The overwhelming majority of people who "knock" egear either have never driven an Egear car or have a manual and wish to bolster their values. I drive my Huracan and LP560's back to back, and the Egear system is more fun to me when I want to drive in a spirited manner vs the DCT. Cruising around casually or low speed driving, the DCT is more enjoyable but the violent upshifts and the rev matched downshifts really add so much enjoyment to the experience for me. There is a certain amount of "skill" or a knack for driving egear properly though, and without that understanding, I can see how some might not experience it how it was designed to be driven.
1. never drive in "auto"
2. let off gas lightly in between shifts
3. drive in Corsa mode
4. put in neutral at stop lights to preserve clutch life

For an even more improved experience, get a Sprint Booster and extended paddles

 

Yep, yep, yep. And it takes a few months to learn the car and know the sweet spots. I originally said I've NEVER do an e-gear car, ever! I found a car with the specs I loved and wanted (not the easiest things to do these days, and near impossible to do with gated car. I had no plans on doing the E-gear I just wanted to try it out. I'm a manual car car and have had a S2000 since new. Well, I tried and and fell in love e-gear. E-gear IS for the true manual enthusiast.

Since you are able to drive both, then you should see what you like. I have commented both ways in the past. The e-gear can be engaging and does require driving it like a manual. The roughness is on purpose to give you an eventful drive, although it can be easily driven smoothly by lifting for each shift. If you do like clutches and shifting, the gated manual in the Gallardo is great. The ease of drivability is not going to be like Porsche regardless of transmission, but it will also be more dramatic than Porsche.

You know what a manual is, and an e-gear is not an automatic nor a double clutch. It is a manual with an automated clutch that you shift with paddles. You will shift, and the computer will work the clutch for you. The e-gear was revised a few times, even during pre-LP iterations, so the stories of clutches wearing out fast are typically 2004 and maybe 2005 model years.

The gated manual is going to command a premium in purchase cost. However, the e-gear may need more maintenance, especially if it has not had any or been neglected, and that will also add to cost. It depends on the specific car as to whether the extra cost of a gated manual will be similar to the extra cost of maintaining an e-gear. For this reason, I would try to drive both and go with the one you want, which is always the best strategy anyway.

My current Porsche is PDK and my previous Porsches have all been manuals. I do like the e-gear but I might have searched for a gated manual to have an easier to maintain system if it had not taken so long to find and cost so much of a premium. I am not sure where future prices will go because while everyone is clamoring for the gated manual, the truth is that far more people can not drive them and would require the e-gear.

Very well spoken and you make very good points that are true in this day and age.

Even yesterday after about 10 minutes I realized my error and decided to go directly to Corsa. WOW, I had no idea what I was missing. Completely amazed at the difference. The Brutality of it. You HAVE to drive it before you make your decision based on what everyone is saying. My Porsche was smooth and well refined. That's what they're known for, right ?? This thing is a Blast in so many ways, don't stick a full cup of coffee in the console cup holder unless you want it ejected at some point. Hey, I gave up on looking for a gated car because my budget dictated it would have to have been a Pre-LP model. I really wanted the updated car with all the issues supposedly worked out. I found the color I was after in an LP but had to sacrifice the stickshift and settle for E-gear. I still have a stickshift Mustang in the garage so I figured it wasn't Total sacrifice (and I do love the paddles in the BMW) so I figured I'd give it a shot. If it was so crappy then why did they make it for 10 years and most people paid the extra 10K for the 'option' ?? This is supposed to be the weekend car, but right now I'm not going to be able to wait until then. I resisted the urge to take it out today but I don't think I'll make it through tomorrow.... -Mike

A gated car may be a better choice from an investment standpoint, but if you want to drive I think the E-gear is going to be special kind of fun. Go try one in Corsa mode and see what you think. I can't help but smile just thinking about it

Yep, all smiles, all day. I have a Gallardo and a 458 and also had a Huracan for a week. For the DCT the 458 just won me over for various reasons, which I can got into more detail if anyone wants to know. I love the Gallardo single clutch and love the DCT in the 458, but for different reasons. The 458 DCT is like a surgeon in your mouth with a precision calibrated tool, and the Gallardo is that same surgeon with a hammer. Two different worlds and I appreciate both in different ways.

Also, anyone with these cars that doesn't have it yet, e-gear or gated, need to try the Sprint Booster. It's the first line of defense in prolonging clutch life and makes throttle response instant with no lag. @Itsagoodday

Sprint Booster for 04-14 Gallardo installed! I love it.

Sprint Booster for 04-14 Gallardo and LP, installed! I love it. Video attached My previous owner, who's on this forum, had this installed before I bought the car. I've also been a dealer for Sprint Booster for over 10 years and have installed them in my own cars. Not every make car benefits...

www.lamborghini-talk.com

Gallardo Sprint Booster from Burtman

 

Since you are able to drive both, then you should see what you like. I have commented both ways in the past. The e-gear can be engaging and does require driving it like a manual. The roughness is on purpose to give you an eventful drive, although it can be easily driven smoothly by lifting for each shift. If you do like clutches and shifting, the gated manual in the Gallardo is great. The ease of drivability is not going to be like Porsche regardless of transmission, but it will also be more dramatic than Porsche.

You know what a manual is, and an e-gear is not an automatic nor a double clutch. It is a manual with an automated clutch that you shift with paddles. You will shift, and the computer will work the clutch for you. The e-gear was revised a few times, even during pre-LP iterations, so the stories of clutches wearing out fast are typically 2004 and maybe 2005 model years.

The gated manual is going to command a premium in purchase cost. However, the e-gear may need more maintenance, especially if it has not had any or been neglected, and that will also add to cost. It depends on the specific car as to whether the extra cost of a gated manual will be similar to the extra cost of maintaining an e-gear. For this reason, I would try to drive both and go with the one you want, which is always the best strategy anyway.

My current Porsche is PDK and my previous Porsches have all been manuals. I do like the e-gear but I might have searched for a gated manual to have an easier to maintain system if it had not taken so long to find and cost so much of a premium. I am not sure where future prices will go because while everyone is clamoring for the gated manual, the truth is that far more people can not drive them and would require the e-gear.

 

Remember me in your 'maybe' post, I said I sold my manual 997 to 'upgrade' and I had decided on an LP560 Spyder over an F430 and a MP4-12C at that point. Driving experience was limited to a 5 minute sub-45mph test drive around the block stuff. Thought the shifts were slow compared to my BMW 'M' ?? Well, I did get to drive it yesterday FINALLY (and as shared above), it took a bit of learning to get the knack of it. I just didn't know how to drive it, I never had driven in any mode other than the default (BAD).... forgot about sport and corsa. Even yesterday after about 10 minutes I realized my error and decided to go directly to Corsa. WOW, I had no idea what I was missing. Completely amazed at the difference. The Brutality of it. You HAVE to drive it before you make your decision based on what everyone is saying. My Porsche was smooth and well refined. That's what they're known for, right ?? This thing is a Blast in so many ways, don't stick a full cup of coffee in the console cup holder unless you want it ejected at some point. Hey, I gave up on looking for a gated car because my budget dictated it would have to have been a Pre-LP model. I really wanted the updated car with all the issues supposedly worked out. I found the color I was after in an LP but had to sacrifice the stickshift and settle for E-gear. I still have a stickshift Mustang in the garage so I figured it wasn't Total sacrifice (and I do love the paddles in the BMW) so I figured I'd give it a shot. If it was so crappy then why did they make it for 10 years and most people paid the extra 10K for the 'option' ?? This is supposed to be the weekend car, but right now I'm not going to be able to wait until then. I resisted the urge to take it out today but I don't think I'll make it through tomorrow.... -Mike

A gated car may be a better choice from an investment standpoint, but if you want to drive I think the E-gear is going to be special kind of fun. Go try one in Corsa mode and see what you think. I can't help but smile just thinking about it

 

Oh yeah, good example of listening to other people gone bad............. I was interested in that Alfa Romeo 4C (that only about 2100 or so made it to the US in 5 years). MAYBE it will be worth something someday, but all these reviewers were raving about how special this car is, blah, blah, blah. Well, I actually scored one for a weekend. I'd say by the time I put 200 miles on the car I couldn't wait to get my car back (my daily driver). Oh, it's a beauty, but a short description which comes to mind instantly is - What a little paddle-shifted fartbox deathtrap wanna-be supercar. The steering sucks so bad it wants to throw you into the woods when carving your corners.

 

I have a 2004 E-Gear and drove a 570S. The 570S is way smother and refined. That being said though you cannot just put the 570 in neutral or down/up shift 2 gears. The E-Gear does what you tell it to do. Like others said you have to drive it like a manual it can be jerky sometimes yes but for the most part you get use to how to drive it and it isn't an issue.

 

gentlemen manual and e gear is the same.
one has a clutch and one is automated by using paddles.
that’s why you need to drive the e gear like a manual.

 

I owned an 06 Gallardo for a year and a half and sold it because of the e-gear. Its absolute trash. Anyone that says otherwise is blowing smoke. It's f*cking awful. Get something with a DCT.

 

You are absolutely correct for someone who doesn't really know how to drive a manual. I have put 55k miles on mine and I have no problem with it. Sounds like you need to just stick to automatics.

 

Lots of smoke blowers here............ it's a forum dedicated to smoke blowers, and you still like to see what the smoke blowers have to say

Hey, an Alfa 4C has a DCT

 

Man, Oh, Man... I raced my eGear around 6 tracks...from Laguna Seca to COTA. I have never been happier with this car.

Dallas Performace and Wayne Potts, my freaking AWESOME tuner, got over 1200hp from my v10 turbo motor and eGear Systems.

The problem with eGear is you guys who buy them never know how to use them. I like the guy's comment (gold something...sorry) he said it best... follow his advice and you will win with the eGear! And, keep it in Sport mode (for all you pre LP guys) and Corsa mode for the after-burner. It helps a ton...

Oh, and always change the fields reg.

Enjoy guy!!!! TT 1250- is OUT!

 

OP, I think you have an awful lot of detractors. At issue is: do you like the way it drives? I have a Diablo which of course is a manual and I had a choice of manual or egear Gallardo. I love the E gear and this is coming from someone who loves manuals. The reason why is it’s completely different, fast shift, both hands stay on wheel, kicks you in the pants, and still is as visceral as a semi automatic transmission can be. I have driven dual and single clutches, prefer the single.

that said, a lot of people complain about the maintenance and or electrical gremlins that happen on these cars, and the E gear is no different. When the E gear parts go up, it can be an expensive fix for sure. The system itself has more moving parts and therefore is prone to more maintenance and failure, however it is not a bad system at all. Do many searches on this website and you will get everyone’s opinion both good and bad and you will get how to drive the car and things to do and not to do. Universally, don’t reverse up hills and put the car in neutral when you come to stoplights. This becomes a habit and it’s not a big deal. Never drive in auto is another universal truism and my pre-LP I always turn the lights on and sport on and the radio off 1 to 3 every time I get in the car it just becomes habit and it’s not a big deal.

 

“Never drive in auto”

what exactly do you mean? Always use the paddles to downshift?

 

In answer to your question, a quick reminder. These are manual transmission cars with a computer and paddles to control the shifts, instead of a third pedal. The computer has a setting for automatic in the center tunnel which makes everything very easy but delays the clutch engagement and also has a setting for S or sport mode (in pre-LP cars) that engages the clutch quicker but also has different rev limiting settings. Corsa in LPs. In essence, the auto mode tends to wear the clutch more because the computer is set to engage it more slowly. This is exacerbated in slow driving, bumper-to-bumper driving, moving out of garages and reversing uphill. I never drive in auto for this very reason. This is also a primary reason the sprint booster is so widely popular because it further reduces time between your foot and the engagement of the clutch, making the engagement quicker and therefore the clutch last longer.

For those who know how to drive manual cars you know what I am saying: you can engage the clutch over a length of 100 yards or engage the clutch in less than the length of your car. The latter will save your clutch many many miles and the former will burn your clutch out quickly. Particularly on sport mode, this is why the cars with a single clutch will kick you in the backside on shifts where you don’t lift the throttle. As for reverse, the computer is set to never really fully engage the clutch and therefore the entire time you were in reverse it is slipping. This is one drawback to a pre-LP car in that once you are in reverse you cannot switch to neutral and roll back as you have to come to a complete stop to switch to neutral. LP cars changed that. So reversing particularly in pre-LP cars and particularly uphill is as damaging as driving slowly around town in automatic mode.

 

Nice explanation. AofM had a good point also.... Is it at a crititcal or necessary to downshift in Sport or Corsa using the paddles always....or, is it OK to allow the computer to perform that function (except switching to neutral when coming to a stop) ??

 

As you can see from the quite varied replies the e-gear experience can be polarizing. You have to try it for yourself. Severa times. I autocross a manual Miata and wanted a manual Lamborghini but opted for e-gear so the wife could drive it. She ended up being scared of the car but fortunately for me after I learned how to drive it the e-gear grew on me. It lurches in slow traffic, bogs off the line and in general seems less competent than a Toyota van, but once you understand what it wants to do you can find a symbiotic relationship where it all comes together. You can almost hear it yelling at you in Italian. “NO NO, DONT SHIFT THERE! ALWAYS HIGH! THE ENGINE SHOULD SOUND ANGRY ALWAYS! THERE IS THE POWER YES!! YOU SEE!! ALWAYS TO GO FAST NEVER TO GO SLOW!!, ALWAYS ON THE POWER!” You can tell it was tuned for the track and not for traffic. You have to drive it a few times to understand. They are meant to be driven like you stole them, which is tough to do on normal roads. When it all does come together though it’s a sweet, rewarding feeling, similar to when I’ve carved a perfect line on my motorcycle. It is for sure more maintenance bits and bobs than a regular manual but I will say this: Once on a spirited autocross course I missed a downshift and didn’t destroy the clutch but the car came into grid reeking of burnt clutch. I thought I was going to have to trailer it home. It turned out ok but as I was driving home I realized that the same mistake in the Gallardo would have been catastrophically expensive and the e-gear gives me a little protection from mistakes like that.

 

Duuuude, 1) Lights on for safety 2) because it's what you gotta do 3) see 4
4) roll the windows down so you can hear the music better

 

^^ what FontisBluG said