Who else is Manual or Bust?

[LSchicago]

The GT500 appeals to a small number to begin with. By dismissing the manual transmission you reduce the number of potential buyers even further.
Ford is keeping the Mustang as the sole car in their lineup because of what it represents for the brand. Similarly the availability of a manual transmission has been an important part of every high performance Mustang variant and should be carried on.

Good, maybe ADM's will go away.

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[Hack]

I have too - a few Porsches, a Challenge F-Car, BMWs and one tuned GT-R (i've driven more of these, just not on track) - the experience was pretty fantastic, a few of those cars were __extremely__ fast, I was shifting *manually*, working on my line, my braking technique, dealing with traffic/passing/being passed I guess ATEOTD, not pushing a clutch with my foot didn't detract.

Yep, and I'd say while it might not satisfy 10-20% of __potential__ buyers, there will be 100% of the car purchased by the other 80-90% anyway

Yes, for some people they don't care about the transmission and prefer not to have to worry about shifting. I get it.

And who knows what the real percentage of buyers that prefer manual transmissions is? Not you. Not me. I think a high percentage of the buyers of high performance cars actually prefer a manual transmission.

I've owned and driven really old cars in the past and I'm comfortable going back to that if necessary. If no one makes a manual transmission sporty car anymore, there will be plenty of used options. However, we've seen that manufacturers like Porsche and BMW are making more manual transmission cars because that is what their customers prefer. So, I'm not too worried about it right at this moment. The GT500 isn't exactly my cup of tea anyway. I'm fine with it being DCT only.

 

[V00D00]

The GT500 appeals to a small number to begin with. By dismissing the manual transmission you reduce the number of potential buyers even further.
Ford is keeping the Mustang as the sole car in their lineup because of what it represents for the brand. Similarly the availability of a manual transmission has been an important part of every high performance Mustang variant and should be carried on.

Good, maybe ADM's will go away.

Not likely. the addition of DCT will attract far more buyers than losing the manual

 

[LSchicago]

Not likely. the addition of DCT will attract far more buyers than losing the manual

I know, it was sarcasm. LOL.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Yes, for some people they don't care about the transmission and prefer not to have to worry about shifting. I get it.

FWIW: my current ride is a '16 GT convertible, with the Perf Package, so it's a manual, so was my previous S2000, Z06, Supra, C5 Coupe, RX7 ... <the list goes on>, I chose the manual option where it was present (and had a number of 'manual only' rides), many of those cars I tracked (some quite a bit ...), so it's not like I'm averse to buying/owning/tracking/driving a manual and even chose it a number of times.

It still - per my post - didn't dilute the enjoyment I had driving several DCT cars, including some very fast track cars (on track where they belong)

 

[detamble13]

Not likely. the addition of DCT will attract far more buyers than losing the manual

And you could sell even more by offering a manual. No doubt they will sell every GT500 they make, many with ADM's. I'm just an advocate for the manual transmission.

 

[LSchicago]

And you could sell even more by offering a manual. No doubt they will sell every GT500 they make, many with ADM's. I'm just an advocate for the manual transmission.

I think the DCT will increase sales. My son would be happy to trade his 6 speed GT500 for the DCT. He is in the bay area, if he goes to SF the hills become an issue.

 

[Norm Peterson]

And who knows what the real percentage of buyers that prefer manual transmissions is? Not you. Not me. I think a high percentage of the buyers of high performance cars actually prefer a manual transmission.

It's a lot higher among buyers of performance cars than it is among the buyers of cars in general. Way higher if you're going to count SUVs and light trucks as "cars" by the way they get used.

I've owned and driven really old cars in the past and I'm comfortable going back to that if necessary. If no one makes a manual transmission sporty car anymore, there will be plenty of used options.

And there's always the more serious side of "Pro-Touring", where you don't have to settle for the limits and one-trick nature of those older cars on the one hand . . . or the everything-is-linked-to-everything-else nature of today's on the other.


Norm

 

[FastCarFanBoy]

And who knows what the real percentage of buyers that prefer manual transmissions is?.

I'm sure Ford does, and that info was integral in their decision to only offer the DCT.

 

[V00D00]

And you could sell even more by offering a manual. No doubt they will sell every GT500 they make, many with ADM's. I'm just an advocate for the manual transmission.

not to offset the cost of bringing it to production. I cannot see a decent portion of manual only guys completely ignoring the car, i can not see a large portion of people opting in for a manual 500 when the 350 is already there, and costs way less. some yes, enough to be logical business sense? no, manual 500 at that weight, that price and performance #s, i see the 350 way way to close to it for much less $$

 

[Hack]

I'm sure Ford does, and that info was integral in their decision to only offer the DCT.

How do you think Ford knows that? Where do you think they would get the information from?

not to offset the cost of bringing it to production. I cannot see a decent portion of manual only guys completely ignoring the car, i can not see a large portion of people opting in for a manual 500 when the 350 is already there, and costs way less. some yes, enough to be logical business sense? no, manual 500 at that weight, that price and performance #s, i see the 350 way way to close to it for much less $$

Kind of like the Camaro SS vs. ZL1? The power difference isn't enough to make it worthwhile building the ZL1 in a manual, right?

 

[ctandc72]

The real answer when it comes to auto manufacturers doesn't involve the engineers or the R&D people - it involves the accounting department. Doesn't matter the cost of the car or the selling price. Any reduction in tooling or production costs results in more profit for each unit sold. Add to that the fact there are less and less people that can actually drive a manual transmission car, much less drive it effectively and correctly in a high performance application.

Regardless I would never personally buy an automatic car for a daily driver or weekend cruiser. That's my personal decision. It's not about what's faster or slower at what track, it's not about what's more efficient - it's about what I want since it's my money / time in question.

Of course I'd likely never buy a Shelby. I've owned my share of rare cars over the years and I always kind of feel bad when I rack the miles up like I do. I buy cars to drive them -not to have them sit in a garage and pull it out once a week and cruise. Again, that's ME because it's MY money and time involved. Different stroke for different folks.

I do think the more automated vehicles become that drivers will become more and more immune to paying attention to what's going on around them. But that's just my opinion and what I witnessed commuting 10 months a year on a motorcycle for several years. With less and less constant input and attention needed to operate a vehicle, I personally believe drivers will get worse and worse - for the most part.

 

[Norm Peterson]

... i can not see a large portion of people opting in for a manual 500 when the 350 is already there, and costs way less. some yes, enough to be logical business sense? no, manual 500 at that weight, that price and performance #s, i see the 350 way way to close to it for much less $$

Do you really expect Ford to maintain both of those niche trims? And the Bullitt on top of that?

Or do you think the GT350 might go away and either a NA version of the crossplane 5.2 or the 5.0 in Bullitt tune end up in a non-Bullitt PP2-ish GT? Which would have to help the business case for the new GT500 no matter what transmission(s) it ever gets.


Norm

 

[jvandy50]

I do think the more automated vehicles become that drivers will become more and more immune to paying attention to what's going on around them. But that's just my opinion and what I witnessed commuting 10 months a year on a motorcycle for several years. With less and less constant input and attention needed to operate a vehicle, I personally believe drivers will get worse and worse - for the most part.

amen dude. my gf gave me the weirdest look when i was griping about the backup camera being mandatory on the 19s. does it help? sometimes. does it send people down a never ending cycle of laziness and not checking mirrors? absolutely.

i know for a fact i pay more attention driving a standard car than i do in my auto jeep jk. it's just how it is. i also take my time to aim better when using a pump shotgun. being more involved is a good thing IMO.

 

[Hack]

The real answer when it comes to auto manufacturers doesn't involve the engineers or the R&D people - it involves the accounting department. Doesn't matter the cost of the car or the selling price. Any reduction in tooling or production costs results in more profit for each unit sold. Add to that the fact there are less and less people that can actually drive a manual transmission car, much less drive it effectively and correctly in a high performance application.

Regardless I would never personally buy an automatic car for a daily driver or weekend cruiser. That's my personal decision. It's not about what's faster or slower at what track, it's not about what's more efficient - it's about what I want since it's my money / time in question.

Of course I'd likely never buy a Shelby. I've owned my share of rare cars over the years and I always kind of feel bad when I rack the miles up like I do. I buy cars to drive them -not to have them sit in a garage and pull it out once a week and cruise. Again, that's ME because it's MY money and time involved. Different stroke for different folks.

I do think the more automated vehicles become that drivers will become more and more immune to paying attention to what's going on around them. But that's just my opinion and what I witnessed commuting 10 months a year on a motorcycle for several years. With less and less constant input and attention needed to operate a vehicle, I personally believe drivers will get worse and worse - for the most part.

I agree with you on most of your points. I wouldn't have purchased a Shelby if I didn't want to drive it to work, errands, the track - basically everything. I don't drive it all the time, but I get about 10,000 miles per year on it. IMO it's the same with any Mustang. I had a 2011 V6 and a couple GTs recently and I loved those cars as well. Usually any car I purchase I like the car and it takes a little mental effort to get over the feeling of wanting to preserve the car rather than using it. But IMO it's a terrible waste to have a car sitting in the garage.

Bad drivers will always find something to distract themselves with. This morning there was an accident just past my freeway off ramp. There was a pickup in front of me and the driver almost drove off the road while gawking.

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