Are Clutchless Manual Gearboxes Better Than You Think? — Carmudgeon w/ Cammisa & DTS — Ep 232
About this episode
The Carmudgeon Show dives into the long, weird history of “clutchless” manual solutions—starting with pre-war preselectors like Wilson and Kotal, then jumping to post-war oddballs such as Citroen’s Citromatic and Mercedes Hydrak, and later to Ferrari’s F1-style single-clutch automation and Valéo’s automated manuals. The hosts compare how these systems tried to solve non-synchro and clutch-footwork problems, why many failed (tuning, dry vs wet clutches, learning/logic), and how today’s dual-clutch automatics finally got close to seamless. Along the way, they debate what “automatic” really means and share horror stories from F1/SMG/SMT experiences.
Haggerty
"Yeah, all of which are insured by Haggerty. This is the Carmageddon show. They're real. But they're not insured. Or you think they're insured? ... Okay, so this is all this nonsense is driven by Haggerty. No, no, no, it's not. The podcast is driven by Haggerty."
Hagerty is an insurance company that’s known for covering classic and hobby cars. They’re basically the “collector car” insurance brand, which is why the hosts joke about insuring even weird things.
Hagerty is a specialty insurance company focused on classic and enthusiast vehicles. In the segment, they’re used as a humorous reference point for insuring unusual “collector” items, but the real-world connection is Hagerty’s role in insuring cars that are treated like collectibles.
carbon monoxide
"It's got four webers, and there's a lot of carbon monoxide, and I think we all may be on the verge of death. Carbon monoxide gauge over there, say."
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic exhaust gas that can build up if the engine isn’t tuned correctly or if the car is run in an enclosed area. The mention of a “carbon monoxide gauge” suggests they’re actively monitoring dangerous levels, which is a serious safety concern.
surface corrosion
"when I bought it from you, which was a bit of surface corrosion in the back."
Surface corrosion is basically rust that starts on the outside of the metal. It might look small, but if it keeps getting moisture, it can spread.
Surface corrosion is rust that forms on the outer layers of a car’s bodywork. It can look minor at first, but if moisture gets underneath, it can spread and become deeper corrosion.
rust bubbles
"because some of the rust bubbles for those not watching, these little rust bubbles by the right rear quarter of the car behind the wheel opening."
Rust bubbles are little bumps under the paint caused by rust forming underneath. They’re a warning sign that the metal is starting to corrode.
Rust bubbles are small blisters that form when corrosion builds under paint or body coatings. They’re a common early sign that moisture has gotten into the metal and is pushing the finish up.
touch-up paint
"I went and touched up, and I think we used about 71 gallons of touch-up paint on this car, touched up everything, including all those rust spots."
Touch-up paint is small-area paint used to cover damage or spots. It can help protect the metal, but if rust is still there underneath, it may come back.
Touch-up paint is used to cover small chips, scratches, and localized rust areas to restore protection and appearance. If rust is still active underneath, touch-up paint may eventually peel or fail.
Dodge Dart
"I got sort of pit maneuvered by a Dodge Dart. [505.9s] And I bought the last remaining new old stock bumper in the world rather than trying to fix mine."
They’re saying a Dodge Dart was the other car that hit them. The takeaway is that accidents can be rough enough to require serious body repair.
The Dodge Dart is mentioned as the vehicle involved in the pit maneuver that damaged the speaker’s Mercedes. It’s a useful real-world reminder that even non-exotic cars can cause significant body damage in accidents.
chemically strip the bumper
"Well, they had to then chemically strip the bumper down to bear plastic again. And it was just, it was a month of frustration or two months of frustration"
They used chemicals to remove the paint completely. Then they could repaint it so the original bumper texture shows through instead of being filled in by thick paint.
“Chemically stripping” means using chemical paint strippers to remove paint and coatings down to the underlying material. In this case, it was done to get back to bare plastic so the bumper could be repainted correctly and the texture could be preserved.
CO poisoning
"They had the car running so they had CO poisoning just like Jason does. What? Um, yeah."
CO poisoning refers to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can happen when an engine or exhaust system produces CO in an enclosed or poorly ventilated space. The speaker is using it as a cautionary anecdote about running the car in a way that could expose people to dangerous exhaust gases. It’s not a car “feature,” but it’s a real safety risk tied to how vehicles are started and tested.
Pebble Beach restorations
"He comes from a shop where they do Pebble Beach restorations of cars. Right."
Pebble Beach is a famous car show where cars are judged like art. A “Pebble Beach restoration” means the work is aimed at making the car look perfect, not just good enough to drive.
“Pebble Beach” is shorthand for concours-level restorations—show-car quality work where the goal is factory-correct appearance and flawless finishing. Mentioning this sets expectations for the paint and blending approach being discussed.
paint code
"There is no like, you pull up a paint code and this comes up, you pull up a paint code and it's something approaching this color. But every one of them is different and they're all completely different."
A paint code is like a recipe number for the exact color the car left the factory with. The point here is that this car’s paint history is messy enough that the “recipe” doesn’t match what’s on the panels.
A paint code is the manufacturer’s identifier used to mix a specific color formula for refinishing. The speaker notes that this car doesn’t behave like a normal factory paint job—there’s no single code that reliably reproduces the exact blended result.
Volkswagen Egolf
"In fact, I'm thinking about buying one of those badges and putting it on something, maybe even the Ferrari automatic stick shift. You could put it on your e-golf. Right next to the manual gearbox preservation society license plate frame that pisses everyone off."
The Volkswagen e-Golf is a Golf that runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It’s meant to be a normal, practical car, just powered by a battery. The episode brings it up because the name and badge are easy to recognize.
The Volkswagen e-Golf is an electric version of the Golf, built to deliver everyday practicality with an electric powertrain. The host mentions it in a playful way about putting an “e-Golf” badge on another car, which highlights how recognizable the model name is. It’s discussed because it represents a mainstream EV platform rather than a niche supercar.
clutch
"Basically, it disengages the clutch, allows you to shift and then re-engages the clutch. And it has two pedals."
A clutch is what lets you separate the engine from the gearbox. When you press it, you can change gears without grinding them.
A clutch connects and disconnects the engine from the transmission. In a typical manual gearbox, you press the clutch pedal to disengage power so you can shift gears smoothly.
Sport-O-Matic
"So automatic stick shift and Sport-O-Matic are the same thing. So Sport-O-Matic was available starting in the late 60s... And then like you said, there's a micro switch... it just engages, it puts the clutch in... And it disengages your clutch."
Sport-O-Matic is a type of “semi-automatic” gearbox. You can move the shifter like a manual, but the car controls the clutch for you.
Sport-O-Matic refers to a clutchless, semi-automatic transmission system where the shifter can be used, but the car automatically engages/disengages the clutch and selects gears. In this segment, the speakers describe how it prevents certain driver habits (like resting a hand on the lever) and how it can lead to over-revving if you try to move it while moving.
over rev
"You can, but you're not going anywhere. And you will maybe over rev. And then you move the lever and then it does everything for you."
Over-rev means the engine is being pushed to too high an RPM. If it happens during a bad shift, it can be rough on the engine.
Over-rev (over-revving) happens when the engine spins faster than intended, often due to an inappropriate gear selection or clutch engagement timing. In clutchless systems, the wrong shifter input can cause the engine to flare to higher RPM before the system corrects it.
column shifted four-speed manual transmission
"In low trim cars, you've got a conventional four-speed manual transmission, albeit column shifted."
Instead of the shifter being on the floor or center console, it’s on the steering column. In these versions, it’s a four-speed manual.
A column-shifted manual uses the gear selector mounted on the steering column rather than on the center console. The speaker notes that lower-trim DS cars used a conventional four-speed manual in this column-shift layout.
DS
"...because it was expensive for a car of that category when the DS came out, especially for post-war France..."
The Citroën DS was a famous Citroën from the post-war era. The speaker is using it as a reference point for how expensive the car was when it first came out.
The Citroën DS is a landmark post-war model known for advanced engineering and, in some configurations, for using Citroën’s hydraulic technology. In the transcript, it’s referenced as the context for why Citroënatic-style systems mattered for cost and category positioning.
decontent the car
"So they tried to decontent the car and make it a conventional manual to save money."
“Decontenting” means taking out features to make the car cheaper to build. The idea is to lower the price so more people can afford it.
“Decontenting” means removing features or simplifying components to reduce manufacturing cost and retail price. Here, the speaker says Citroën tried to strip down the car and switch toward a conventional manual to hit a more price-sensitive market.
SMG
"And the SMG. SMG, yeah, correct."
SMG is BMW’s automated manual transmission. It lets you shift without using a traditional clutch pedal because the system controls the clutch for you.
SMG stands for Sequential Manual Gearbox, BMW’s automated manual transmission system used in some performance models. It uses electronic control to actuate clutch engagement and shift selection, enabling clutchless operation with a manual-style shift feel.
Bosch
"If you look closely at, like, they make all kinds of little bits and bobs in the same way that LEM, Ford or Bosch or..."
Bosch is a major automotive supplier known for electronics and systems (and historically many mechanical and electromechanical components). Mentioning Bosch in the same breath as Valéo and other suppliers emphasizes that many “car technologies” come from specialized component companies, not just the automaker itself.
ZF transmission
"So they work with the car companies to develop technologies that they then sell to the car in the same way that ZF transmission would be."
ZF is a well-known transmission and driveline supplier that develops gearboxes for many automakers. The speaker uses “ZF transmission” as an analogy for how Valéo works with car companies to develop and supply driveline technologies.
paddle
"Yes, or it's like watching someone drive an F1, but instead of pulling a paddle, they're moving a lever in the gate to the next gear."
A paddle is a small lever behind the steering wheel that you pull to shift. They’re saying this system uses a normal-looking gear lever instead of paddles.
“Paddle” refers to steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles used in many modern performance cars and in Formula 1. The speaker contrasts paddle shifting with moving a lever in the gate for the next gear.
blip the revs
"It would blip the revs and then just a little bit and then engage gradually and go."
A “rev blip” is a quick moment where the engine speed jumps up. It helps the car shift or launch more smoothly instead of feeling rough.
“Blipping the revs” means briefly raising engine RPM to match the drivetrain during engagement or shifting. In automated clutchless systems, this helps smooth torque transfer and reduces driveline shock.
RPM
"There'd be a feedback loop where it monitors RPM and decides what to do accordingly."
RPM tells you how fast the engine is spinning. The transmission computer uses RPM to help decide the right moment to shift.
RPM (revolutions per minute) is the engine’s rotational speed. DCT control systems monitor RPM (along with other signals) to decide when to release one clutch and engage the other for the next gear.
QP5
"you're creating a massive amount of heat and wear, which is what happened in the QP5 with Garrett back in the day. And all I did was car had like 31 miles on it and I just backed into a parking space in San Francisco and"
QP5 sounds like a specific test or early program name. In this story, it’s used to point to a real example where the clutch got damaged quickly because of how the car was behaving at low speed.
QP5 appears to be an internal program or early test/production reference tied to a clutch failure event. The context suggests a known case where backing/low-speed slip caused rapid clutch overheating and wear.
automatic transmissions
"When you're dealing with automatic transmissions in the US and people who are buying an automatic, they don't expect compromises."
An automatic transmission changes gears by itself. You don’t have to push a clutch pedal or shift manually, and most drivers expect it to feel smooth and effortless.
An automatic transmission shifts gears for you, usually using hydraulic control and a torque-converter-based layout. In the US market, many buyers expect smooth, familiar behavior without needing to manage clutching or shifting.
BMW
"And I looked up a car that I think, so everyone sort of knows BMW unleashed SMG on the unsuspecting public because it wasn't just in the M cars."
BMW is the brand being discussed. The speaker is talking about BMW’s SMG transmission and why it didn’t always match what drivers expected from an automatic-like experience.
BMW is central here because the speaker discusses BMW’s SMG system and how it was offered beyond just high-performance M models. This frames the broader argument about how clutchless systems can be a mismatch for what buyers expect.
rev flare
"And LFA? [2822.0s] LFA had a bit too much rev flare. [2827.4s] And you're like, oh, no, the clutch."
Rev flare is when the engine revs jump up during a shift. If it’s too strong, it can make the car feel jerky or like the clutch isn’t engaging smoothly.
“Rev flare” is the noticeable rise in engine RPM during a shift, often caused by how the engine is blipped or how the clutch/gear engagement is timed. In clutchless manual systems, excessive rev flare can make the shift feel less smooth and more “engine-first” than “gear-first.”
Mercedes-Benz
"Which is weird because Mercedes-Benz was, I guess, not so much then using Automatics widely, but Mercedes relatively early was like all in on Automatics."
They’re talking about Mercedes-Benz and how the company chose a particular style of automatic transmission. The point is that Mercedes did things a little differently than other brands.
The hosts are discussing Mercedes-Benz’s historical approach to automatic transmissions. They claim Mercedes was an early adopter of automatics and used a specific type of coupling rather than the classic torque-converter setup.
Honda
"is it relevant to you that Honda uses planetaries ... but Honda uses high-point gears."
Honda is the car brand being used as an example here. They’re described as using a different kind of gear setup inside their transmissions.
Honda is mentioned as using a different internal transmission gear architecture than many other automatics. The discussion uses Honda as an example of why the driver experience matters more than the exact internal design.
H pattern shifter
"That would be finally a world in which you can have an H pattern shifter and then just hit D and drive it in automatic and traffic and never worry about anything."
That’s the familiar gear-shift pattern you see in many manuals, where you move the shifter into different positions for each gear. People like it because it feels more direct and mechanical.
An H pattern shifter is the classic manual-transmission layout where gears are selected by moving the lever in an “H” gate. It’s a key part of the traditional manual feel, and the speaker is contrasting it with the convenience of automatic driving.
synchromesh
"You know, if you go to pre-war, it was the act of the gear change and the lack of synchromesh. That was kind of the thing that you were working around."
Synchromesh is the mechanism in a manual transmission that matches the speed of the gears before they engage. That makes shifting smoother and prevents grinding, especially when the engine and transmission input speeds differ.
0-60 time
"And the reality is, 0-1X, for example, like you couldn't have a car that does 0-60 as quick as any of these cars do because the shift alone would ruin any chances."
This is a simple test: how fast a car goes from stopped to 60 mph. If the car has to shift gears slowly, it can lose time and make the number worse.
“0-60 time” is how quickly a car accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph. In the context of transmissions, it highlights how much the shift strategy (and shift speed) affects overall acceleration.
fuel efficiency
"and it's all for fuel efficiency. So yeah. What an uplifting place to end. Fuel efficiency."
Fuel efficiency is how far a car can go per unit of fuel, driven by factors like engine load, shift strategy, and drivetrain losses. In the context of transmissions, modern control systems try to keep the engine operating in more efficient ranges and reduce unnecessary power interruptions.
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