Shifter mounted clutches?

[RagingBITCH]

Does such a thing exist? I was driving home today from work and I was thinking about the "evolution" of shifting - from your standard stick and clutch controlled by your left foot to the tip-tronic type shifters which really aren't from my understanding, a true manual shift system. I was curious if any manufactuer had come out with a clutch mounted shifter, much like the button on the shifter of an auto. It'd be more conveniently placed.

This might seem like a stupid idea to a lot of people but from how I see it - most of the time at least in lower speeds your right hand is always on the shifter. (left hand if you're in some weird foreign country) It seems rather inefficient to use your left foot to depress the clutch, right arm shifts, left foot off clutch and right foot back on the gas. Since you're shifting with your right hand/arm anyway, I figure it'd be a neat option if you could just squeeze the shifter harder to trigger the clutch, shift, then release.

Don't get me wrong - part of the whole thing with the left foot and the clutch is being able to enjoy and feel like you have control over the car - this would take away from the liveability of having a manual, but it seems like it'd be a neat feature to have. Just my two cents.

 

[spidey07]

couldn't get enough leverage to move the clutch.

that's what I'm thinking.

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: spidey07
couldn't get enough leverage to move the clutch.

that's what I'm thinking.

clutch-by-wire

 

[fs5]

why not just eliminate user-clutching all together like BMW's SMG?

 

[Jzero]

You'd have to hold the button in while you were stopped. My hand hurts just thinking about it. Otherwise, not a bad idea....

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: fivespeed5

Originally posted by: spidey07
couldn't get enough leverage to move the clutch.

that's what I'm thinking.

clutch-by-wire

what about any kind of feedback? I kinda need that in a clutch.

 

[NutBucket]

They rigged up something like that in Alex Zanardi's Indy Car (post accident). Course, you only need the clutch to engage first in those cars. Bikes use clutches that are hand operated; of course, you shift with your feet

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: Jzero
You'd have to hold the button in while you were stopped. My hand hurts just thinking about it. Otherwise, not a bad idea....

no you wouldn't, just shift into neutral

 

[WinkOsmosis]

It would suck having to push a button every time you shift. Would make your fingers tired. Sounds unappealing. You also wouldn't be able to feather the clutch.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
They rigged up something like that in Alex Zanardi's Indy Car (post accident). Course, you only need the clutch to engage first in those cars. Bikes use clutches that are hand operated; of course, you shift with your feet

Actually it was his Champ Car.


Lethal

 

[boyRacer]

Pic

This is Ferraris steering wheel on their F1 car. The two paddles on top are for shifting and the two paddles on the bottom are for the clutch... hand activated and allows you to feather it since its not an on/off switch. Reason being is that the drivers use left-foot braking like on go-karts. Some drivers have it mounted like a button... and the effectiveness of that is dependent on the software designed for it... granted the car is throttle by wire.

Interactive version

EDIT: Not that all this has anything to do with the OP but the idea is entirely plausible.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: LethalWolfe

Originally posted by: NutBucket
They rigged up something like that in Alex Zanardi's Indy Car (post accident). Course, you only need the clutch to engage first in those cars. Bikes use clutches that are hand operated; of course, you shift with your feet

Actually it was his Champ Car.


Lethal

They were indy cars before what's his face made a bad name of them:disgust:

 

[Ly2n]

VW had something like that in the early 70's. It used electric contacts in the shifter, a relay and vacumn to move the clutch. Whenever you put your hand on the shifter, a small movement and the clutch disengaged. I had one, but it was a POS to drive.

 

[thomsbrain]

since it would have to be clutch-by-wire, i don't see the point when we already have SMG-style systems that can shift faster than any human. not to mention that it would be tough to control two things with one hand and you'd have to outfit it with force-feedback, which would be another thing to break and would suck ass even when it was working.

 

[Savij]

Didn't Porsche try something like that in the early 90s?

 

[Shockwave]

You wouldnt look near as cool. Aggresive shifting ends up using your whole body, which makes you look spaztastically cool. Your ass is pinned to the seat while your arms are steering and shifting and 1 foot flyin around on clutches and the other flyin around on brakes and gas.
Its all about the cool factor mang