Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
^ It wasn't till i read this that I realized the thread was over six years old.
Oh, them good 'ol days before the economy went thermonuclear...
Well the good news is technically Holden Commodore SS/Pontiac G8 GT/GXP is still kicking around and being sold under the 2014-Current Chevy SS nameplate it was too good of a car to die off but to bad GM never bothered to put it under the Chevelle or Malibu name (since those Classic A-body Muscle cars did have 4-door versions) and GM is just went lame called it the SS. 2014 Chevy SS Vs. 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP: Here's What's Different
Auto's suck to drive. Even the dual clutch ones, they are boring. I like to match revs on downshifts, throw quick gear changes, grab 6th from 3rd, etc...
All of the performance oriented car companies are moving away from the manual (although BMW's M division still offer manuals in their cars), except for VW. 50% of all GTI's sold are manuals, and the new golf R is going to be available with a manual tranny too.
It really bothers me that Porsche make the 991 GT3 and the macan with a PDK box only. Those things are so expensive, there is no excuse for not offering a 6 speed.
The Honda Civic SI is only offered in a manual transmission....for now anyway.
I would really hope manufacturers sense there is enough interest to keep making stick shift cars....even if it's only 5% of production....there is still a significant number of people (like myself) who are not going to buy an automatic if there is any way around it.
But there isn't enough interest. They are finding that, for new cars, people are overwhelmingly opting for autos or flappy paddles. And frankly, aside from a personal preference for a stick, the newer transmissions are technologically superior to sticks in pretty much every way.
It really bothers me that Porsche make the 991 GT3 and the macan with a PDK box only. Those things are so expensive, there is no excuse for not offering a 6 speed.
When you consider the purpose of the GT3, namely to create as close to a race car experience as they can in a streetable 911, using the PDK makes sense. Same with the Macan -- while it may be a very sporty people-mover, its primary purpose at the end of the day is to be a people-mover. If they offered a manual in either car, the take rate would likely be so miniscule as to not bother offering it. Which is why they don't.
And frankly, aside from a personal preference for a stick, the newer transmissions are technologically superior to sticks in pretty much every way.
...Except one. They are no longer user serviceable, at all. In the past, if you upped the horsepower on your car, you could drop the clutch and replace it with a stronger one. Now, if it isn't a factory option, you're stuck.
They kept making manual transmissions to this point because there was A. a market and demand for them and B. early automatic transmissions were horribly inefficient. Nowadays demand for manuals has dropped, automatics are more efficient, and there are two new types of transmissions that are also competing for mindshare, the CVT and the DCT. However, there's always going to be a minimal and specialty requirement for a manual transmission, particularly in heavy equipment and other areas where you just have to have a manually actuated clutch.
But when it comes to "regular" cars, and even performance cars, automatics, CVTs, and DCTs shift faster, are more efficient, and hold up better, and most have a manual mode that shifts faster than any lever+pedal setup. Manual transmission "advantages" translate to them being cheap and easy to rebuild by hand.
I think the durability of CVTs is still unproven. I also think they are not used in any high performance vehicles (yet).
The driving experience of many autos with an up/down option is borderline silly, especially downshifting. They still are automatics first.
I still enjoy manuals, but not in all vehicles. Towing a boat is not fun with a clutch.
All three of my kids know how to drive a stick. One drives one every day.
When you consider the purpose of the GT3, namely to create as close to a race car experience as they can in a streetable 911, using the PDK makes sense. Same with the Macan -- while it may be a very sporty people-mover, its primary purpose at the end of the day is to be a people-mover. If they offered a manual in either car, the take rate would likely be so miniscule as to not bother offering it. Which is why they don't.
Its the principle of it. Enthusiasts tend to buy things like gt3's, and they tend to like manuals. Porsche pissed off a lot of them.
Other way around actually. The auto had the gas guzzler tax. The manual had the 1-4 skip shift to avoid the tax. If you were driving below a certain speed and throttle position, it would lock out 2nd gear (and maybe 3rd gear too) forcing you to shift to 4th. It improved the gas mileage enough to exempt it from the tax. Luckily, it's also easily disabled. Who wants a manual transmission that tells you what gear to shift to?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Davida3606
Stick shifts are stupid and unnecessary!
- wall of text -
Wild guess, but you're not much of a car guy are you?
You can have fun in your 100% automated personal transport device, but some of us actually like driving!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
