End of the Manual Transmission?
10-26-2008, 07:43 PM
#31
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Originally Posted by jeggy,Oct 26 2008, 01:21 PM
1) some semis are equiped with automatic. it's not full automatic though.
2) stick shift/manual/standard transmission will NEVER be fully removed from the automotive world.
just look back at the FWD phenom ten years ago. manufacturers were claiming FWD was the future. lighter, hence faster accel and better fuel economy, cheaper to build because of a lack of a prop shaft and r&d for IRS, and safer/easier to drive in bad weather.
but all that was not enough to kill the RWD layout. too many wanted rear wheel drive. and it's making a come back. even the freekin tiburon is gonna be rear wheel drive.
there are waay more clutch pedal fans then there are RWD fans. manufacturers will build plenty of paddle shift autoboxes. and when they learn that true enthusiast are skipping on their faster automatics in favor for slower more fun manual trans, they will begin building and equiping more standard transmissions.
2) stick shift/manual/standard transmission will NEVER be fully removed from the automotive world.
just look back at the FWD phenom ten years ago. manufacturers were claiming FWD was the future. lighter, hence faster accel and better fuel economy, cheaper to build because of a lack of a prop shaft and r&d for IRS, and safer/easier to drive in bad weather.
but all that was not enough to kill the RWD layout. too many wanted rear wheel drive. and it's making a come back. even the freekin tiburon is gonna be rear wheel drive.
there are waay more clutch pedal fans then there are RWD fans. manufacturers will build plenty of paddle shift autoboxes. and when they learn that true enthusiast are skipping on their faster automatics in favor for slower more fun manual trans, they will begin building and equiping more standard transmissions.
On the other hand, clutchless manuals are providing better fuel economy, better performance, and potentially longer clutch lives as revs are all matched properly in all shifts.
RWD remains popular not only because of its fun-factor, but for other (relatively) practical reasons on a technological standpoint
10-27-2008, 02:37 AM
#32
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true, manual trans are fading away. really sad since anyone can push down on a peddle and go without shifiting. still the true sports car brands will have manual as a option.
10-27-2008, 07:10 AM
#33
Originally Posted by DesertRat,Oct 26 2008, 11:45 AM
But seriously guys, in bad stop'n'go traffic pumping a heavy clutch gets old very quickly...
10-27-2008, 08:25 AM
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Originally Posted by TommyDeVito,Oct 27 2008, 10:10 AM
Not to me, normal business. But then again I'm not trying to eat a burger, talk on the phone, or jerkoff when I drive.
10-27-2008, 09:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Jetpilot718,Oct 25 2008, 08:07 PM
Umm, WTF are they talking about? You can only get that thing in flappy-paddle form. Yet another reason I could care less about the "GT-R".
The real GTR died with the R34.
10-27-2008, 09:05 AM
#37
Originally Posted by TommyDeVito,Oct 27 2008, 09:10 AM
Not to me, normal business. But then again I'm not trying to eat a burger, talk on the phone, or jerkoff when I drive.
10-27-2008, 09:24 AM
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Always amuses me when people with remote locations under their usernames rag on others for driving automatics.
Come on down to Chicagoland, and experience a 22-mile, 1.5 hour commute. Oh, sure, manuals are MUCH more fun then. Sure is important to "feel" that "connection" with the car while you creep along at 3mph. You're really driving, the dude in the Lexus next to you is not half the man you are!
F that.
I own a manual because I won't buy a sports car without one. But almost every day I wake up and fantasize about cruising to the office in some cushy automatic while the S2000 sleeps in the garage awaiting a weekend fun run.
Come on down to Chicagoland, and experience a 22-mile, 1.5 hour commute. Oh, sure, manuals are MUCH more fun then. Sure is important to "feel" that "connection" with the car while you creep along at 3mph. You're really driving, the dude in the Lexus next to you is not half the man you are!
F that.
I own a manual because I won't buy a sports car without one. But almost every day I wake up and fantasize about cruising to the office in some cushy automatic while the S2000 sleeps in the garage awaiting a weekend fun run.
10-27-2008, 09:24 AM
#39
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I track my cars, and use them as dailys.
Previous vehicles:
00 S2000
03 S2000
10+ Miatas
05 CTS-V
05 MCS
04 Audi S4
08 VW R32
All have been tracked.
S2000 was the most fun. Hands down. Car really comes alive on the track.
I just ran the R32 for the first time about 3 weeks ago at the track. The R32 has the DSG gearbox. Once I learned how to drive the car with the DSG, I would be hard pressed to go back to the manual....
DSG makes me a better driver by letting me concentrate less on what the gearbox is doing (heel-toe & physically moving the stick) and more focus goes to what else the car is doing.
I used the paddles for downshifts in manual mode and let the car upshift itself unless I felt that short shifting would benefit me...
For a daily or track car give me DSG.
If the S2000 came with a GOOD DSG gearbox I would argue that 99% of you would prefer it.
IMHO.
Previous vehicles:
00 S2000
03 S2000
10+ Miatas
05 CTS-V
05 MCS
04 Audi S4
08 VW R32
All have been tracked.
S2000 was the most fun. Hands down. Car really comes alive on the track.
I just ran the R32 for the first time about 3 weeks ago at the track. The R32 has the DSG gearbox. Once I learned how to drive the car with the DSG, I would be hard pressed to go back to the manual....
DSG makes me a better driver by letting me concentrate less on what the gearbox is doing (heel-toe & physically moving the stick) and more focus goes to what else the car is doing.
I used the paddles for downshifts in manual mode and let the car upshift itself unless I felt that short shifting would benefit me...
For a daily or track car give me DSG.
If the S2000 came with a GOOD DSG gearbox I would argue that 99% of you would prefer it.
IMHO.
10-27-2008, 09:27 AM
#40
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[QUOTE=Chris Stack,Oct 27 2008, 12:24 PM] Always amuses me when people with remote locations under their usernames rag on others for driving automatics.