Jaguar F Type
#61
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Originally Posted by mazelmazelgoodthings' timestamp='1349284232' post='22056067
nah my name is just a line alec baldwin said in the movie along came polly its a joke that we have here at work. I work in the car industry and we constantly have jags coming in with some kind of little problem or issue. I meant i would never buy one from a reliability standpoint.
#62
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Well, the F Type is a new Jag, and I have every reason to believe it will be dependable based on the other Ford-era Jags.
That doesn't change the fact that the F Type is being marked as a sports car and has no manual transmission though. That pretty much eliminates it from the small cadre of buyers looking for sports cars with luxury, and leaves it to those who want cruisers like the XK.
That doesn't change the fact that the F Type is being marked as a sports car and has no manual transmission though. That pretty much eliminates it from the small cadre of buyers looking for sports cars with luxury, and leaves it to those who want cruisers like the XK.
#64
Jag doesn't have a manual for the same reasons Ferrari and Lamborghini don't; consumer demand is not there for a smaller niche company. BMW, Porsche, Audi, MB can offer because even if 2-3% want them, the quantity is there to make it a reality.
#65
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Ferrari doesn't have a manual transmission with a clutch pedal because Ferrari builds race cars, and sells its tech in consumer vehicles. Lambo doesn't because its always playing catch up to Ferrari and this is the cutting edge tech. You could at least get a Lambo with a true manual up to last year I think, but no more.
BMW has very few true manuals - I don't even think you can buy a Z4 with anything but an automatic. Mercedes and Jag are really luxury car companies, not sports car companies, even though they have some fast toys. BMW is becoming just like them.
Porsche is really the only company left in this arena that is offering "throwback" tech that adds enjoyment.
Most of the buyers of these cars want to be seen in them more than enjoy their potential. Fewer buy them to really drive them, and even fewer want to really work them with a manual transmission.
I have no illusion that the market for manual transmissions is very small, but if you have even a small portion of your customer base that wants something, its only a matter of priority if you offer it or not. Cars like the F Type will never be volume sellers, and among the type of buyer that wants a car like it, the percentage that want manuals is much higher.
None of these companies are hurting for money; they are just ignoring that group of potential buyers that wants to use a clutch pedal and shift on their own. Ferrari I get, its never pandered to the buying public. A company like Jaguar that is seeking to build market share and add credibility though... you'd think it would pander to everyone available.
What did Toyota do when it wanted to gain sports car cred? It built a sports car with an old-fashioned manual transmission. What did Honda do? You couldn't ever buy an automatic S2000.
BMW has very few true manuals - I don't even think you can buy a Z4 with anything but an automatic. Mercedes and Jag are really luxury car companies, not sports car companies, even though they have some fast toys. BMW is becoming just like them.
Porsche is really the only company left in this arena that is offering "throwback" tech that adds enjoyment.
Most of the buyers of these cars want to be seen in them more than enjoy their potential. Fewer buy them to really drive them, and even fewer want to really work them with a manual transmission.
I have no illusion that the market for manual transmissions is very small, but if you have even a small portion of your customer base that wants something, its only a matter of priority if you offer it or not. Cars like the F Type will never be volume sellers, and among the type of buyer that wants a car like it, the percentage that want manuals is much higher.
None of these companies are hurting for money; they are just ignoring that group of potential buyers that wants to use a clutch pedal and shift on their own. Ferrari I get, its never pandered to the buying public. A company like Jaguar that is seeking to build market share and add credibility though... you'd think it would pander to everyone available.
What did Toyota do when it wanted to gain sports car cred? It built a sports car with an old-fashioned manual transmission. What did Honda do? You couldn't ever buy an automatic S2000.
#66
Ferrari doesn't have a manual transmission with a clutch pedal because Ferrari builds race cars, and sells its tech in consumer vehicles. Lambo doesn't because its always playing catch up to Ferrari and this is the cutting edge tech. You could at least get a Lambo with a true manual up to last year I think, but no more.
Lamborghini to Drop Manual Transmissions
You're right throw, row your own is not state-of-the-art and that's what these companies sell, the fastest current technology which a manual is not. I don't think Toyota or Honda could've met their price points with a fancy F1 setup.
#67
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Fwiw, the most vehicles Lambo ever sold in a year was around 2,400, and I think it is selling around 1,600 vehicles annually now. Exotics are typically showpieces, not drivers' cars, so who needs one that doesn't have the latest new tech?
#68
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I dunno. When I think automatic...I think automated. And if you're not operating the clutch and gear lever...well...the car is doing it for you. Hence it's automated. So it's a bloody automatic.
The first torque converter automatic tranny was called a Hydramatic. It's all the more apropos now, since there are so many iterations of the automatic transmission out in the wild.
The first torque converter automatic tranny was called a Hydramatic. It's all the more apropos now, since there are so many iterations of the automatic transmission out in the wild.
#69