Does anyone buy sports cars with manual gearboxes anymore?

[NDAzone]

This is where more than one car is important.
I have always had a manual sports car. When I was in my twenties I wanted a manual sedan to go with it. However, 20+ years later, I prefer an automatic sedan. There is just too much traffic when commuting these days.
I keep the sports car for sunny weekends and clear roads.

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[RichM]

Of the 40,689 Corvettes built in MY 2016, 31,400 were 8 speed automatics. That’s roughly 3 out 4 built. For the record, mine’s automatic.

[RichM]

Originally Posted by Rich Mickol

Of the 40,689 Corvettes built in MY 2016, 31,400 were 8 speed automatics. That’s roughly 3 out 4 built. For the record, mine’s automatic.

From the book.

[Formulansx]

DSG and SMG gear boxes kind of drive me nuts coming from manuals for 20+ years. I can never tell what gear I'm in. Steering wheel and paddles flying all over the place and shifting with reckless abandon. Maybe this is why I could never get passed the final F1 series in Gran Turismo Weight transfer is different as well. It's all foreign to me.


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[RolexWombat]

I love driving a manual as much as any other gear-head, but that doesn’t mean I can not accept what is now the reality of things.

Here are the facts:

Manual is more “fun” because you can play with the clutch from a stop and do silly things like doughnuts and burnouts and there is a certain pleasure in doing a good heel and toe downshift (though they are taking that challenge away in manuals as well now).

But on the track if you want the best time, a dual clutch or modern auto (e.g. the now ubiquitous ZF 8 speed) with paddles _is_ faster.

And in traffic, on the freeway or in town, again a dual-clutch or good modern auto _is_ better.

And for gas mileage in actual real-life conditions, again a dual-clutch or modern auto _is_ better.

You may still want to have a car with a manual because your priority is to have fun while driving it, but that’s the only reason left.

[Rock]

Not the only reason, Wombat. A number of makers have had problems with their duel-clutch and auto transmissions. Mazda and VW come immediately to mind. In both cases there has been a distinct reluctance to firstly admit and secondly fix the problems.
Not often you will find a problem with a Manual gearbox, even one that has done a lot of miles.

[MrTwi]

Originally Posted by RolexWombat

But on the track if you want the best time, a dual clutch or modern auto (e.g. the now ubiquitous ZF 8 speed) with paddles _is_ faster.

True, and if you are doing wheel to wheel racing, true racing, there is no argument.

Now how many people have racing licenses?

Originally Posted by RolexWombat

And in traffic, on the freeway or in town, again a dual-clutch or good modern auto _is_ better.

And for gas mileage in actual real-life conditions, again a dual-clutch or modern auto _is_ better.

I have no doubt they can program a dual clutch to get the best mileage from emissions testings

Originally Posted by RolexWombat

You may still want to have a car with a manual because your priority is to have fun while driving it, but that’s the only reason left.

What other reason would there be? As the head of the Porsche GT program once remarked, approx, "My grandma can use flappy paddles"

Of course its to have fun. That is the reality. All the other stuff? Boring. Those are appliances. My grandma could drive an automatic too.

What are you going to do next, have the car drive for you? They already park for you. Oh wait ... that's exactly what everyone wants, to have the car drive for you. And if that is what you like, thats good for you.

I'll take it the old fashioned way, just like I'll take my watches the old fashioned way, mechanical.

[jackjack305]

Seems to be like im the only guy who hates Manuels. My dad loves them but not for me

[MrTwi]

Maybe I should reword what I was trying to say.

Of course a double clutch automatic can get better mileage. Everything is programmed this days. Its to get better gas mileage

Of course the computer can shift better than a human. Heading to Le Mans? get the right gearbox. Driving on the street? Horses for courses.

Of course manuals aren't fun in traffic. That's a no brainer

And of course, the whole point of a manual is to row the gears. THAT is the whole point. You control the car. You are having fun.

On the other hand, if you want the car to drive for you, and that is coming, thats OK. Let the car park for you. Let the car drive for you. Let the car shift for you. Become a passenger. That is called an appliance, like my washing machine. And thats fine.

For some of us, its not fine. Cars are not viewed as washing machines.

[goin camping]

Yes auto tranny's are now faster etc. But shifting gears is fun! All my 4X4's save one are manuel tranny.

Sadly anyone who thinks that is in the minority. Went looking for a Boxter as a play car. Hey, the top goes down and they are fun to drive. But sheesh, finding a manuel in one that was not thrashed has proven very difficult. Meanwhile there are a ton of auto creampuffs.

If I can't find one though. I'm going after a 63 Dart ragtop. Hope I can tame that beast of a slant six and pushbutton auto.

[keschete]

Yes!! I have an automatic DD because it doesn't come with a stick. But between 1998 and 2014 all my vehichles were manuals.

IMG_1524.JPG

[AlexW123]

Manual cars are slowly becoming a thing of the past which is a huge shame. Granted autos are quicker, easier to drive and more economical in most cases however nothing beats the rawness and driving experience you get from a manual. With manual performance cars becoming rarer these days it makes the right one a great investment. I currently have a gated manual R8 which are holding value a lot better than the auto equivalent.

Has anybody tried the likes of a GT4, manual with rev matching?

[encarter13]

Originally Posted by josephvman

I was reading that now manual gearboxes are now less than 3% of car sold today. There are so many "incoming" threads of new sports cars, but you rarely if ever see a manual. I know that at this point many brands don't offer manuals (Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, Mercedes AMG to name the big ones) but you rarely see Porsches or BMW M-series cars with manuals anymore. I've got three cars with manuals, and my girlfriend will only drive a manual. If you had the choice, why did you choose an auto/paddle-shift?

My Porsche salesman pushed me towards the PDK. He claimed it was quicker/faster in every test Porsche ran the cars through. The dealer also had the literature to back up the claims. Additionally, the speed/time differences between a PDK and manual transmission are even greater for amateur drivers.

However, my wife's Mini is a manual!

[SamP]

Porsche GT3 is was recently only paddle shift, but then Porsche realised their error and brought the manual back, alongside the paddle shift.
Their initial reasoning was that paddle shift is faster, but then listened to drivers who said -we don't care about the nth degree of speed, we want the gear shifting feeling.
Job done.

[toneafficianado]

Originally Posted by AzHadEnuf

V8



+ a 6 speed



Equals therapy.

Now THAT's a car!
Love the colour too.

[AzHadEnuf]

Originally Posted by toneafficianado

Now THAT's a car!
Love the colour too.

Thanks Alan, it’s no exotic but sure is fun.

[toneafficianado]

Love them! they cost about $60 k AUD down here.
I rented a 4 cyl one in Hawaii earlier this year and couldn't stop looking at it. Beautiful from every angle. Need a manual V8 though when I buy!

[RobearH]

Sure do...this one!

[MKIVdan]

I dont have a 2018 GT3 on order with a manual because of the ridiculous mark up they want over sticker. I stick with my 2008 3 pedal GT3.

[ronrriley]

Most of my cars have been manual. I've bought two automatic cars, one because i was in a bind and needed a car, the second I converted to manual. My latest car is a Chevy SS with a 6-speed manual.

[MrTwi]

Originally Posted by AlexW123

Has anybody tried the likes of a GT4, manual with rev matching?

I think all Porsche sports cars from after 2012 with Manuals and sports chrono do rev matching when in Sport +.

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by MrTwi

I'll take it the old fashioned way, just like I'll take my watches the old fashioned way, mechanical.

Curious, since you mentioned it, are your mechanical watches automatic or manual winding?

[kalburnfall]

The thought of driving an automatic bores the living headlights out of me.



Sorry about the bad pun

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[MrTwi]

Originally Posted by Tony64

Curious, since you mentioned it, are your mechanical watches automatic or manual winding?

Automatic. Except there's one difference. I wear my watch and there is no joy in winding it. Car is a toy and there is joy in shifting. If there wasn't, it would be an automatic washing machine.

[gwalker]

My C6 was. Traction was impossible unless rpms were perfect under 80 mph and Sorry but the average 60-year-old man buying $100,000 plus car is not Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton. How many an F1 cars haven’t even use manual gearbox is since 93 I believe. The New ZR-1 I plan to order will have a sequential manual. Manuals are fun but sorry tech has passed them by. I’ve driven a new Z06 with both. Not even close if you want to go fast and imho safer with both hands on the wheel.


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[Tony64]

Originally Posted by MrTwi

Automatic. Except there's one difference. I wear my watch and there is no joy in winding it. Car is a toy and there is joy in shifting. If there wasn't, it would be an automatic washing machine.

Not so sure the watch isn't a toy also, but I digress.

As for no joy in winding, that just means you've spent too much time on the Rolex side of this forum, virtually all models being automatic. Take a walk on the wild side and you'll hear plenty describe the delight of the daily ritual of manually winding a fine dress watch.

For me, I prefer automatic - watches and transmission - but I can appreciate how some enjoy the stick and the stem.

[MrTwi]

Originally Posted by gwalker

How many an F1 cars haven’t even use manual gearbox is since 93 I believe.

Not relevant. Unless you are doing wheel to wheel racing or timed events, fractions of seconds are meaningless for real world everyday driving. At a certain point, miliseconds mean nothing. Its for this reason the new GT3 comes in Manual. But if that's important to you, thats fine. That why we have options, at least today.

Originally Posted by Tony64

Not so sure the watch isn't a toy also, but I digress.

As for no joy in winding, that just means you've spent too much time on the Rolex side of this forum, virtually all models being automatic. Take a walk on the wild side and you'll hear plenty describe the delight of the daily ritual of manually winding a fine dress watch.

For me, I prefer automatic - watches and transmission - but I can appreciate how some enjoy the stick and the stem.

Understand. But I view watches as tools and jewelry. I actually "tell time" with it! One of the first watches I got, many, many years ago, was a chronograph. I didn't buy it because it looked "cool" or was a fashion statement. I used it as a stop watch to time laps. What could be better than to have a stop watch built into a regular watch? Having a second watch, IMO, was stupid. I bought a Rolex to use while swimming and not worrying about if the watch was "Water Resistant" vs "Waterproof to 100M".

I understand that they are also collected. I'm good with that. People collect stuff.

[hsm]

its got to be manual for any sports car,

F1 stopped being a spectator sport when it went auto,

I loved the days of Mansell etc, I also loved it when he went to indykart as the f1 world champ and won that series aswell,

a manual clutch and gearbox is the true and only test of a driver,

most f1 drivers today could win the championship in the top car, but not if a clutch and gearstick was involved.

Which proves that modern or so called progress is not better.

[superdog]

Originally Posted by Tony64

Not so sure the watch isn't a toy also, but I digress.

As for no joy in winding, that just means you've spent too much time on the Rolex side of this forum, virtually all models being automatic. Take a walk on the wild side and you'll hear plenty describe the delight of the daily ritual of manually winding a fine dress watch.

For me, I prefer automatic - watches and transmission - but I can appreciate how some enjoy the stick and the stem.

Must agree with you again. I LOVE winding my speedmaster. There is something incredibly charming about it.

In regards to this particular topic, I think I posted the same previously. But for some more detail:

Went from a Mustang GT, to a Z51 Vette, to a GT 350. All were fantastic. Tons of fun.

After the 350, I got a MB SL550. It is an absolutely pleasure to drive in comparison to the other 3. It is also just as quick, corners superbly, and it just as much fun to drive. I will likely never go back to a manual tranny. And I used to say I would never have a sports car without one.

It is nice when the mind opens up to new possibilities.

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by hsm

a manual clutch and gearbox is the true and only test of a driver

And the steering wheel?
Decoration, or just a place to rest your knee?