exciting as a car like the GT on a day to day basis. They've really refined that trans to the point that it's as boring and seamless as an auto when puttered around. If I had to pick a car to drive up and down Woodward, it would definitely be the GT, and not because it's easier to drive, it's just more fun in regular driving situations.

Ditto for my PDK equipped 911 Turbo S.

 

[Tipo815]

Very different cars from very different companies with very different goals in mind. Other than drag racing down a runway the two cars really share nothing else in common (nor should they). The Mclaren would not be a state of the art highly tuned machine reminiscent of its racing roots if it had a manual transmission any more than the FGT would be an icon of an American muscle car if it had a DCT, PDK or some other technological marvel for a transmission. The FGT is one of the last (the CGT being the other) of the great three pedal cars of this era. I'm sad to say that they will probably never be produced in likeness again. For better or for worse it's the era of the 918 Spyder, the F70 or P1 with KERS and all the other technological marvels that are the flagships for their respective brands. It's one of the reasons the FGT is so special. It doesn't have to beat a Mclaren to stand out. As Texas Mongrel (who owns both) mentioned it's his FGT that gets driven first!

 

[BelgianGT]

It all depends the mood you're in. The FGT is the most fun car I have as its the most vicious one of the bunch.
The MP4 is a great car too but has a more all over usuage than the others. When all that snow is gone I'll use it more as the daily driver, if I suddenly feel the need to step on it I simply but handling and engine in sports mode + transmission in manual and off you go. It's not true you fan't drift them and it's lots of fun.
The Sls roadster also has dct translission but due to weight/length less playboy than the mp4. Still no need to step asice for those F cars . It's more working but easily to keep up with them.
The Aventador also has a dct but with a single clutch. This is a totally different that one immediately feels and fantastic
.... They all are but they all have their purposes.
Times have changed and I do consider the DCT transmission as the best all over. Commuting-sports driving -track all in one
Out of the bunch the mp4 is the best all-over car one can have

 

[Gulf GT]

Therein lies the rub. Today it’s hard to pick just one overall great car to own. At the time the FGT came out it was a solid argument for the FGT to be the overall “One” (no pun intended). I think the 458 and the 12C have totally changed the game. I love the Ford GT for all the reasons given here, but after you drive the 458 or the 12C fast you feel great. They are light years from the 360, Gallardo, etc. These cars have evolved tremendously since 2006. I’m personally not a good enough driver with 3 pedals to drive a CGT at speed and really enjoy it by making it do what it can do, or that would be a good marriage of new and old. I have been watching these posts about guys who own a 458 or a 12C in addition to their FGT, and it makes perfect sense. I have always said it was a waste to own more than one supercar because of how much time you really spend in them. I may have been wrong. Damn. What really drives you nuts is watching someone slice through traffic with ease in a 12C on a track. Stop posting those videos. Stop, Don’t Stop…