Do you think the manual transmission will survive?
04-19-2013 | 03:40 AM
#72
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 22,578
Likes: 826
From: The (S)Low Country
I've been wanting another Mercedes SL since I had to sell my last one, a 1990. The day after tax season ended, I looked at a 2007 SL550 and couldn't pass it up. I've had it 48 hours now and am just thrilled. It's white/tan AMG and it goes like a bat outa hell. Sorry Rob, but it's an automatic. But it has paddles so I can shift if the mood hits me.
The bad part is we'll be selling the S, as the +1 is taking over the Rav4. The S is just getting too hard to enter and exit, and now she's driven it 13 1/2 years and 85,000 miles. After I have it serviced and waxed, we'll be putting it up for sale. I hope it goes to a nice home, and stays stock.
I won't be going anywhere and will continue to harass, cajole and joke with all of you.
The bad part is we'll be selling the S, as the +1 is taking over the Rav4. The S is just getting too hard to enter and exit, and now she's driven it 13 1/2 years and 85,000 miles. After I have it serviced and waxed, we'll be putting it up for sale. I hope it goes to a nice home, and stays stock.
I won't be going anywhere and will continue to harass, cajole and joke with all of you.
I still miss it, but I have to say the replacement is becoming more and more loved. I don't get the driving experience I enjoyed from the S, but I certainly do enjoy the comfort, ease of entry/exit and the super cushy ride. I also like the ability to go in "stealth" mode and pretend its only a hardtop. 
I cannot believe how quiet the ride can be when that hardtop is up. Someday I guess I'll get accustomed to driving an automatic but with my aging back issues it is very nice to not have to depress a clutch.
06-08-2013 | 08:31 AM
#74
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 32,737
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From: Randolph, NJ
This morning I brought my BMW to the dealer for its first service. After we dropped off the car Adam and I took a walk through the showroom. There were about 15 new BMWs on display. Everything from M models to Z4s to X series. As we entered the showroom I jokingly bet Adam that we wouldn't find one manual transmission. Unfortunately, I was right. Not one manual transmission.
06-17-2013 | 08:12 AM
#77
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,193
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From: Denton, Texas
The most interesting car I had with a stick shift was a 1969 Saab V4(this was the first year they went away from the 2 cycle motor). It was a4 speed on the column and it had a hydraulic clutch that you could put inregular mode or put in a disengage mode. In the disengage mode you couldtake your foot off the gas and the car would behave as if it was inneutral. When you wanted to reengage the motor you would depress the gasand the centrifugal clutch would spin up until the RPMs matched and wouldengage. Great for fuel economy but heck on the breaks
08-21-2013 | 11:58 AM
#78
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From: bolton
08-22-2013 | 05:57 PM
#79
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 32,737
Likes: 1,497
From: Randolph, NJ
This past weekend I went to look at a 1974 MGB. I didn't like it enough to buy it but I did have an interesting conversation with it's owner. The person who owns it feels very much the same way about manual transmissions as I do, he drive an Audi A4 with a manual. We got to talking about manual transmission cars and he told me that manuals are readily available in Europe. As a matter of fact they are very popular. But, he said, that going forward BMW dealers won't be bringing any into this country as inventory. If you want a manual transmission in a BMW the dealer will sell it to you but will have to special order it and have it built specially. I hope he's wrong, but I suspect that he's right.
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