Who else is Manual or Bust?

[Ninjak]

I go to the track and I row my own gears. I am capable of a 10sec pass when I was in 11GT500 even with the issues of the shifter. Heck I ran a 11.5 in my current Shelby. I am just saying that you are still driving the car. You still have to launch it correctly. You still need to do a things even with it being a automatic.

As someone said earlier, paddle shifting my cars in VR on GT is pretty fun.(Yes I have the full setup with wheel, seat, and shifter WITH a clutch...) I still when racing need to find when to shift, to stay in the power band ect. I also like shifting the gears using the stick on certain cars. It's fun both ways. I like the manual. The first car I learned to drive was a 4 spd manual. But like I said, I am not going to go Manual or Bust.

A great car is the sum of all it's parts and how it drives with them. How it shifts is only one small part of it.

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[Norm Peterson]

You went sort of all-or-nothing ... like a DCT transmission means you can sit in the back seats

On the matter of the driver's own improvement, it pretty much is all-or-nothing. You can fix your own screw-ups and hopefully learn from them. Not much of that sort of benefit is available when getting the grunt-work done is on the automation.

Just become one element is automated, doesn't mean the other, very manual parts of the process are suddenly inconsequential.

Not what I was getting at. Bad execution of a shift on my part is something I can and should fix the next time it comes around, and there is reward in doing so. Automating the mechanics of shifting gears takes that away from the driver.

To use your example, "If I would've carried a little more speed through that last turn I would've saved 0.5 second on that lap". There's tons of factors outside of missing a gear that lead to good/bad lap times.

Losing the incentive to fix any deficiencies in your shifting doesn't make you any better as a driver. Maybe this means more to me because for the last 45 years or so it's been on me to get every shift right every time in every car that I drive even when I'm only going to the local convenience store.

Out of curiosity, do you disable your ABS at track events?

Actually, I've had the ABS go inop on me at some point during each of my last two track days (for no apparent reason, and it self-corrects after a few engine-start cycles). The first day it happened, my top two lap times and 3 of the top 4 came without ABS. Though with the ABS active, the clear-track lap times were a small fraction of a second more consistent. I wouldn't be the least bit afraid to disable it by choice.


Norm

 

[jpindustrie]

I can't wait to read through all the eventual pages this thread will have so I will say this early on:

Lap times, technology, progress, etc aside... you and I both know the desirable configuration for a GT RWD car is with the manual transmission ...

Whatever reasoning is said , blah blah ... theres a certain 'cache' and unspoken-ness about the manual transmission. It's exclusive because it's designed to be exclusive; to those that put in the time to learn the machine properly.

 

[Kirgiz]

In Poland where I live everybody can drive manual, it is only a matter of past few years you can get driving license for auto cars only. 90% of cars in Poland are manuals. I drove manuals for 25 years. I do not understand why you consider Mustang with manual to be better than auto. I had 10R80 GT for a one day test drive and ordered one. Ok 6 speed auto in Focus is crap, but 10R80 or modern DCT?

 

[fiveoboy01]

The funny thing about this debate is the OP thinks he's going to get one for $75K.

 

[Anthony 05 GT]

If I was racing I'd opt for the DCT or A10, but I really do enjoy rowing my own gears. I've driven a few million miles in manual vehicles, I hate traffic back ups with one, but man do I love rowing the gears myself when I'm cruising down the road.

 

[Hack]

In Poland where I live everybody can drive manual, it is only a matter of past few years you can get driving license for auto cars only. 90% of cars in Poland are manuals. I drove manuals for 25 years. I do not understand why you consider Mustang with manual to be better than auto. I had 10R80 GT for a one day test drive and ordered one. Ok 6 speed auto in Focus is crap, but 10R80 or modern DCT?

Some people like automatics, some people like manuals. I like a manual because I think it's fun. Driving an automatic puts me to sleep. Once you get the car and drive it for a while you can decide what you like for yourself.

 

[Boduke0220]

I am a die hard manual guy but after I drove a 10r80 car in drag mode, I understood. it was a blast. DCT in the new GT500 will be even better

 

[Norm Peterson]

In Poland where I live everybody can drive manual, it is only a matter of past few years you can get driving license for auto cars only. 90% of cars in Poland are manuals. I drove manuals for 25 years. I do not understand why you consider Mustang with manual to be better than auto.

Have to admit I'm a little surprised at this, given the background of your driving. Maybe it's the difference between looking only at the car for a definition of 'better' and taking a wider view to include more about the driving than acceleration stats.

When I was first starting to drive, nearly all licensed drivers could drive a manual transmission car in the USA as well. So even though automatics were already becoming the transmission of choice for our parents, most of us learned as well. A lot of that was not wanting to be seen as "already old" while still a teen.

This guy gets a bit harsh especially toward the end, and there's his use of one word in particular that is clearly not intended in any USA-political-party sense (I suspect he's British). I had to look up the Star Trek reference to find that as a synonym for lack of intellect. But he does make a point or two about the non-monetary costs associated with automatics. Personally, I see DCT's as being closer to automatics than to true manuals.
https://www.motorists.org/blog/automatic-transmission-done-to-us/


I suppose if I had to choose between a conventional automatic and a DCT - and I had to pick one or the other - I'd go with the DCT. Somewhat grudgingly.


Norm

 

[Colleton]

A DCT is faster, no doubt about it. From personal experience, it's also not as engaging or as fun to drive. The issue, for me, is traction. It's much harder to put the power down without blowing the tires off with a manual. I'm giving the DCT the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

I had the rotary dial shifter on my '17 Fusion Titanium. I liked it pretty well, but like the traditional shifter on my Edge Sport better.

 

[vernonator]

You really think Carol Shelby would have only put a 7 speed DCT in it?

Well he DID put an automatic in his personal Cobra....so yes, he was all about speed and performance and technology.

 

[roygriffin2020]

I have been around a long time and seen the evolution of the transmission from 3 speed on the tree with 3rd gear overdrive that downshifted like an automatic when you mash the gas. But seeing that rotary dial shifter kinda makes me throw up in my mouth a little when I see it on a GT500. Are we really going back to this??

I can only drive a manual in a sports car until they pour my ashes in the Louisiana swamp.

 

[Ninjak]

I have been around a long time and seen the evolution of the transmission from 3 speed on the tree with 3rd gear overdrive that downshifted like an automatic when you mash the gas. But seeing that rotary dial shifter kinda makes me throw up in my mouth a little when I see it on a GT500. Are we really going back to this??

I can only drive a manual in a sports car until they pour my ashes in the Louisiana swamp.

! Bloody O.....Umm ok. That is one I have not seen.

 

[roygriffin2020]

! Bloody O.....Umm ok. That is one I have not seen.

There were many cars that way. It was a 60's thing. They thought it was modern to have push button on most anything, including appliances.

 

[mustang1]

I have been around a long time and seen the evolution of the transmission from 3 speed on the tree with 3rd gear overdrive that downshifted like an automatic when you mash the gas. But seeing that rotary dial shifter kinda makes me throw up in my mouth a little when I see it on a GT500. Are we really going back to this??

I can only drive a manual in a sports car until they pour my ashes in the Louisiana swamp.

Next Mustang will have Alexa ~ "Mustang, select Drive"

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