Flappy Paddle Gearboxes: Not A Problem For The Playstation Generation

It's a well documented change taking place in the motor industry right now, with sports cars and now even hot hatches using them. A tool of the digital age that is dramatically changing the characteristics of driving. I'm talking about semi-automatic gearboxes, or flappy paddles as they're often called. Petrolheads far and wide have voiced their disgust at the lack of involvement these gearboxes bring to driving, but manufacturers are obviously confident they will sell. So surely someone must like them?

Semi-automatic gearboxes are becoming increasingly used in new cars, meaning no more does a driver have to slide through the gears with a heel of throttle and kick of the clutch. Instead, a simple click of a paddle located just behind the wheel is all that is needed. The resulting backlash of concern voiced by the petrolhead community about this loss to the driving experience, may have caused several to predict that these gearboxes would remain unattractive to enthusiasts. But I think it's quite possible that some of these sceptics have failed to notice a change in expectations for the 'ultimate' driving experience. A change that has been brought about thanks to video games.

Video games expose the coolest kids to driving long before they're 17

For many, their first memory of driving came when they sat on their fathers lap and were allowed to steer the family saloon around a car park. Others first experienced motoring at the turn of their 17th birthday, behind the wheel of a sorry looking hatchback that according to mum, was "plenty fast enough." But in recent years, many new drivers have had a taste long before they were able to steer their way onto our roads. Gran Turismo, Grid and Colin McRae Rally are just a few to name of a large number of racing and driving video games on offer to kids. These games require little more than the humble controller to simulate a steering wheel, throttle, brake and gearbox. It's here that many kids have their first experience of driving, and it's here they will have their first experience of a flappy paddle gearbox. These controllers often replace the gearbox with buttons, normally one for up and another for down, much like a proper semi-automatic box in a modern sports car. So long before they've learned how to wiggle a stick through the cogs of a conventional box, these gamers will already be an expert with a semi-automatic system.

The 2013 RS 200 comes with few added 'gamer gimmicks'

Semi-Automatic gearboxes are also often accompanied by other 'gamer friendly' gimmicks. Some new cars, including the 2013 Renault Clio RS 200, are available with software that pump engine noises of iconic sports and racing cars through the interior speakers, mimicking the revs of the cars actual engine. To the purists amongst us, this is another step away from actual driving. But for gamers, I can see this being a heavily used party trick to convince passengers you really have fitted your Clio with a V8. And surely, deep down inside of us all, there lies a little part of us that wants to be Lewis Hamilton when behind the wheel. I'm not proud to say it, but I myself have occasionally found myself mouthing an F1 like engine note whilst I race through the gears. It's not pretty, it's not pure, but it sure is fun. (Yes I'm a big kid).

Thanks to Gran Turismo and Grid, even children can drive a Ferrari...kind of

It's for this reason I think the youngest generation of drivers will be warm to the idea of a semi-automatic box before they even start driving. These gearboxes add to our inner Lewis Hamilton, bringing our little hatchbacks and saloons just that bit closer to the driving experience of a Formula 1 car. And lets not forget, those reduced CO2 numbers and improved performance figures will most certainly please our more environmentally aware teens. For the vast majority of drivers and 90% of journeys, semi automatic gearboxes are a perfectly acceptable and very useful tool. To be honest, they really are just better at changing gear.

Manual was good enough for Aryton...

But, (of course there had to be a but!), for those pure enthusiasts who prefer their Sennas to Hamiltons, it would be hard to argue that a semi-automatic gearbox doesn't remove a major component from the art of driving. Those who drive for pleasure rather than purpose, would lose the excitement felt when they stab at the throttle as they slip down the gears, mastering the heel and toe technique that drivers like Senna and Mansell perfected in their Formula 1 cars. Yes semi-automatics are a faster, more efficient way of changing gear, and yes they would probably be the weapon of choice on a qualifying lap. But for those fun Sunday drives where the stopwatch stays at home, I think it's fair to say that without a gear stick and clutch pedal, an irreplaceable part of the ultimate driving experience is lost.