Eddie Knopp

Now that I'm approaching 1K miles, I'm going to play with the steering wheel shifters. Anyine with any thoughts, advice, experience etc. - Dr. Chill ??

Eddie Knopp

Come on Guys - Somebody must be using the shifters on the steering wheel. Let's hear your thoughts ?

norb

Don't bother, the auto mode works pretty good. Coming from an SMG, the button shifters on the E55 is woefully dissappointing. They need bigger buttons and they need to be harder to push. When making turns I'm always pushing them by accident.

W210

I use them all the time in my 2004.

One interesting trick is that similar to the transmission lever at the center console, you can press and hold the (left) button and the car will select the lowest possible gear (without redline) for your acceleration.

E55AMG99

Exactly. Since they are both (console shifter and steering wheel buttons) are just electric switches, it stands to reason that they'd operate the same way.

Just a shame that the shifting is not at all like the feel of the Tip in the Porsche. Didn't MB build it?

BenzoBoi

Awesome...didn't knoe that...Gonna go try that out right now

Dr Chill

I actually drove a couple of laps on the track using the buttons to shift. Actually the tranny in s mode when pushing the car at full throttle will hold gear until redline. In m mode, I found it easy to upshift near redline with the buttons but could not downshift effectively manually. The buttons are a far cry from SMG and don't come close to a manual transmission. I liked s mode better and now never use the buttons. I'm glad they are not active when in s mode because I accidently press them all the time.

I have a feeling that when my 48 month lease is up I'll be looking for an 2005 M5 with fairly low miles to modify for regular track use. I'm starting to care less about how the car looks and more about the driving experience.

norb

For as much track time as you want to have, you need a sportier car than the E55. Nothing wrong with that. I'm sure the M5 will be a better track car, can't beat SMG for track use.

Eddie Knopp

Thanks Guys - I'll play around with it.

Dr. Chill that's a change as compared to '04 - the shifters are active in any mode now.

eclou

I have a feeling that the more you go to the track, you will start to care more about taking an expensive car out there that will give you less than half the driving experience of a cheap, well-sorted dedicated track car. Leave the luxo-cruiser at home and get something more on the order of a cheap Miata, 944, M3,911 or more like a Lotus Elise, Opel Speedster.

As your times get faster and you push harder, the prospect of stuffing an $80k car into an armco and possibly having your auto insurance deny the claim becomes a recurring nightmare. Stuffing a $15k caged 900lb sprung go-kart is much easier to stomach.

Here are some nauseating photos:

http://www.986*********/gallery/eclou/DSC00757
http://www.986*********/gallery/eclou/DSC00755
http://www.986*********/gallery/eclou/BurningPorsche

eclou

I have experienced the following in the past 12 months at Texas World Speedway:

1)new (<5000 miles) E46 SMG M3 engine grenades, spewing oil over turn 4 (was right behind me), causing the RSX behind him to spin off track and rip both drivers' wheels and suspension off the car

2)944 turbo spins out and stalls sideways in the middle of turn 1 (120mph banked turn that is a downhill turn) with me and 3 tightly packed friends barely missing a gang T-bone accident

3)993 TT misses turn 8 altogether in front of me ( I was right behind) and spins into tall grass and becomes engulfed in flames from a grass fire

4)993 C2S spins off to the right in front of me in turn 13, over-corrects and shoots back across turn 14 and rams into the Rx7 turbo right behind me (we were all separated by less than 0.5 car lengths

5)944turbo running too much boost blows an intercooler pipe completely off, losing all power right after turn 7 (a 100 mph banked turn) and the first 3 of us in the pack behind him miss him by inches and the 4th guy - the seal grey 996 TT stuffs into his rear, bending the unibodies of both vehicles.

Almost everyone I know who has been consistently going to the track eventually "downgrades" to an expendable, single purpose vehicle. I would bet you come to the same conclusion in the future as well, given the fact you have got it in your veins now.

Dr Chill

I hear what you're saying, but unless I unload the 442, I don't have garage space for a race car and I don't have the finances to have someone store it for me and tote it to events. I need a 4 passenger car that is versatile. For now the E55 is da bomb!

Since I got the E55, I've hardly driven the 442. Maybe it's time to part with my baby.

eclou

NO, NO, NO!!! You need to think logically - it means you need to move into a house with more garage space!!

W210

I personally have not been too impressed with the Porsche developed tiptronic in our 2002 Audi A4 3.0 Avant. The feel of pressing the button does not give me a definite affirmative feedback. Well perhaps the transmission itself is to be blamed as the automatic transmission in the Audi is a bit odd and temperamental, giving me a strange harsh downshift every now and then.

I still think MB makes the best autobox.

Dr Chill

You misinterpreted what I meant. When I say baby I was referring to my wife. That would give one additional garage spot for the race car!

E55AMG99

I've never driven the Audi version of the auto but the Carrera Tiptronic was very nice. It seemed to be more responsive to downshifts unlike the Benz that takes a second to react.

Still, you are right, MB makes a great slushbox.