I think we may have lost sight of the original and secondary discussion here. It is not about how nice modern autos are to drive in the traffic conditions we have to suffer today, but about whether the M3W would benefit from and auto changer, and whether losing control of the CLUTCH and gearstick detracts from the skill and pleasure of the car.
Yes, you're right. I was just responding to a question about the supposedly high cost (?) of a PDK repair...
Forget all that stuff about torque converter boxes, it's a red herring.
That's debatable, considering that the gearbox intended for one engine has to be re-mapped to suit another with the substitution of a new torque converter to retain that power curve ...
...the only box that would work in the Three Wheeler [if at all] is a manual box with a computer operated clutch and flappy paddle changer, additionally, as with all this type of box, they can be operated in a fully auto mode, determined by the ECU.
How about the auto box option as fitted to the MX5? It's a full conventional auto with the selector lever on the central tunnel. I'm also thinking that if an M3W has been ordered with a slip ring behind the steering wheel (for removal to make it easier getting in- and out of the cockpit) maybe it's not such a bad idea if this [auto box] was deemed to be a better and more cost-effective alternative to a paddle shift because of it. The paddles will still be in the way regardless of whether the steering wheel was removed or not...
Personally, I love auto boxes, but in the right car, and if a car styles itself as a car to drive for sport, then part and parcel of the experience is changing gears with a clutch, surely? Otherwise, why have one?
You can still use the auto selector and drive the car manually.
