so why doesnt the GT350 come with.....

[Spa2k]

Except for one thing: The pure joy of being in control and executing the perfect 3-2 downshift when you're diving into a turn. I don't care if an automatic is a little quicker, I want the involvement of driving a manual (unless I have to spend an hour or more a day in rush-hour traffic).

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[krt22]

Except for one thing: The pure joy of being in control and executing the perfect 3-2 downshift when you're diving into a turn. I don't care if an automatic is a little quicker, I want the involvement of driving a manual (unless I have to spend an hour or more a day in rush-hour traffic).

Indeed, I wont be the fastest guy at the track regardless, so a second or two extra from manually shifting isn't going to matter to me. Being able to blip when I wanna blip though, :cheers:

 

[Hack]

Autos are better, period.

You are with the majority that has that opinion. I realize I'm in the minority, but I despise automatics. If they ever require cars to drive themselves, then put in whatever transmission you like. Until then, I will be driving a manual.

 

[Stingray23]

Thank God its manual only

 

[CANTWN4LSN]

Taught my kids to drive manual as well as automatic and have both. Polled this PM, all prefer manual because it's more FUN. Isn't that the main reason the GT350 was built, straight from the developers mouth...because it is FUN to drive, not because we are all going to take it to the track or interested in great times! Nothing against automatics, sorry for those with bad knees (you do know they can replace those nowadays?)

 

[Rob WH]

After this response, I'll leave it alone, but I think a few may have misinterpreted my stance. This isn't personal to me, though I have a personal opinion.

Except for one thing: The pure joy of being in control and executing the perfect 3-2 downshift when you're diving into a turn. I don't care if an automatic is a little quicker, I want the involvement of driving a manual (unless I have to spend an hour or more a day in rush-hour traffic).

I've got nothing against the joy of it... I drove manuals for the better part of 2 million(yeah, million) miles. At some point, it's not much fun anymore, but I can say, it's easier to do with a big truck than most cars because you don't need to operate the clutch pedal as often. In a daily driven car, I just wouldn't do it anymore.

You are with the majority that has that opinion.

It's not an opinion. It's a straight up proven fact. The best autos simply do outperform the best manuals, point blank. Due to that fact, cars like the Lamborghini Huracan aren't even available w/o an auto. Lambo CEO Stephan Winkelmann said, “Close to zero percent Gallardos were ordered in manual,” he said. I'm thinking Ferrari also did away with manuals.

Those are 2 of the most highly touted nameplates in the world and they do know a thing or two about high performance.

Thank God its manual only

Except that it costs Ford perhaps thousands of sales(at least, over the years) and that's why Ford is in this, regardless the customer base.

Taught my kids to drive manual as well as automatic and have both. Polled this PM, all prefer manual because it's more FUN. Isn't that the main reason the GT350 was built, straight from the developers mouth...because it is FUN to drive, not because we are all going to take it to the track or interested in great times! Nothing against automatics, sorry for those with bad knees (you do know they can replace those nowadays?)

Since nobody on earth has had the opportunity to compare the GT350 w/ auto vs manual in real world driving... or for that matter, a Cobra or GT500 since 1993, the point is moot.

Those driving manuals may in fact have far more vehicle control. Those same people, in about 99.999% of all cases, simply have no clue how great an auto can be today because they don't happen to own a great one and likely, never drove, let alone owned a great one in the past.

Manuals are fine, but they're not as good as... or better than the best autos and ultimately, my only real point is that Ford could in fact sell more vehicles by offering an (great) auto in their top line Mustang. The next GT will get an excellent unit. Why not the GT350?

Somehow, the few seem to think it's a bad idea to offer the masses what the masses actually clamor for and that, to me, is simply absurd. :tsk:

By the way... have you ever had to pay for a knee replacement? It's more expensive than a new GT350!

 

[mustang_lurkers]

Ford doesn't have or couldn't buy an automatic transmission that could handle 8250 rpm and keep the cost down.

 

[Hack]

It's not an opinion. It's a straight up proven fact.

You said "autos are better". That is an opinion.

You can say they have better fuel economy - that would be a fact.
You can say they are faster 0-60 and that would be a fact.
You can say they are faster through the 1/4 mile - fact.
You can say more repeatable performance with an auto - fact.


Better? - no way. Autos just plain SUCK! Manual transmissions are more fun - and why even buy a fun car with a joy-killing automatic? Just put me to sleep now!

 

[DrumReaper]

Here's a thought... If autos were better how come every race car worth it's weight in gold has a manual? I would think it's because race car drivers don't like the autonomy of an automatic and would rather drive the car as they intend using the transmission as a means of controlling the driving dynamics of the car.

This is a track car... It's a low-volume specialty car. If you don't get it cause it doesn't have an auto someone will buy it just cause it came with a stick.

There are applications that befit an auto... Some that befit a manual. Hell, if 4wd were ALWAYS better than 2wd we'd all be driving Audis, but not everybody cares for 4wd.

 

[Mystic_Cobra]

I am a fan of the stick shift, too. All three of my Mustangs have a manual 5-speed or 6-speed. BUT many newer track cars and and race cars are being built with paddle shifters, SMG or dual clutch autos (DCT), which act like an auto but internally work like a manual. Why? They shift faster than humans can. Again, I'm a huge fan of a traditional manual trans but many cars are faster because of these newer technologies. I'm just sayin'

 

[chrsschb]

Here's a thought... If autos were better how come every race car worth it's weight in gold has a manual? I would think it's because race car drivers don't like the autonomy of an automatic and would rather drive the car as they intend using the transmission as a means of controlling the driving dynamics of the car.

Like F1 cars?

 

[fuhrius]

Here's a thought... If autos were better how come every race car worth it's weight in gold has a manual? I would think it's because race car drivers don't like the autonomy of an automatic and would rather drive the car as they intend using the transmission as a means of controlling the driving dynamics of the car.

This is a track car... It's a low-volume specialty car. If you don't get it cause it doesn't have an auto someone will buy it just cause it came with a stick.

There are applications that befit an auto... Some that befit a manual. Hell, if 4wd were ALWAYS better than 2wd we'd all be driving Audis, but not everybody cares for 4wd.

curious which race cars you're referring to that are better / worth their weight in gold as manuals?

 

[Alkhater]

There is no race car worth its weight in gold. Just sayin'.

Even an F1 car at around 600 Kgs and at todays gold price would be worth over $20,000,000 if it was worth its weight on gold.

 

[Rob WH]

Ford doesn't have or couldn't buy an automatic transmission that could handle 8250 rpm and keep the cost down.

Of course they could... they do and it's in the GT.

You said "autos are better". That is an opinion.

You can say they have better fuel economy - that would be a fact.
You can say they are faster 0-60 and that would be a fact.
You can say they are faster through the 1/4 mile - fact.
You can say more repeatable performance with an auto - fact.


Better? - no way. Autos just plain SUCK! Manual transmissions are more fun - and why even buy a fun car with a joy-killing automatic? Just put me to sleep now!

The fact, is that no sports car manual transmission on planet earth is as capable as the best automatic transmissions available today. Is that spelled out small enough for ya?

Automatics... ARE... better. The fact you think they suck isn't important and shows how little you actually know about transmissions.

I was never debating "fun" here, just what's blatantly superior to any and all manual car transmissions ever built. The merits of using an automatic, sadly... aren't based on your personal preferences. I know this may come as a shock, but... it's not really about you.

Besides: "You can say they have better fuel economy - that would be a fact.
You can say they are faster 0-60 and that would be a fact.
You can say they are faster through the 1/4 mile - fact.
You can say more repeatable performance with an auto - fact."

All those being facts and autos being easier to drive in general... where's your argument for the manual being better? Is it that manuals don't SUCK? :lol:

Here's a thought... If autos were better how come every race car worth it's weight in gold has a manual?

Name just 1.

I would think it's because race car drivers don't like the autonomy of an automatic and would rather drive the car as they intend using the transmission as a means of controlling the driving dynamics of the car.

How man F1 cars use manual transmissions? Do they have trouble handling well? How about Le Mans winners?

This is a track car... It's a low-volume specialty car. If you don't get it cause it doesn't have an auto someone will buy it just cause it came with a stick.

Ford will likely lose thousands of sales as compared to offering it with an automatic as well. If the GT350 is really just a track car... why'd they also make the R? For that matter, why'd they make it street legal? I don't know how "limited" you expect it to be, but Ford will likely make over 4,000 for MY 2016.

For that matter, your argument assumes that I believe a manual shouldn't be available. It's fine with me that the manual is available. I happen to think an auto should too, that's all.

The fact is, my wonderful military mishaps have caused me to really not be willing to be in pain just to look cool while driving a car I'd otherwise own. You have your opinion... but just because you think it's cool... is no reason for the rest of us to do without what we know is better, if not easier to use.

There are applications that befit an auto... Some that befit a manual. Hell, if 4wd were ALWAYS better than 2wd we'd all be driving Audis, but not everybody cares for 4wd.

Most Audi's aren't 4WD, but AWD and there's actually a massive difference, speaking of controlling dynamics... all due to technologically advanced driving systems.

curious which race cars you're referring to that are better / worth their weight in gold as manuals?

There are none. ;)

There is no race car worth its weight in gold. Just sayin'.

Even an F1 car at around 600 Kgs and at todays gold price would be worth over $20,000,000 if it was worth its weight on gold.

That's probably correct, but then... it doesn't have a manual transmission.

 

[krt22]

I think you are confusing a true race transmission (i.e. a paddle shifted sequential) and your typical manumatic with "sport shift" modes found in most mid range sports cars. F1 transmissions are much more manual than automatic, they just don't have a clutch pedal. Either way, for most enthusiasts its not the transmission that is going to be the limitation when it comes to piloting these cars. 1-2 seconds a lap isn't going to mean anything to your average track day fellow doing a few HPDEs a year

They aren't losing thousands of sales a year on, just a handful for those folks who can't/won't drive a manual. The folks buying automatic vettes aren't doing it to be the fastest of the fast at the track.

They also have to think about price, they priced this very aggressively to appeal to a certain segment of the market. You aren't getting PDK performance in a 50k car, so they would have either offered a sub-par auto or raise the MSRP

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