jlg

just curious anyone wish we had more manual cars in our stable?if so ,what combinatons.body /engine.thanks for your thoughts.

peteharvey

Did you know that in Formula 1 racing, the semi-automatic transmissions actually change gears faster than traditional manuals?
In fact, a full automatic gearbox changes gears even faster than semi-automatic, however F1 prohibited the use of fully automatic gearboxes to make racing more competitive, and more human oriented, rather than just winning via the team with the biggest budget and the most advanced technology.
It is fun to change gears ourselves, but these days, changing gears manually is no longer the quickest option.

It's like horse riding and archery.
Horse riding and archery are both fun, however horse riding is no match for a modern day motor car, and archery is no match for a modern day rifle or machine gun.

Coleroad

Cafe laws will continue to push manual transmissions out. Automatic transmissions now give better fuel economy. They shift faster, and with them being computer controlled. They do a pretty darn good job at being in the correct gear.

bagwell

manual is way more engaging & fun to drive, more reliable, and much much much cheaper to repair.

Stroock639

i very much wish i had a manual car, much more interesting than a regular auto. but i wouldn't want my only car to be a manual, i'd still want an auto to use if i didn't feel like shifting.

ideally i'd want something like a BRZ or S2000 so i can do tokyo drift with it lol

Stroock639

i don't think anyone's surprised that F1 cars change gear faster than a traditional manual, they use thousands of psi of hydraulic pressure to literally slam the next gear into place. takes only like 35 milliseconds or something like that.

there's a bunch here that doesn't really make sense, a fully automatic gearbox doesn't change faster than a semi automatic. the transmission in an F1 car is nothing like a traditional torque converter automatic you'd find in a consumer car. they use what's called a sequential manual, and in terms of operation the main difference is that gears can only be selected sequentially (1,2,3,4 4,3,2,1) and you can't jump multiple gears like a regular auto or h-pattern traditional manual. the gears are also straight cut for light weight and quick changes, vs the helical cut gears in a regular transmission that are meant to be smooth and quiet.

any F1 car is technically capable of upshifting on its own, but this isn't allowed. for some time it was allowed in qualifying (early 00's) but they took that away. now if you're talking about a dual clutch transmission like in a veyron, yes that will shift basically just as quickly as an F1 car, but a DCT is so heavy that there's no point using one in a race car.

JDR76

Absolutely. I wish the IS350 was offered in a manual, and the GS350 as well. My 2011 Tacoma was a manual too and I loved it.

mmarshall

Several of the former points made here are true, but another big factor is that traffic density in and around major cities is growing so widespread that it is putting a major damper on traditional three-pedal manuals. Few drivers want to wear their arms, legs, and clutches continually shifting in gridlock. And, the more gears a manual transmission has, the more manual shifting one will have to do......and the more the transmission itself will wear. When I first learned to drive in the 60s, most manual transmissions were three-on the tree (column shift) or, for sport-oriented vehicles, three or four gears on the floor. Now, six or even seven gears are routine for manual transmissions....which, combined with a LOT more traffic and stop signs/red-lights, means a LOT more shifting.

gengar

That's not quite right - to the driver, F1 transmissions are for all intents and purposes automated manual transmissions. For example, the clutch in F1 cars is completely automated. The only driver input is sequential shift select via flappy paddles.

The reason why road-going semi-automatic transmissions - such as dual clutch transmissions - are rarely used in racing is the excessive weight and increased packaging space from the mechanicals (not to mention, in the case of dual-clutch transmissions, a secondary gear set). Even road cars like the LFA and Huayra eschew dual-clutch due to weight savings. That's why in racing not as technologically advanced as F1, you'll often see clutchless sequential manuals, like in the GT3 Cup car. Racing cars can get away with these types of transmissions since teams can rebuild/replace transmissions between races; not so much on a road car. Just like in an F1 car, a clutchless sequential manual transmission works in much the same way as a conventional manual - but without a clutch, it's essentially an automated transmission to the driver.


Not to mention how advanced the technology is (especially synchronizing gears) and well-engineered the transmissions are. To put it in perspective, just the gearbox in an F1 car easily costs more than an LFA.

Aron9000

I personally don't mind driving manual in heavy traffic, provided the clutch isn't real heavy. Old muscle cars, older pickup trucks and even newer muscle cars like my old 1998 Camaro Z28 with an aftermarket clutch were a bear though. Lots of fun, but pushing in the clutch was like doing a leg press at the gym, sucked in traffic.

Personally the best cars to buy with a manual are 4 cylinder Hondas, the Miata, or any other small, light sporty car. A manual transmission paired with a small engine that loves to rev is so much fun, usually small revvy cars paired with an automatic changes the personality to where they feel like a dog.

mmarshall

Well, OK, no arguments on the Honda units. If any company on the planet knows how to do a light, crisp, precise, easy-to-shft FWD manual transmission linkage, it is Honda.

bagwell

can you imagine an S2000 with a CVT......yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

One word: PROFITABILITY.


Manual transmissions are no longer profitable to mass produce for most vehicles. Sure they cost less, especially for types of cars that are economic, but when you become a niche luxury sports-oriented product, manual transmissions add to manufacturing/supply complexity.

Manual transmission cars sit longer in dealer lots.

Manual transmission cars depreciate more due to a smaller market that wants it.

All these factors make it less profitable for an automaker to offer it. The bottom line, the bean counters, and market demand all trump enthusiasts.



Now, how about an automatic motorcycle? Those things never ever sell...

cino

iTrader: (1)

A lot of people wanting manual NOT because we think is faster. Manual lovers get it, our manual shifts slower than AT or DCT. Stop thinking that we have NO idea.

Those who say DCT or semi automatic can act like manual probably never driven both. Manual will be manually shifted all the time, it forces the driver to react fast and plan ahead. DCT or AT has the options, it doesn't force the drive to actually drive the car. It calculates everything for you, shift to the correct gear as soon as you brake and turn the steering.

From my observation, 99% of the time, people will leave their DCT at auto because it's convenient.

I have both MT and DCT. MT is more fun because it shows when I make mistake. I stall my car, I laugh it off, then I pursue to be better.

Again, we get it. Manual is slower.

Aron9000

Depends on the car if the manual is slower, on older cars the manual can be SIGNIFICANTLY faster(mainly smaller cars without a lot of torque, where in the old days the automatic was constantly upshifting you out of the powerband).

But yes, torque converter(and dual clutch) automatic transmission technology has developed by leaps and bounds in the past 10-15 years or so to where they are now as fast or faster than a manual tranny. Plus with more tightly spaced ratios and more overdrives, the new generation of automatics are now more fuel efficient, something that was not true in the past.

On a new car, the only real reason to get the manual option is the fun factor IMO. Nothing like executing a perfect heel/toe downshift, rev-matching your downshift, nailing that perfect 1-2 and 2-3 shift at redline and barking the tires, it takes skill to get 100% out of a manual gearbox.