- 17,397
- United Kingdom
So.. a quick poll, how many have gone out and bought a brand new manual car, since this thread started?
Save the Manuals!
- Thread starter Beeblebrox237
- 1,025 comments
- 78,498 views
If fully manual is fastest why WRC and F1 have clutchless paddleshifting tranies?
I'm between the two extremes and support semi-manual (clutchless paddleshifters).
Although I'm sure in the future mounted cameras will judge conditions further up and make even semi-manual obsolete, in which case with a fully auto the driving will be the same as with a fully manual, maybe with the difference of the fully auto not making mistakes.
Untill that happens I support semi-manual (clutchless paddleshifters). 👍
I'm between the two extremes and support semi-manual (clutchless paddleshifters).
Although I'm sure in the future mounted cameras will judge conditions further up and make even semi-manual obsolete, in which case with a fully auto the driving will be the same as with a fully manual, maybe with the difference of the fully auto not making mistakes.
Untill that happens I support semi-manual (clutchless paddleshifters). 👍
- 9,058
- Murica
- BasedAckbar
It's just the ego in some of us that detest paddle shifters.
I firmly believe if you want that 600 horses, you have to earn it.
Paddle shifting makes daily commutes somewhat easier though.
I firmly believe if you want that 600 horses, you have to earn it.
Paddle shifting makes daily commutes somewhat easier though.
- 34,949
- Indian Falls, NY
- slashfan7964
If I ever drive a manual I'd prefer to have paddle shifters.
- 9,058
- Murica
- BasedAckbar
Hey I like my chicken baked, others fried.
At the end of the day we like chicken.
At the end of the day we like chicken.
- 12,389
- Betelgeuse
- Beeblebrox_237
I like this spirit.
If fully manual is fastest why WRC and F1 have clutchless paddleshifting tranies?
I'm between the two extremes and support semi-manual (clutchless paddleshifters).
Although I'm sure in the future mounted cameras will judge conditions further up and make even semi-manual obsolete, in which case with a fully auto the driving will be the same as with a fully manual, maybe with the difference of the fully auto not making mistakes.
Untill that happens I support semi-manual (clutchless paddleshifters). 👍
I'm not trying to say that manuals are faster; on the contrary, they are much slower than semi-automatics using dual clutch systems or paddle shifters. They are, however, faster than torque-converter autos. I maintain that a manual is more fun to drive, and, having now driven both, have experienced this.
- 12,389
- Betelgeuse
- Beeblebrox_237
- 7,313
- Land of the smelly onion
Not always. A properly tuned torque converter auto will be faster than a manual.
Bone stock though, a manual equipped car will usually be quicker due to the lousy factory settings for the auto.
- 12,389
- Betelgeuse
- Beeblebrox_237
Maybe when shifting, but not when it comes to overall lap times. An auto doesn't know not to shift in a corner and won't hold a gear.
- 9,884
- Carthage, TN
- race_emhard
- 5,768
- Anoka, MN
I haven't bought one yet, but next summer I plan on buying a Tacoma 5-speed 4WD.
ND4SPD
Premium
- 8,479
- Guelph ON
- JeffZ28
- Jeff C6R
Some do these days. Mostly performance oriented car's with auto's though. I'm not defending them since I stick by my 3 pedal'd brethren but a fully built auto can be enjoyable in a way. The auto in my old Police Interceptor was quite a beast, it would just slam them into gear and chirp the tires going into 2nd and somehow that was fun in it's own way.
- 33
- DC
- imtomtomim
the more I think about it, I don't think I would mind a paddle shifted semi-auto tranny. I love driving my car and am always reminded when I need to drive someone's automatic car but I just want the car to shift when I want it, not when it wants to. I guess when I get older, giving up the third pedal wouldn't be so bad if I could keep control of the shifts.
- 2,336
- Los Angeles, CA
- WRBWRXMAX
- Max Archer
I've been driving stick as long as I've been driving.
I used to do deliveries for an entertainment company in Hollywood. Drove all over LA, 8 hours a day, through some of the worst traffic around. I did it in a manual WRX and didn't have a problem with it.
I traded my '09 Civic Si (manual by default) in on a '12 Mazda2 with a 5spd a few weeks ago, so I guess I technically have bought a manual car since this thread was started. Here's the requisite interior porn:
Mazda 2 Interior by maximstensel, on Flickr
I used to do deliveries for an entertainment company in Hollywood. Drove all over LA, 8 hours a day, through some of the worst traffic around. I did it in a manual WRX and didn't have a problem with it.
I traded my '09 Civic Si (manual by default) in on a '12 Mazda2 with a 5spd a few weeks ago, so I guess I technically have bought a manual car since this thread was started. Here's the requisite interior porn:
Mazda 2 Interior by maximstensel, on Flickr
- 2,336
- Los Angeles, CA
- WRBWRXMAX
- Max Archer
- 27,221
- United Kingdom
- 12,389
- Betelgeuse
- Beeblebrox_237
So, how would you guys convince an automatic transmission to downshift without changing the speed of the car? Is there a way? I ask because yesterday I was driving with the driver's ed instructor in the school car (automatic Fusion), and I felt like the car should have been in a lower gear, but it wasn't. I was doing 25 MPH, and the engine was turning over at 1500 rpm. Efficient, but not very responsive.
Rotary Junkie
Premium
- 9,810
- Canton, MI
- RJs_RX-7
More throttle = downshift.
Less throttle = upshift.
Quite a few autos allow you to manually select what gear range you want; some have a completely manual 2nd gear (where if you select 2nd, you've GOT 2nd, even if not moving), some only "limit" what gear the trans can be in (but will shift normally up to that point). Oh and some (hai more recent Mazdas) have a manual mode that will actually listen to you aside from not letting you overdownshift. Limiter smash? Sure.
Less throttle = upshift.
Quite a few autos allow you to manually select what gear range you want; some have a completely manual 2nd gear (where if you select 2nd, you've GOT 2nd, even if not moving), some only "limit" what gear the trans can be in (but will shift normally up to that point). Oh and some (hai more recent Mazdas) have a manual mode that will actually listen to you aside from not letting you overdownshift. Limiter smash? Sure.
- 4,498
- Limburg,Belgium
- (GTP_) dustdriver
I must say, I was wondering why Beeblebrox wanted to save user manuals, until I noticed this thread.
I've only driven manual cars. Automatic gearbox seems so lazy, although I can also see the benefits.
I've only driven manual cars. Automatic gearbox seems so lazy, although I can also see the benefits.
- 12,389
- Betelgeuse
- Beeblebrox_237
Ah, I was hoping for a loophole. Interestingly, the Fusion that the school has, despite being fully loaded (SYNC, cruise control, satellite radio, power seats, automatic climate control, etc), does not have a way for the driver to select the gear, other than putting the transmission in low. Maybe that feature is only available on the V-6, I don't know. On a different note, I want a Mazda even more now.
Joey D
Premium
- 47,567
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
MSTER232
The only way to prevent this is to buy a brand new car with a manual trans. I know the new Focus is selling pretty well with the manual and Ford even started putting a 5spd in all trim levels because of the sales. So buying new cars with 5spds does work to help save manuals.
- 17,397
- United Kingdom
In my 328i stab the throttle for a moment, literally as fast as you can, it'll kick down but the engines not responsive enough to actually speed the car up at all in such a short burst, then it'll normally hold the lower gear until you ease off where the throttle was before. It just feels like a clumsy shift in a manual car.
or, put the gearbox in sport mode and it'll normally sit a ratio lower all the time.
or, manually select 2nd
or, accept that whilst learning to drive, in what I guess must have been a built up area, you don't actually need the car to be more any more responsive than it was. Seriously, what's going to happen in the half second it would take for the car to change gear if you stepped on it?
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