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You know, a true "automatic-manual" like the Ferrari F1 transmission, or BMW SMG (sequential manual) transmission? (Not the fake ones, regular slushbox automatic transmission cars with button style shifters).

Pretty interesting experience. Definitely has a far more "mechanical" feel than a normal slushbox automatic. Like a regular manual, you have to get used to it, and have to use some skill and timing to make it shift smoothly. The BMW SMG shifts pretty quickly, although I'm sure not as quickly as the Ferrari version.

It is interesting, but I can see why it might not be super popular in cars like BMWs. While it is more "active" than a regular automatic, it still is nowhere near a real manual transmission, in feel or control. It is closer to an automatic, even when shifted "manually."

So I can see where it might not appeal to manual transmission drivers.

But as an automatic, it is not very smooth. You can't just jump in and drive it very smoothly. You have to let off the gas a bit on the 1-2 shift, esp. if you are trying to move reasonably quickly, otherwise you get a kind of stalling/delay feeling.

So it definitely would not appeal to a "normal automatic" type of buyer. If you put the average BMW automatic driver into an SMG car, I think they would bring it back and tell you something is wrong with the transmission.

An interesting technology, though.