Flappy Paddles - the use of

[Dermottdog]

Hey

How many people actually use the flappy paddles on a regular basis?
I’ve only used them for about 2 minutes (basically to see if they function). There was somewhat of a delay in the gear change but they speed up in dynamic mode apparently. I suppose if you used them regularly, you would anticipate the delay and change a bit early. So has anyone persevered?

[Deleted User 2663]

I've had my car for 8 months or so and find I use the paddles more and more. But only on some journeys, such as if I find I need to "push on" a bit on rural bends or use engine braking coming down a long incline and the like. Most times I just let the auto box do it's job.

Here's some text I wrote in another thread which gives a little more insight into why I use them:

"...in using a manual as is best practice I always changed down before I came to a bend, round the bend in a lower gear, and changed up on leaving the bend. The auto box has no idea you're approaching a bend, so for a while I sailed around the bends in a far too high an auto gear. On doing a bit of investigation the technique I found is to approach the slower than I'd been used to, foot off the accelerator, the revs fall, the auto box drops a gear in response and you go around the bend (!) in a lower gear, as per my usual manual experience.

My R Design also has gear paddles on the steering wheel, so if I'm caught unawares I can always drop gears using those. Without using the paddles it engenders a more peaceful, laid back way of driving, but requires more forward thinking, particularly approaching bends fast. Without that forward thinking you can't just react and clutch down and drop a gear (R Design paddles aside).

It did take some getting used to though, for the first short while I went around rural bends at a much higher auto gear than my previous manual use felt safe at".


When I do use them I don't find them sluggish in operation, however I'm probably in Dynamic mode on bendy rural roads, and sometimes the car's in Dynamic mode as well

[Dermottdog]

I've had my car for 8 months or so and find I use the paddles more and more. But only on some journeys, such as if I find I need to "push on" a bit on rural bends or use engine braking coming down a long incline and the like. Most times I just let the auto box do it's job.

Here's some text I wrote in another thread which gives a little more insight into why I use them:

"...in using a manual as is best practice I always changed down before I came to a bend, round the bend in a lower gear, and changed up on leaving the bend. The auto box has no idea you're approaching a bend, so for a while I sailed around the bends in a far too high an auto gear. On doing a bit of investigation the technique I found is to approach the slower than I'd been used to, foot off the accelerator, the revs fall, the auto box drops a gear in response and you go around the bend (!) in a lower gear, as per my usual manual experience.

My R Design also has gear paddles on the steering wheel, so if I'm caught unawares I can always drop gears using those. Without using the paddles it engenders a more peaceful, laid back way of driving, but requires more forward thinking, particularly approaching bends fast. Without that forward thinking you can't just react and clutch down and drop a gear (R Design paddles aside).

It did take some getting used to though, for the first short while I went around rural bends at a much higher auto gear than my previous manual use felt safe at".


When I do use them I don't find them sluggish in operation, however I'm probably in Dynamic mode on bendy rural roads, and sometimes the car's in Dynamic mode as well

Perfect reply. I’ll be a bit more adventurous in the future.

[ChrisLF]

As said it depends on the journey. For local trips I rarely use them but on longer trips and holidays etc. I use them for overtaking and hills as I always leave it in Comfort and it is a bit slow to change down when going up a hill when driving in a leisurely manner. I must try Dynamic one of the days!

Chris

[Tyson]

I have used them once or twice to see if they work. Not tried them in Dynamic mode yet (my car is Polestar'd) so don't know if they change quicker than Comfort.

[blastpipe]

I've not used mine in over a year I've had the car. Love the auto how it is.

[gt40]

Use mine occasionally to pop down a gear or two going in to a corner on the twisty bits, when I'm on my own. But this is not really a car to be hustled and there's so many gears it gets a bit confusing and I lose count, so generally I let the autobox do it's serene stuff.

[Deleted User 2663]

Use mine occasionally to pop down a gear or two going in to a corner on the twisty bits, when I'm on my own. But this is not really a car to be hustled and there's so many gears it gets a bit confusing and I lose count, so generally I let the autobox do it's serene stuff.

Not wanting to be argumentative but the car has a display right in front of your eyes that tells you the gear number you're in if you resort to the paddles! If you're driving Auto on rural bendy roads you're likely to be in D5, perhaps D4, a quick flick of the paddle and you change to D3. You don't even need to change back up as it auto reverts to D after a short while.

The various models have between 160 and 250 BHP, it might not be a sports car but with that sort of power it's just ripe to "hustle"

[gt40]

Not wanting to be argumentative but the car has a display right in front of your eyes that tells you the gear number you're in if you resort to the paddles!

Yeah but it doesn't have a display 50 - 100 metres down the road, where my eyes are normally focussed.

[Dermottdog]

Not wanting to be argumentative but the car has a display right in front of your eyes that tells you the gear number you're in if you resort to the paddles!

Yeah but it doesn't have a display 50 - 100 metres down the road, where my eyes are normally focussed.