Camaro Has 7,000 Orders - And One Very Popular Option: The Hurst Shifter

[Perian]

Link: http://www.saturnfans.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=1


LAS VEGAS -- Don't call it a comeback, but General Motors is seeing surprising interest in what's rapidly becoming an anachronism, the stick shift.

According to consultancy AutoPacific, only about 5% of U.S. buyers opt for a manual transmission in new cars and trucks -- though it can range up to 25% for performance cars such as the Ford Mustang.

Among the about 7,000 enthusiasts who've pre-ordered Camaros -- Chevrolet's revival of the Mustang rival -- the most popular accessory is a racing-style, short-throw shifter for the six-speed manual transmission.

The $378 dealer-installed shifter is by Hurst, a name famous as the choice for 1960s muscle cars with the old "4-on-the-floor" manual transmissions.


Full article at link.

[nascarnate326]

Sounds good to me
5th gen looks to be off to a good start

[skylark68]

I disagree with the article that stick shifts will disappear. Maybe they will due to the government not trusting anyone to do anything themselves, but unless something like that happens, lots of performance car buyers will demand a manual transmission. I love manual transmissions not just because they are more fun to drive, but they are much easier to maintain.

[bhoppes]

When can you start ordering the convertible Camaro?

[tripowergto]

The final year of the GTO had a 62% manual shift take rate.

[dindak]

I would order a manual as this car would be my summer fun car.

If I only had the cash and an extra garage for her.

:-(

[Fast1996Impala]

Good, a manual trans is the way to go.

Can't decide if my replacement for the Camaro will be the 5th Gen. Camaro or a G8. Decisions decisions........

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by Perian

Don't call it a comeback, but General Motors is seeing surprising interest in what's rapidly becoming an anachronism, the stick shift.

God Bless!!!!!!

For those who are pains in the butt like me and prefer to shift for themselves, I welcome the news!

Originally Posted by skylark68

I disagree with the article that stick shifts will disappear. Maybe they will due to the government not trusting anyone to do anything themselves, but unless something like that happens, lots of performance car buyers will demand a manual transmission. I love manual transmissions not just because they are more fun to drive, but they are much easier to maintain.

I think that there is no doubt that manual transmissions will continue to make up only a small percentager of the auto-buying world. However, you are right. Barring any kind of idiotic government mandate, I think that there are still a fair number of buyers out there who prefer to buy a stick. Even look at products like the M5 or M6. They brought it here sans a manual transmission - but had to eventually put one in cause Bimmer drivers were all complaining that they didn't want the SMG gearbox. In Italy, the same was true of the older Fiat Stilo 2.4 Abarth Selespeed - a hot hatch on its own right from a few years back. It came only with a trick gearbox like the SMG but folks clamoured for a stick - and they got one.

I remember reading an article from one of the big car magazines years ago. The column basically said that no matter what happens in the future, a manual tranmission will also be a part of the romance of driving a car, especially a sports car. The author cited the reasons why and then said something like, "And even if they take manual transmissions out of every car out there, and the only stick shift equipped cars left in the world were Soviet era Yugos being built in Serbia, you'd find stick drivers like me there patiently waiting to plop down their dollars and take one home."

I don't remember the columnist or which American car magazine it was, but it was nicely said.

Originally Posted by tripowergto

The final year of the GTO had a 62% manual shift take rate.

Wow, that's a hell of a statistic.

I have to say, the most recent GTO will probably be one of those great aftermarket cars out there in the years ahead. They imported enough of them and its a lot of car for the money. A few years from now they will be a performace bargain and could see a loyal aftermarket following.

It kind of reminds me of the Fiero, the 94-96 Impala, etc -- perhaps under apprecited in their time but certainly enjoyed a second life after production ended.

But that's just me....

[CanadianBrit]

Originally Posted by Fast1996Impala

Good, a manual trans is the way to go.

Can't decide if my replacement for the Camaro will be the 5th Gen. Camaro or a G8. Decisions decisions........

Well the only way to get a stick in a G8 is to wait one full year for the 2010 G8 GXP with the 6.2L engine!

[stevecmh]

nice to see the have many orders..

i just hope it does not die off in the future.

[Barry Badrinath]

Originally Posted by skylark68

I disagree with the article that stick shifts will disappear.

Second. With the cost for a new vehicle expected to accelerate due to the new CAFE and ongoing safety standards, people will also look to save costs any way they can.

I'll go even further than nadepalma and say I believe there will be a decent increase in manual sales in the US. Automatics can be a $1,500 option on some vehicles. I expect many would rather save money and row their own boat instead.

I also live just outside Philadelphia and don't believe the traffic issue would trump the savings either.

Oh, I also expect a moderate return in coupes, as I personally believe that most of those sales over the past 20 years have been lost to 'truck drivers who don't need/use no stinkin truck'.

.02

[JiveMonkey]

Long live the manual! It drive me crazy you can't get one on more cars, unless you buy a base model, blah.

[jwrebholz]

I predict sometime in the next 4-8 years, a mandate comes down banning manual transmissions in cars due to an "obvious and dangerous driver distraction". The safetycrats will also point the finger at the fact that most stickshift cars sold in the US are high-performance variants, and thus these vehicles are wasteful and dangerous from the get-go.

As our government inches closer and closer to a nanny state, I fully expect all this to happen..."for our own good", of course.

[paul8488]

I find this very encouraging. I much prefer manual, and hope that they last for a long time to come. People need to get out and buy more manuals-transmission cars to encourage the manufacturers to keep them as an option! One potential plus is that manuals are MUCH more popular than automatics in Europe... so with luck manufacturers can justify offering manual transmission vehicles in North America if they can use the same transmission in Europe and elsewhere.

[mrgto]

I love manuals as well....I hope the Hurst in this next Camaro is a hell of a lot better than the POS offered in the 4th Gen cars.