22 replies to this topic

[GraemeC]

Harris Motorsport & Quaife are developing a 5 speed straight cut sequential 'box for the Mini, there's a picture in the latest Mini World. Expected to be around £9k.

[Jammy]

I'm not sure either of the sequential boxes (either that Minispeed one, or the Quaife one) will actually be better, or at least quicker at changing gear than a normal dog box. Since all, bar one, sequential boxes in all those exotic cars are known to be cruddy at changing gear when you want them to. The 'bar one' is the DSG gearbox that Audi developed, and thats only good because it has two clutches.

[JetBLICK]

Nar thers a difference between the semi-automatic gearboxes in supercars and others, and a proper sequential dog box. The reason the semi automatic ones are slow i believe is because they still have the torque converter apparently (according to the howstuff works link) because in essence they are an automatic gearbox that can be manipulated with the paddles or whatever. A proper sequential gearbox is much better, think about it tho, if they where no good why do all forms of race cars use them? Also its not just the speed of teh gearchange, its the simplicity of the motion meaning you can concentrate better on other things and have your hands back on the wheel quicker, and the saftey factor as its harder to select a wrong gear.

[Dan]

That's what I was going to say. Sequential is just a way of selecting a manual gearbox, a different selector mechanism. Tiptronic or paddle shift type gearboxes are just auto boxes with a different selector mechanism and an auto has to work hard to be better than a manual.

The one Mini Speed is selling has been around about 8 years now I think. There was a big article about it in Mini Mag when it was first made. I can't remember who makes it but I can dig the article up. It's purely mechanical. The selector pulls or releases a cable which rotates the selector drum which in turn sides the forks up and down, simple. The cable is on a ratchet at the end of the drum so that it can reset when you release the lever without the drum turning back. There is no magic in a sequential selector mechanism. The Quaife boxes cost as much as they do because of the gear kit and the fact that it's a custom gearcase as much as anything else.

Edited by Dan, 25 September 2007 - 10:02 AM.

[neil_g]

ah dan beat me to it.

the cable running out the speedo housing is actually the cable that moves the selector.

[Guess-Works.com]

If you can hang around a couple of years, then there maybe a cheaper alternative

[JetBLICK]

Dan, could you post teh artilce when you've got a moment, wouldnt mind seeing it

[mini93]

GW ill be waiting a few years but hurry up i like the sound of it i want i want i want *rolls on the floor tantrum style*