What impact will it have on 6-speed sales that PP is no longer exclusive to manuals?

[Bravo]

And I would prefer a DCT to a traditional manual provided it offered a 100% driver shifting mode.

All I ask of a transmission is I have complete control of what gear is in play, that within a gear there is a direct relationship between engine and road speed (e.g. no slush-box), and that the shifts are not delayed or slower than a manual trans. A manual clutch is totally optional for me to be satisfied.

That's kind of what I'm proposing, albeit a simpler and thus more affordable version of a dual clutch.

You still gotta shift the gears and press the 3rd pedal, but there are assisting features that can make the less enjoyable side of a manual (30min of crawling traffic, for example) a bit more enjoyable.

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[thill444]

I have owned and driven lots of German cars as well and as good as the dual clutches are (obviously faster shifting than a manual) you still don't have the same connection with the car when you have the geaerbox and pedal. I have nothing against automatics. But I will take the performance hit to still have that connection with the car and the ability to heel/toe and manually blip the throttle is just flat out fun. I just feel more engaged when I am doing it myself vs a computer or manually with just a a paddle.

It is what it is. This is a personal thing and not everyone shares the same opinion.

 

[Stormtrooper5.0]

A manual is better for literally EVERYONE out on the road. It keeps people from being distracted(phone, changing songs on the radio, adjusting a/c or heat). People are more likely to be distracted with an automatic transmission, that's been proven. When all you have to do is mash the gas, it's pretty easy to become bored. Boredom leads to distraction. Distraction leads to accidents.

So yes, people that drive manuals are better for it. (Plus, exhausts sound sooooo much better coming from a manual) ;)

I do wish that driving tests were only conducted in manual here in the US....once you pass a driving test in manual then you are allowed to drive any transmission of your choice once you have your license. Reasons:
1) Driver tests seems to be more based on knowledge of the road instead of the actual act of driving
2) Would weed out a lot of bad drivers who don’t have the skill or focus to drive a car…if my 17 yr old nephew can smoke a blunt, post on his Instagram, bang his head loudly to Migos while driving…yea its too easy and its very dangerous. Cant do that when your other hand is occupied with shifting.
3) Would force potential drivers to develop more road awareness…fear of stalling will make anyone have more road awareness lol.

I think this more now because I see more distracted drivers now than before…since smartphones and all. And it doesn’t seem to be getting better.

 

[scoggy_doogan]

I do wish that driving tests were only conducted in manual here in the US....once you pass a driving test in manual then you are allowed to drive any transmission of your choice once you have your license. Reasons:
1) Driver tests seems to be more based on knowledge of the road instead of the actual act of driving
2) Would weed out a lot of bad drivers who don’t have the skill or focus to drive a car…if my 17 yr old nephew can smoke a blunt, post on his Instagram, bang his head loudly to Migos while driving…yea its too easy and its very dangerous. Cant do that when your other hand is occupied with shifting.
3) Would force potential drivers to develop more road awareness…fear of stalling will make anyone have more road awareness lol.

I think this more now because I see more distracted drivers now than before…since smartphones and all. And it doesn’t seem to be getting better.

The amount of people texting, eating, or anything else while driving is insane. When I'm driving, that is my task and I am 100% focused on everything going on around me on the road.

Now onto my thoughts of auto vs manual. Both have their advantages, but I prefer manual for a few reasons:
1) The car doesn't move when letting off the brake (level ground of course).
2) I can put the car in whatever gear I want. When coming around a 270* onramp, I can be
in the gear I need to accelerate and don't have to wait for the auto to downshift.
3) Ability to skip gears.
4) I can slow down by downshifting instead of having to press the brakes.
5) More engaging driving experience, for me at least.

The only real time I dislike driving a manual is in bad traffic and on hills. Oh and after leg day.

 

[Chameleon]

EDIT: The purpose of this thread isn't to start an auto v manual argument. I'm really just wondering what your thoughts are on how sales %s will be affected near term. (And also curious if anyone knows what those numbers look like right now.)

 

[airfuel]

I've just had a lovely drive through the English Lake District in winter sunshine. Because I had to pick up 4 tyres I was in my manual estate car.
How I longed for my DCT convertible!

I hate manuals and always regret cheaping out when buying a new car and ordering the manual to save a few bob.

Huge perception difference!
While other countries look at automatics as a luxury, most here look at them as
normal. Many get a manual, not to save a few bobs, but to gain a better driving experience. (The art of driving will be dead soon enough)

 

[WaltA]

After being cut-off, the self driving car will send its video footage of what happened to the local authorities along with your license plate information.

Of course, your self-driving car will plead innocent, and counter with its own video footage.

 

[thehunterooo]

Same dopey ass arguement. Some how it always degenerates down to sex and penis references.:doh:

I think the need to talk about meat sticks is hiding something else

 

[bluebeastsrt]

I think the need to talk about meat sticks is hiding something else

Unfortunately I believe your right.:tsk:

 

[Norm Peterson]

I don't think I could ever find a better way to convince you. I'm in no way trying to say that adding technology to the existing manual transmission is going to improve the experience for you. What I'm trying to say is that we have engineered the means to change the manual so that it can appeal to a broader audience. This same "computer aided manual" would have the ability to revert back to the current transmission

A good trick if anybody could pull it off.

I'm not at all sure what might actually be a change for the better as long as the amounts of effort required to operate the shifter and clutch remain reasonable. Once something is "the way it works" it tends to drop out of conscious awareness. It's the newbies who have no basis for that who might benefit.

The key difference is that with a few pushes of a button, you can create something that a purist can enjoy, and a far less experienced manual driver (say a purist's wife) could easily drive.:cheers:

Just so you know, this "purist's" wife was adamant at age 60 that her next car was still going to be MT. She even drove (without complaint) the '79 Malibu we had when it only had a 2.85 1st gear in the tranny and 2.56's in the axle. What she didn't appreciate was when one of the synchro hubs in that '79 was in the process of taking itself apart and made the 1-2 shift a real b!tch (she named the car "Cranky" as a result, and the name stuck even though the reason didn't).


Norm

 

[Bravo]

Just so you know, this "purist's" wife was adamant at age 60 that her next car was still going to be MT.
Norm

You're a lucky man! My wife is incredible in so many ways - but her desire for any interest in cars is just about zero.

I still wouldn't trade her for anything, even if she's stubborn on driving a manual.

 

[Snagged]

The manual transmission is going to take a big hit because of this new tech with the autos but I think the manual scene still has a lot of life left in it.

It's a shame there are going to be so many people that will never have a chance to drive a manual car though. I've driven both stick and auto in a Mustang and there was just a much bigger fun factor for me with the stick car.

 

[B Gordon]

Back in 2015 when I bought my Mustang my choice was between a manual GT with PP and an auto GT.
It was a VERY tough decision because I want the Performance Package and need the automatic due to a knee injury I got racing motocross in the 70's.
Ended up with an automatic and cursing Ford for not offering the performance package with the automatic in anything besides the 50th special edition.

To get around the problem I bought a set of take-off PP wheels and tires and a shock tower brace but stopped before changing out the suspension and brakes. The standard GT simply handles and stops good enough for me without the upgraded pieces.
Guess I got a dose of reality and now have a poser GT.

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