Civic Type-R Owners Club & Forum

Had my fn2 a while now and starting to get bored as I do with my cars, I quite fancy a car with flappy paddle gearbox, I've no idea what "affordable" cars have these though
budget anything upto about 10/11k,

Golf gti have them, the newer ones anyway, honestly preferred the manual version myself but it was fun for a bit..

Many V.A.G with a DSG gearbox have paddles on the wheel.
It's not only the high performance ones that have paddles. Many diesel Golf/A3/Octavia/Leon will have a paddle wheel.
Come to think about it, I believe it's an option on the later Polo GTI

I'd try one first though. Initially I wasn't too keen. But once you get used to it and adapt your driving they get better. Plus you can be lazy and bang it into auto

Flappy Paddles suck - everything Jeremy Clarkson takes the piss out of is spot on. If you want that split second feeling of "you're not going to make it" everytime you pull out of a junction or a roundabout then go for it [smilie=karls_thumb.gif]

MDRacing wrote:Flappy Paddles suck - everything Jeremy Clarkson takes the piss out of is spot on. If you want that split second feeling of "you're not going to make it" everytime you pull out of a junction or a roundabout then go for it [smilie=karls_thumb.gif]

And what flappy paddle systems have you used?

Audi/VAG

People expect race car flappy, get Passat TDI flappy.

MDRacing wrote:Audi/VAG

So you're comparing what a Golf or Polo DSG paddle shift can do against the likes of the performance cars Clarkson arses around in? Having driven every single current M car available with a paddle box and a few AMG versions also, I'd suggest you do the same because I can tell you your opinion would change.

Not the Golf or Polo but I know what you're implying. I'd happily give it a go in another make/model but honestly I would chose manual over auto (flappy or not) every single day of the week. Just my personal opinion though [smilie=karls_thumb.gif]

MDRacing wrote:Not the Golf or Polo but I know what you're implying. I'd happily give it a go in another make/model but honestly I would chose manual over auto (flappy or not) every single day of the week. Just my personal opinion though [smilie=karls_thumb.gif]

You need to drive more cars.

I've driven a LOT of cars thanks.. manual would be my choice still.

Why does it feel like you're having a go at me for just sharing my opinion of flappy paddles?!

MDRacing wrote:I've driven a LOT of cars thanks.. manual would be my choice still.

Why does it feel like you're having a go at me for just sharing my opinion of flappy paddles?!

I'm not but its evident you haven't got experience of flappy paddles other than VAG efforts (hardly performance cars unless its an R8 or RS series).

A manual box is slower and more cumbersome in every area. Its not an opinion its fact.

There are not many instances where I'd choose a manual over a flappy paddle in a performance car. Maybe only in an Ariel Atom.

Perhaps some people prefer doing the gear changes themselves. Perhaps they find it more rewarding.

In a supercar I guess it makes more sense to have flappy paddles. In hot hatches or "normal" cars, other than for ease of use, not really.

Are the BMW E9.. or the F.. 330 and 530 paddle shifts or is it just the M range?

D1z CTR wrote:Are the BMW E9.. or the F.. 330 and 530 paddle shifts or is it just the M range?

You pay extra for the paddle shifts but you can retrofit them and they don't cost much. The steering wheels have the holes predrilled behind.

I had them on my F10.

My audi diesel has flappy paddles but in the 3 months I have owned it I have used them twice and that was the extent of it. I felt like a race car driver but the reality was that they are still not in a proper performance car and it didn't feel too different to the full auto in sport

dbc243 wrote:My audi diesel has flappy paddles but in the 3 months I have owned it I have used them twice and that was the extent of it. I felt like a race car driver but the reality was that they are still not in a proper performance car and it didn't feel too different to the full auto in sport

That's the point proven. In the wrong car they're utterly pointless. My mother has them in her Jazz, and honestly they just shouldn't be there.

MDRacing wrote:Flappy Paddles suck - everything Jeremy Clarkson takes the piss out of is spot on.

I think you'll find that when he first drove the Audi TT with the 3.2 V6 DSG he said it was good...
Although anything Clarkson says should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Lewisgame wrote:

MDRacing wrote:Flappy Paddles suck - everything Jeremy Clarkson takes the piss out of is spot on.

I think you'll find that when he first drove the Audi TT with the 3.2 V6 DSG he said it was good...
Although anything Clarkson says should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Exactly. Clarkson is an entertainer not a driver. As much as I don't like Chris Harris, I'd suggest watching his latest video with the E63 S , M6 Gran Coupe and XF-R as this shows perfectly why manuals in top end performance cars are defunct.

I have them in my edition 30

And I don't think there bad, and I use them when having a B roads blast.

I love my dsg box it's like best of both worlds only reason I'd want a manual now is if I bought a drift car