The new Nissan Z
#41
I agree. Wearing a mechanical watch now shows two things, one appreciates the technology involved (the more movements, the more amazing) and that it's a jewelry accessory, mostly for men. As technology progressed from the the Casio calculator watch, to the smartphone, to the Apple watch, a massive segment of the population has shifted towards viewing a mechanical watch as limited in usefulness and a sign of a bygone era. Whereas there will always be a segment of folks that appreciate and value these 'bygone era' technologies, like the manual transmission, a record player or even a nice fountain pen. Since we are moving more into an automated world, having to manually do anything these days is what's viewed as out of date, but I am not in that school of thought. For instance, there's a lot of satisfaction into completing a well written letter by hand, in cursive and not print, it requires a lot more contemplation to what you have to say. The visual aesthetic of a well crafted and neatly put together letter adds to the impact of what's written. But alas they don't even teach cursive to children in most schools today, to them I might as well be carving stick figures into cave rock.
#42
The difference with a vehicle is you get to interact with it. The more engaging the better. Every effort to make the car faster normally results in a computer which dials down engagement.
I don't drive my own car because I really wish I was on a train. Why would i want an automatic or autopilot?
I don't drive my own car because I really wish I was on a train. Why would i want an automatic or autopilot?
#43
As we move more into an automated world you will find less and less manual type systems, and as @TheDonEffect pointed out people will pay a premium for this like with watches. I paid $2,250 for a Baume & Mercier watch with 3 movements... I could have bought a couple Apple smart watches with 100 times more functionality but the manual aspect of the internal technology appeals to me much more. I rather wind my watch every day then have a smart watch do it for me.
So now there are auto enthusiasts that would gladly pay a premium for a manual transmission if it was offered in their car of choice. If automakers understood the profitability angle, we might see a resurgence of manual transmissions in the future.
But to your point, some will like to manually cut their pubic hair with scissors, whereas others like the feeling of freshly shorn testicles after using electronic clippers.
#44
To you, not to me. To me a manual transmission isn't comparable to a watch or cutting my balls. Each to their own though. A manual transmission in a car or on a motorcycle, requires all 4 limbs for use, total engagement. That isn't even comparable to me to a got damn watch or trimming your luscious vee down to your ball fro.
#45
To you, not to me. To me a manual transmission isn't comparable to a watch or cutting my balls. Each to their own though. A manual transmission in a car or on a motorcycle, requires all 4 limbs for use, total engagement. That isn't even comparable to me to a got damn watch or trimming your luscious vee down to your ball fro.
But the metaphor really applies to the marketing of the technology, in that how do you market a system that is considered obsolete to people who have no interest in the added effort of the older tech. Yes, traditionalists still desire the old tech, but its becoming more and more of a niche crowd.
So I offer that idea of really building a great manual transmission, and treating it as a premium upgrade, vs the typical cheaper offering. People are dumb enough to want something that someone else told them is more desirable.
The Audemir Piaget Royal Oak comes to mind. The mechanical watch was all but dead, destroyed by the quartz movement. Why would people bother paying for an antiquated technology that requires them to exert effort to accomplish something the newer technology does flawlessly, and in this case, cheaper
This story should sound familiar.
Watchmakers could not sell their watches even at the value of what the precious metals in them were worth. AP then had the idea of essentially making a status symbol, hired an artist to pen up the design, really build a great mechanical watch, made it out of steel, and charge a ton for it because if you're rich, you can. The thought of selling a watch that's not as accurate, that requires a person to pay attention to it and actually set it and wind it occasionally, where there was better new technology that was more accurate and only require a, at the time, $2 battery replacement once every few years, oh and its just made of steel and it cost more than gold watches? It sold like hotcakes, and is credited for saving the mechanical watch market.
I offer this strategy to save our beloved manual transmissions. Instead of treating the manual transmission as the practical option, it should be treated as a high margin premium option, really make a good unit, special order, and charge accordingly. Tremec sorta comes to mind because as brand focused OEMs are, they're quick to out the name Tremec on their materials to let people know it has a good product.
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Thomas Guide (06-06-2020)
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