Loved the intro. Definitely brought back memories. I'm 44. An automatic in anything but a sportscar. Manual or nothing. Yes autos may be faster, but i like driving, Not riding. Not knocking any auto drivers (pussies).TL;DR -- I've been a car nut since early childhood, got "hooked" on manual transmission cars, and my experience has been that manual is fun (no matter how much or little power), and automatic is boring (regardless of power). But I see a lot of people are buying A6/A10 S550's and I'd like to find out the inspiration, motivation, and a little bit about your car story. Please do tell!
(full version follows)
Background (skip if you want): I'm gonna maybe show my age a little here. I'm 46 years old and I've been a "car nut" since at least the age of 5. Probably earlier for toy cars. But for real, live cars, I paid attention and knew makes and models at age 5. I vividly remember seeing (and loving) the late 70's Pontiac Trans Ams (I'd say "Tran ZAM") as well as the late 70's T-birds (I liked the window glass logo and the headlights). In that age timeframe, my mom had a daily paper route and I rode with her in the car for some 6-8 hours a day, so we saw cars constantly. Additionally, my parents had a rapid succession of what we, back then, would call jalopies (in the 90's, a hooptie, in present day, I guess sh**box). Lots of $100-$500 cars. When a major part failed, it got pushed into the back yard and another jalopy was purchased to get to work/school (my very young parents both worked AND attended full-time university with zero financial resources from either family).
Fast forward to about the age of 12. My dad was still buying jalopy-like cars, but also took to buying old pick-up trucks and "flipping" them for some cash. The first one he got was also the first vehicle I got to "drive"! It was a 1979 Ford F150 long-bed, single cab, inline 6. We lived on a large lot (didn't own it, still no money), and my dad would let me move the truck around our yard. Not far. A few yards this way or that, but imagine how a 12 year old feels being given the keys to a truck and told he can start it and move it?! I was king of the world! At that moment I knew that I was destined to own a Ford F150For a long time, this was my "dream car." This became a series of flip trucks that I got to drive around the yard, including a 1977 F150, 1983 F150, 1983 Dodge Ram 1500, and a *lifted and tricked out* 1981 Toyota truck.
To my point: The Toyota was a "stick shift" 5-speed, and was my first exposure to personally driving a manual transmission (my parents had many manuals over the years, including my mom's two jalopy Ford Pintos). Without training or help, I managed to figure out how to move the truck around the yard without even burning up the clutch....somehow.
Fast forward a bit more to age 16. My first car was technically being handed-down my mom's 1985 Chevette. It was an automatic. A 3-speed. The car served us well, but let's be honest, those were terrible cars. I sold the car and bought a 1979 Malibu, which I promptly wrecked (hard, into a ditch). This left us with one car for us all to get to school/work, etc, and it was my mom's 5-speed (semi-jalopy) 1983 Mazda 626. It was on THIS car that I actually had to learn how to drive a manual by driving it every single day, and it was on THIS car when I fell in love with rowing the gears and having full control of the engine and motion of the car.
Going into adulthood now, I think back... I haven't owned as many cars as many people, but most of them (and over the most years) have been manuals. My last one I sold 4 years ago (a 2014 Civic Si) and I really miss shifting, even though I love my F150 4x4. The first brand-new car I bought was a 1998 VW Passat 5-speed 1.8 turbo. My second brand-new car was a 2000 Camaro Z28 6-speed (factory Hurst shifter).... I really learned the fun of a stick with the Camaro. I felt in full control of the car and I could control how and when to break loose the rear-end for a little intentional drift. Much to the chagrin of my passengers. I was 25 years old.
Finally to today! I want to get back into a manual car. I've even sold my wife on the idea (she also drove my Civic Si regularly). I have insisted that if and when we get a "play" car, it has to be a manual; otherwise, what's the point? Any car can be put into Drive and accelerate quickly. It's 2021. Your average passenger sedan can outrun the sports cars of the late 70's, all of the 80's and the early 90's. Whoop-ti-do. I know the A10 in the S550 is great for drag racing. I just don't care. I've owned an automatic Mustang (2001 GT). It was boring. The best part of the car was the exhaust note, but it was just a bore after a while and the too-fast-into-2nd-gear shifting was just obnoxiously dull. So for those who have chosen an A10 S550, I'd love to hear your story and your "why." Thanks for the discussion! Please keep light-hearted. I'm not insulting people who drive automatics nor automatics themselves, other than to say in my experience, they're boring. I'm curious, for those who have done so, why you chose an automatic S550....
Thanks for indulging me.
just kidding, but not really.
And luckily my girl can drive a manual. She is older than me and she was shocked that there was 6 gears instead of 5. lolTL;DR -- I've been a car nut since early childhood, got "hooked" on manual transmission cars, and my experience has been that manual is fun (no matter how much or little power), and automatic is boring (regardless of power). But I see a lot of people are buying A6/A10 S550's and I'd like to find out the inspiration, motivation, and a little bit about your car story. Please do tell!
(full version follows)
Background (skip if you want): I'm gonna maybe show my age a little here. I'm 46 years old and I've been a "car nut" since at least the age of 5. Probably earlier for toy cars. But for real, live cars, I paid attention and knew makes and models at age 5. I vividly remember seeing (and loving) the late 70's Pontiac Trans Ams (I'd say "Tran ZAM") as well as the late 70's T-birds (I liked the window glass logo and the headlights). In that age timeframe, my mom had a daily paper route and I rode with her in the car for some 6-8 hours a day, so we saw cars constantly. Additionally, my parents had a rapid succession of what we, back then, would call jalopies (in the 90's, a hooptie, in present day, I guess sh**box). Lots of $100-$500 cars. When a major part failed, it got pushed into the back yard and another jalopy was purchased to get to work/school (my very young parents both worked AND attended full-time university with zero financial resources from either family).
Fast forward to about the age of 12. My dad was still buying jalopy-like cars, but also took to buying old pick-up trucks and "flipping" them for some cash. The first one he got was also the first vehicle I got to "drive"! It was a 1979 Ford F150 long-bed, single cab, inline 6. We lived on a large lot (didn't own it, still no money), and my dad would let me move the truck around our yard. Not far. A few yards this way or that, but imagine how a 12 year old feels being given the keys to a truck and told he can start it and move it?! I was king of the world! At that moment I knew that I was destined to own a Ford F150
To my point: The Toyota was a "stick shift" 5-speed, and was my first exposure to personally driving a manual transmission (my parents had many manuals over the years, including my mom's two jalopy Ford Pintos). Without training or help, I managed to figure out how to move the truck around the yard without even burning up the clutch....somehow.
Fast forward a bit more to age 16. My first car was technically being handed-down my mom's 1985 Chevette. It was an automatic. A 3-speed. The car served us well, but let's be honest, those were terrible cars. I sold the car and bought a 1979 Malibu, which I promptly wrecked (hard, into a ditch). This left us with one car for us all to get to school/work, etc, and it was my mom's 5-speed (semi-jalopy) 1983 Mazda 626. It was on THIS car that I actually had to learn how to drive a manual by driving it every single day, and it was on THIS car when I fell in love with rowing the gears and having full control of the engine and motion of the car.
Going into adulthood now, I think back... I haven't owned as many cars as many people, but most of them (and over the most years) have been manuals. My last one I sold 4 years ago (a 2014 Civic Si) and I really miss shifting, even though I love my F150 4x4. The first brand-new car I bought was a 1998 VW Passat 5-speed 1.8 turbo. My second brand-new car was a 2000 Camaro Z28 6-speed (factory Hurst shifter).... I really learned the fun of a stick with the Camaro. I felt in full control of the car and I could control how and when to break loose the rear-end for a little intentional drift. Much to the chagrin of my passengers. I was 25 years old.
Finally to today! I want to get back into a manual car. I've even sold my wife on the idea (she also drove my Civic Si regularly). I have insisted that if and when we get a "play" car, it has to be a manual; otherwise, what's the point? Any car can be put into Drive and accelerate quickly. It's 2021. Your average passenger sedan can outrun the sports cars of the late 70's, all of the 80's and the early 90's. Whoop-ti-do. I know the A10 in the S550 is great for drag racing. I just don't care. I've owned an automatic Mustang (2001 GT). It was boring. The best part of the car was the exhaust note, but it was just a bore after a while and the too-fast-into-2nd-gear shifting was just obnoxiously dull. So for those who have chosen an A10 S550, I'd love to hear your story and your "why." Thanks for the discussion! Please keep light-hearted. I'm not insulting people who drive automatics nor automatics themselves, other than to say in my experience, they're boring. I'm curious, for those who have done so, why you chose an automatic S550....
Thanks for indulging me.
That is a very fair assessment. I live in Houston. In
I live in Houston. Would love to run an auto stock or with h-x pipe stock. I understand this may not be you. Know i will prolly lose, just want to see for myself
My ride, is a EB HHP. It is fast with 350hp but not GT fast.
Bingo. Not everyone chooses an auto because they want to. Knees play a big role after awhile.
