Manual VS Auto

[Sivi70980]

Dunno. I wouldn't want that DCT.. It's like a 100+lbs heavier than a MT82


He was shooting off his mouth (well the passenger was, drivers rarely do) saying it's only 400 horse blah blah you know how it goes. I was playing dumb squid, yeah my cars not that fast yada yada. Waited for the light, he started foot braking, light turned green, I rode the clutch 3/4 way through first & sent him to gapplebees. Now I earned a bit of a rep on these mean Mexican streets here. We have a SPP shootout (basically no prep) and I'm getting called out left right a center haha. We'll see what happens. I know my car very well, and I swear to the almighty I can get it to 60 better on the street than the track haha.

Hell yes!! Hope they had GAP insurance....funny in my head, maybe super dumb to the rest of the world.

Knowing your car is for sure worth more than any bolt on.

Sponsored

 

[Norm Peterson]

So, why do you suppose Ford only offers a dual clutch automatic in the GT500 if there is so much demand for manual transmissions? That would seem to limit sales.

Partly to hold certification costs down. Partly for powertrain durability. Partly because they're pushing the GT500's image up-market, where dual clutch transmissions are more or less expected. And I guess partly because they know that most people who knows anything about performance car numbers place more value on shift times and zero to whatever's than on any of the other performance metrics.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ford has determined that many of their potential GT500 customers are unsure enough about driving a car that powerful and having to take one hand off the steering wheel in order to shift, or about dealing with a clutch built to handle that much power.

It's going to eliminate sales to people like me and a few other MT diehards. But I'm less sure about how far down the "maybe for the right car I'd consider an automated transmission of some sort" path that would hold true.


Norm

 

[dpAtlanta]

I've never driven a stick shift.......

 

[Norm Peterson]

I enjoyed my '11 GT500 till I went into a corner fast, then I was outright terrified. Totally the kind of car to go 0-mach 5 then back to 5mph to turn in a 45mph zone. Disclaimer though, I was a way less experienced driver of high performance vehicles in those days.

I'm not surprised. Really hard cornering (done at least somewhere near the right way) is a skill that's just not in most drivers' playbooks.


Norm

 

[Balr14]

Partly to hold certification costs down. Partly for powertrain durability. Partly because they're pushing the GT500's image up-market, where dual clutch transmissions are more or less expected. And I guess partly because they know that most people who knows anything about performance car numbers place more value on shift times and zero to whatever's than on any of the other performance metrics.

I think that nails it pretty well.

 

[marks]

So, why do you suppose Ford only offers a dual clutch automatic in the GT500 if there is so much demand for manual transmissions? That would seem to limit sales.

So why did Ford only offer a manual in the GT350 if there is so much demand for autos?

The GT500 is purely for track times rather than driver involvement, so the GT500 is for people who track their car and chumps with a bit of cash who can't operate a manual.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

Well this thread is going exactly as planned.

 

[WildHorse]

The GT500 is purely for track times rather than driver involvement

The skilled driver in a GT350 is gonna destroy the average driver in a GT500 on a road course. Period.

 

[luc]

A lot has to do with marketing and what type of customers are the target
Up until a few months ago, I was running an open track/racing club in NorCal for almost 20 years and I can tell you that the numbers of s550 and gt350 that I have seen at the track since the last 3 years is huge and has really increased exponentially
By far racers and open trackers are manual guys so my guess is that ford see the 500 as a Gran Turismo and the 350 more as a enthusiast/driver car

 

[luc]

Talking about track, compared to the numbers of gt/gt350, there are very few camaro and about zero challenger or Charger

 

[WildHorse]

Yeah

Was replying to the fact that he said "rather than driver involvement". Learn to comprehend millennial

 

[marks]

Was replying to the fact that he said "rather than driver involvement". Learn to comprehend millennial

Whatever semantics you want to play, a GT500 will generally win on a track with the same driver. Stating the bleeding obvious, if you have a skilled driver in one and an average in another it will be different. So the GT350 is more for driver involvement where the GT500 is more for lap times.

 

[WildHorse]

will generally win on a track with the same driver.

200 more horsepower tends to do that. However cause I'm a betting man.. I'd bet the GT350 would outcorner a GT500 no problemo.

 

[cosmic charlie]

Whatever semantics you want to play, a GT500 will generally win on a track with the same driver. Stating the bleeding obvious, if you have a skilled driver in one and an average in another it will be different. So the GT350 is more for driver involvement where the GT500 is more for lap times.

And we all know the average person probably tracks their car every week if not daily!

 

[Erratikmind]

Well this thread is going exactly as planned.

Yes . . .Human nature dictates it. LOL

Sponsored