Is the Smart for two an automatic as far as passing the driving test
goes. Ours has a switch to allow fully auto but with this off it's
manual, the clutch being electrically activated when the gear lever is
moved. (Bit like the old porsche sportmatic or saab sensonic)

NM wrote:
> Is the Smart for two an automatic as far as passing the driving test
> goes. Ours has a switch to allow fully auto but with this off it's
> manual, the clutch being electrically activated when the gear lever is
> moved. (Bit like the old porsche sportmatic or saab sensonic)

I would have thought that not having a clutch 
would class it as an auto. After all, a lot of 
modern autos have a manual gear change option, 
using an auto clutch, mine does anyway.

Bod

"NM"  wrote in message 
news:5edcbc72-4c59-4b68-b2a6-6b141669a49c@v36g2000yqv.googlegroups.com...
> Is the Smart for two an automatic as far as passing the driving test
> goes. Ours has a switch to allow fully auto but with this off it's
> manual, the clutch being electrically activated when the gear lever is
> moved. (Bit like the old porsche sportmatic or saab sensonic)

I think it's probably going to be classed as an automatic. It's not the 
selection of gears which is important but the presence of a clutch pedal 
whose timing and movement needs to be coordinated with the accelerator pedal 
and the gear lever.

In the same way, I imagine that a VW DSG gearbox, even when driven using the 
paddles to manually change gear, is an "automatic" as far as passing the 
driving test.

[Please don't let's have a deja-vu thread with discussions about "automatic" 
relating only to torque-converter-and-planetary-gear gearboxes, with all 
others being "semi-automatic". I know we're about due for another outing of 
*that* discussion ;-) ]

In article ,
   Martin  wrote:
> In the same way, I imagine that a VW DSG gearbox, even when driven using
> the paddles to manually change gear, is an "automatic" as far as
> passing the driving test.

I read somewhere the BMW SMG was classed as a manual box licence wise -
despite having a fully auto setting.

-- 
*They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.  

    Dave Plowman     dave@davesound.co.uk     London SW 12

NM wrote:
> Is the Smart for two an automatic as far as passing the driving test
> goes. Ours has a switch to allow fully auto but with this off it's
> manual, the clutch being electrically activated when the gear lever is
> moved. (Bit like the old porsche sportmatic or saab sensonic)

  Yes. Pages 141 - 142 of...
http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Documents/practical_test/dt1/dsa_dt1_standard_operating_procedure.pdf

Dave Plowman  wrote:

> In article ,
>    Martin  wrote:
> > In the same way, I imagine that a VW DSG gearbox, even when driven using
> > the paddles to manually change gear, is an "automatic" as far as
> > passing the driving test.
> 
> I read somewhere the BMW SMG was classed as a manual box licence wise -
> despite having a fully auto setting.

The Mercedes A-class semi-automatic is counted as an automatic despite
the fact that the car has no "drive" setting. When I enquired at DVLA
about the status they said "does it have two pedals?" answer "yes" 

"OK, then it's an automatic and can be driven on an auto-only licence."

On Nov 3, 9:06 pm, %ste...@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) wrote:
> Dave Plowman  wrote:
> > In article ,
> >    Martin  wrote:
> > > In the same way, I imagine that a VW DSG gearbox, even when driven using
> > > the paddles to manually change gear, is an "automatic" as far as
> > > passing the driving test.
>
> > I read somewhere the BMW SMG was classed as a manual box licence wise -
> > despite having a fully auto setting.
>
> The Mercedes A-class semi-automatic is counted as an automatic despite
> the fact that the car has no "drive" setting. When I enquired at DVLA
> about the status they said "does it have two pedals?" answer "yes"
>
> "OK, then it's an automatic and can be driven on an auto-only licence."

My Mountain Bike has two pedals, so is that a fucking automatic as
well then?

In article
,
   Paul McCock  wrote:
> > "OK, then it's an automatic and can be driven on an auto-only licence."

> My Mountain Bike has two pedals, so is that a fucking automatic as
> well then?

Would that they needed a licence...

-- 
*Never miss a good chance to shut up.*

    Dave Plowman     dave@davesound.co.uk     London SW 12

On 3 Nov, 21:25, Paul McCock  wrote:

>
> My Mountain Bike has two pedals, so is that a fucking automatic as
> well then?

I suppose so, it's ramming it's parts into the arse of a cyclist