I’ve only driven my ZF manual and a 3.0 with a very sloppy Getrag shifter. As we know the Getrag can be tightened up with care and some aftermarket parts. Given how neglected my car is, I can say that I
agree with others that the ZF is a more precise engagement. Some say it is tractor like. Engagement is notchier than a getrag.
The ZF design is quite different from a Getrag. The getrag has a single selector shaft that goes in and out, and rotates - engaged by a shift rod pivoting on a ball. We’ve all seen the pic of the various Getrag shift levers, such as the short Z3 version.
The ZF has a series of long rectangular selector shafts that only slide forward and back. The shift lever picks which shaft to move forward or back. As a result, it has a gated shifter feel to it.
The ZF box has the selector shafts tightly enclosed in the aluminum housing. A shift lever and pivot bolts to the selector housing. It is all very rigid.
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Top down look at the box that the shifter bolts to. These are the selector shafts. Note the notch that the shift lever will slide into, to pick the shaft.
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The 262 has single selector rod circlipped to a rubber isolated aka “flexy” sheet metal shift platform. Funny that all of those $600 rally shifter boxes that bolt to the tunnel are attempting to replicate the ZF design, and result in a similar feel.
G262:
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