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The following is an article, almost a month old, but fascinating nonetheless on the state of transmission technology and where trends are driving us (no pun intended...)
Check it out
The Endangered Clutch Pedal......(Ward's AW)
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I think manual will be gone for most non-sporty cars. Give it 10 years.
Both automatic and manual will be replaced by DCT.
However, some cars will always have manual... like the Miata.
I could almost say that the Miata will be among the last of manual tranny cars.
Both automatic and manual will be replaced by DCT.
However, some cars will always have manual... like the Miata.
I could almost say that the Miata will be among the last of manual tranny cars.
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I agree.....roadsters like the Miata/Solstice/Sky along with Muscle Cars (Camaro/Mustang/Challenger) and Sports/GT cars (Corvette et al) will be the only ones offering true manuals in the future.....
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99% of my driving is done shuttling kids to school, driving to work, and popping over to Winn Dixie for a gallon of milk. NONE of those activities are fun with a clutch and stick. The other 1% of my driving is on the freeway, where I hardly ever have to change gear. What would be the point in owning a manual-shift car?
Now if most of my driving was done on a twisty alpine road in a two seat roadster...
I often miss the great erstwhile British journalist L.J.K. Setright. He was a rare breed in his field: truly appreciating the beauty of the automatic transmission.
Now if most of my driving was done on a twisty alpine road in a two seat roadster...
I often miss the great erstwhile British journalist L.J.K. Setright. He was a rare breed in his field: truly appreciating the beauty of the automatic transmission.
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As a die-hard fan of the manual transmission, I enjoy every moment of stepping on the clutch and changing the gear. Shifting makes driving fun, even if it's just a mile drive to the grocery store.
I don't see getting stuck in traffic as a hassle; I see it as an opportunity to row gears.
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
I love my clutch and stick, never make me get rid of it or I could have this car for a very long time. I have never owned a car without one, I dont know what I would do. That was my TOP prioroty when I bought my car a few months ago.
I love my clutch and stick, never make me get rid of it or I could have this car for a very long time. I have never owned a car without one, I dont know what I would do. That was my TOP prioroty when I bought my car a few months ago.
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13,173 Posts
I love driving my corvette with its manual transmission. Great fun yet if DSG became available it would be the one thing to get me to buy a new vette....
Till then I'll enjoy the old fashioned way of having fun driving.
The technology is just too cool to pass up on.
JMO
Till then I'll enjoy the old fashioned way of having fun driving.
The technology is just too cool to pass up on.
JMO
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I wholeheartedly agree. If the Manual goes by the wayside, it looks like I will be driving "old" cars for the rest of my life...
-Chase
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You'd essentially have to kill off all the scientists & engineers working on this adv. technology then
It's not like it'll be an instantaneous thing either.....trucks and other big vehicles will most likely loose their manuals first.....then sedans will slowly adopt these "Dual-Clutch" trannies or whatever...followed by high end sportscars (possibly the Corvette) and last but not least, the low end sports cars like the Camaro, Miata et al.
It'll take decades but I believe that's what'll eventually happen....
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I test drove a VW GTI with DSG once. It got sort of boring because the novelty of the gee-whiz DCT tranny wore out very quickly.
It felt like a really, really good automatic that knew when and how to shift.
But, it still had that disconnected feel of a traditional automatic. VW DSG would be a good performance tranny, but it's all about function, not fun.
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I'd love to get a manual transmission in my next car but it will be a tough sell for my wife. She can drive them but prefers not to. It might need to be a 3rd car so she never has to drive it.
It is getting pretty hard to even find a manual transmission car for sale around here.
It is getting pretty hard to even find a manual transmission car for sale around here.
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8,886 Posts
This is inevitable. Look back over the past 100 years of cars and you'll see a lot of changes in cars from transmissions through to suspensions. The clutch is due to go out the door. It's simply inevitable. And hybrids may well be the last nail in that coffin.
I do agree some standards may survive, but I can see most sports cars going semi-automatic/DSG. BMW nearly did that a while back and pulled back. Next iteration I can see the standard at BMW gone except for the 3 series and then gone from even that in 10 years time.
I think even in Europe most cars are now automatics. And with computer controlled automatics today rivaling or bettering standards, that's yet another nail in the coffin.
On a personal note, I'd rather not have to row my cars anymore. I'd rather have a DSG or semiautomatic, especially with traffic the way it is. Besides, if it's good enough for F1 it's good enough for me, I say.
I do agree some standards may survive, but I can see most sports cars going semi-automatic/DSG. BMW nearly did that a while back and pulled back. Next iteration I can see the standard at BMW gone except for the 3 series and then gone from even that in 10 years time.
I think even in Europe most cars are now automatics. And with computer controlled automatics today rivaling or bettering standards, that's yet another nail in the coffin.
On a personal note, I'd rather not have to row my cars anymore. I'd rather have a DSG or semiautomatic, especially with traffic the way it is. Besides, if it's good enough for F1 it's good enough for me, I say.
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13,173 Posts
I also was bored by the VW GTI after test driving it and expecting something more exciting.
In fact I was disappointed but then a buddy of mine suggested that since I was used to driving a 485hp C5 Z06 (cam headers, gears etc) what did I expect.
I still admire and want the new DSG technology. I just want it hooked up to a corvette..
The consistency of the performance is what amazes me.. and like I said...I enjoy driving my manual transmission C6 with 436hp.
If I could get zeroshift installed in my present c6 for under 8 grand I'd go that route.
I haven't heard much from them lately which is a shame.
I'll be kicking and screaming when manuals leave. they offer:
-cheaper and less maintenence
-fun, even in a very boring car like a corolla or an old sentra
-lots and lots of concentration, never gets boring.
-with the less complex tech and a good driver, it can still shift forever and ever and ever....
- you'll find better mileage in one than a conventional auto.
expect to see me look at used cars more often than newer ones...
-cheaper and less maintenence
-fun, even in a very boring car like a corolla or an old sentra
-lots and lots of concentration, never gets boring.
-with the less complex tech and a good driver, it can still shift forever and ever and ever....
- you'll find better mileage in one than a conventional auto.
expect to see me look at used cars more often than newer ones...
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8,886 Posts
Better start getting your scream ready. Fuel economy and computers will surely kill the standard very soon. It's inevitable.
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11,898 Posts
What difference do computers and fuel economy make in a manual? Hell, the Cobalt XFE is a manual, and a has there ever been a case where a manual has had worse mileage than an auto? I know like manual trans Foresters turn higher RPMs than autos in overdrive but they still return better mileage.
I don't buy the computer BS...what, the engine computer? Like all manual trans cars made in the past 20 years have had an engine computer and they've been ok. Stability control? The '09 Forester is available with manual trans and still has stability control standard.
Emissions? BS. I'm not a scientist in this field but wouldn't an increase in gas mileage result in a decrease in emissions?
And no, the "DSG" "manu-matic" bull is not a replacement for a manual trans. I don't see what the big deal is...its not a pain to me at all, it's part of driving. Errands, being stuck in traffic, off roading...very few times have I thought "I wish I had an auto right now"
I don't buy the computer BS...what, the engine computer? Like all manual trans cars made in the past 20 years have had an engine computer and they've been ok. Stability control? The '09 Forester is available with manual trans and still has stability control standard.
Emissions? BS. I'm not a scientist in this field but wouldn't an increase in gas mileage result in a decrease in emissions?
And no, the "DSG" "manu-matic" bull is not a replacement for a manual trans. I don't see what the big deal is...its not a pain to me at all, it's part of driving. Errands, being stuck in traffic, off roading...very few times have I thought "I wish I had an auto right now"
I don't even understand how that works at all.
even though I appreciate the DSG/manu-matic tech, it still doesn't replace the fun factors you can get in a true manual. and also, I'll be a very unhappy camper when subaru starts offering only autos in their wgns. even if a DSG or some auto gets quicker readings than a manual, I'll still get a stick no matter what.
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