Stick-shifters Unite ...

[trube78]

I like manuals. Have drove an auto or two. Had an M3 SMG which was quite slick. A few thoughts.

1. Few sports cars -- M3, Boxster, Z4 etc. are monsters from 0-60. That is not what they are designed for ... balanced driving in the twisties is the design goal. Using 0-60 as "the measuring stick between an auto and manual in a sports car is like saying the Yankees will win the series because they have a better bat-boy." Tough to heel-toe an auto though they have some advantages as well -- for example they allow more concentration on the road.
2. The 0-60 (and 1/4) time is largely determined by the launch. In a boxster, there is one shift after the launch before 60 MPH -- a straight pull. Tips are listed as 1.0 second slower than a manual because they are tougher to get a great launch. Repeated good launches in autos are easy. Manuals can get a good to great launch repeatedly with minimal work/practice. Installing better tires can improve launch dramatically. (OBTW SMG M3s have a special launch mode just for us Americans -- it "attempts" to replicate a perfect launch. We love to squeal our wheels. Still SMGs are slower than a manual from 0-60 and they can execute a pefect shift faster than any man every time.).
3. Automatics may be cheaper to repair over time than manuals (tough to verify/validate) although I expect this is make/model specific. Autos cost 2 to 3K more and get worse gas mileage which is a clutch change or two in almost any car. I have had several clutches last 150 to 200K in cars as diverse as an MG, TR-6, Jensen Healey, Volvo, and a SAAB turbo. Today many automatics are disposable -- to expensive to repair.
4. From an engineering standpoint autos have more drive train losses than manuals. But in order to maximize the advantages of a Manual you usually are driving pretty agressively -- not good for the life of the clutch.

Its all good. If I lived in D.C. I would have an auto. Here in Blacksburg, my wife's and my Boxster are both manual (she drives a manual better than most guys.) I am disappointed that about 1/4 to 1/3 of the drivers can drive a Manual and most are older. It is becoming a lost art to do it well. However ... I cannot imagine life without a convertible ... that is a real crime.
just my dime.
ATB,
Tom

[Ronzi]

"Hey Ron, what's a record player????"

Pete,
If you want to come over, I'll show you one. Along with an "LP" copy of the original soundtrack from "Grand Prix".

Originally Posted by Ronzi

"Hey Ron, what's a record player????"

Pete,
If you want to come over, I'll show you one. Along with an "LP" copy of the original soundtrack from "Grand Prix".

I remember showing my then 92 year-old Grandmother a music CD several years ago, and she was baffled. She also thought my wife's car had a hole in the roof, until I explained what a sunroof was!!

[Perfectlap]

92 aint that old.
Paul Newman came in third place at Lime Rock(in the rain!) in a Grand Am race at the age of 80!

About 50 years ago, they thought our "home computers" would look like this:

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by bmussatti

About 50 years ago, they thought our "home computers" would look like this:

Hi,

What's the Steering Wheel for...???

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[98Boxster98]

Originally Posted by bmussatti

About 50 years ago, they thought our "home computers" would look like this:

It's a photoshop from a fark.com contest.

2004 computer

Originally Posted by 98Boxster98

It's a photoshop from a fark.com contest.

2004 computer

98Boxster98, as far as I know it is not a photoshop. This is the photo that appeared in a 1954 Popular Mechanics Magazine.

[ranbar2]

This is one of those emotional arguments where there really isn't a right answer. I have no doubt that engineering advances will produce a car that shifts faster and outperforms even the most talented manual shifters. Some say that has happened already. And there are those who just will not, or cannot, be bothered with the "distraction" of shifting. And there are environments where shifting is just a pain in the butt, like stop and go rush hour commute.

But I disagree with Ronzi. Even if he were just getting his driver's license instead of his medicare card, the manual transmission will outlive him. There are two main reasons for this. First, manuals are still hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars cheaper than sticks. To many people it is the difference in owning a car or riding the bus (as we who are financially fortunate enough to own porsches may sometimes forget).

But, more importantly, to many it is an aesthetic and visceral choice. Unlike the transition from lp's to cd's, there are qualities in a manual that people desire. I agree with eslai in that there is a certain satisfaction in making your vehicle perform the way you want it to. It makes you feel more engaged to the car and more aware of the driving experience. And people will continue to pay to have that experience even if it no longer provides a performance advantage. And I say this as someone who drove an automatic my entire life until I bought my first porsche two years ago. Yes, I have an SUV with an automatic for those times when the practicality of the car is paramount. But I will forever also have a manual sportscar (hopefully a porsche) for those times when I want to have FUN driving.