The older transmissions are a PITA for starting in 2nd gear only. The European cars had a toggle switch that let them engage 2nd gear starts or first gear starts.

These things can be set to shift wherever the heck you want them too, with just a couple of simple tools.

The electronic transmissions attempt to "learn" your driving habits. There is a 1 - 2 seconds minimum delay built in between shifts that I find EXTREMELY annoying. Also, why is it the torque convertor seems inefficient at multiplying torque?

E420 (5th, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 5th)
560SL (4th, 4th, 4th, 4th, 4th, 4th, 4th)