The Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder comes standard with a six-speed transmission. Our test car was equipped with the optional “E-gear,” an electronically-controlled sequential manual transmission. Made by Marelli, which also supplies Ferrari and Maserati, the system uses paddles behind the wheel, which you flick to shift gears. The same technology is used in F1 race cars because it shifts gears much faster than a human being can using a stick and a clutch – as quickly as .0012 of a second. Some drivers complain that E-gear isolates the driver, limiting full participation in the driving experience. We would agree that it’s more fun to actively take control of a manual tranny when you’re cruising a country road and shifting leisurely. On a track, however, when corners arrive in the blink of an eye, it’s nice to have a piece of machinery that’s faster than your eyelid’s involuntary shuttering. It leaves you to concentrate on other matters, such as the concrete wall doing 120 past your right rear wheel.