On Its Way Out? Is The Manual Transmission Finally Saying Goodbye?

I know I'll get blasted for saying this, but I agree with Ferrari. My 2 cents.

Okay, maybe not.

you cant be blasted because wether you love 6 speed or not, put any 2 cars side by side, 1 with 6 speed and one with F1 paddle shifters, the paddle shifter car will always win.

what is the point of a sports car if you cant do better lap times because you cant shift fast enough..

on the other hand, if car manufacturers want a sports car to be for the purists only, they could have made them only come in manual transmissions, this way its always an equal playing ground. the better stick shift driver would win.

living in nyc with crazy traffic, ill take DCT any day over stick.

Duel-clutches and sequential gears are nice but...

Being young and active, I'm never letting go of manual until my legs are gone.

*dual.

The manual transmission will make comeback in a later cycle of automotive trend-setting. Just like push-button start systems, high fuel prices that force more efficient engines, and the return of the electric car (the first was over 100 years ago, predating both gasoline and diesel engines), the manual will have its day once again. It's just that some of us may not be around to see it.

@Tango

That is an interesting perspective. Never saw it that way before...

All of the things you stated were improved upon all these years later. I don't see how they can improve a manual transmission in any way that it will be faster than a computer operated one.It would be going back in technology instead of foward which is the opposite of your statement. I see what you're saying though.

No

The manual transmission will make a comeback the same way mechanical watches eventually found a way back after the quartz revolution.

Analagous situation. A mechical watch can't get within throwing distance of a quartz but true enthusiasts will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a mechanical watch that can't hold a canle to a 2 buck digital.

The wheel will turn again

err that should read:

'... to get a mechanical watch that can't hold a CANDLE to a 2 buck digital'.

I'll use the spell check next time

I've been 100% vested in manual and even my wife is the same. But honestly, it has always sucked...just a lot less than a slushbox. Yes, driving stick is a good skill and after 300,000+ miles I heel-and-toe by instinct even when tired. To me the loss of being able to show off that skill pales behind having zero acceleration gaps, shifting inside the corner, instantly react to traffic situations, and have an auto for loafing in gridlock. Not to mention even better fuel economy.

Really looking forward to my next car purchases, which will be DSG without question.

good riddence

"A fellow once told me, "I'll let go of my stick when you pry it out of my dead, cold hand."

i agree a 100%

These are total light vehicle sales (in millions of units) of domestic
and import car and trucks broken down by automatic and manual
transmissions:
Year Automatic % Manual % Total
1985 10,021,482 77.6% 2,887,171 22.4% 12,908,653
1990 10,141,794 78.7% 2,752,150 21.3% 12,893,944
1995 12,816,559 83.1% 2,602,211 16.9% 15,418,770
2000 15,995,874 90.0% 1,785,377 10.0% 17,781,251
2001 14,898,961 90.6% 1,540,618 9.4% 16,439,579
2003 16,752,979 92.6% 1,335,531 7.3% 18,088,510

The percentage of manuals must be even lower now...

Who cares?

It's Ferrari. As with most of us I will never drive one anyway. If i do get the chance to drive one, the transmission won't really matter. i would have to get someone manually wipe the smile off my face.

Larry B.
Key West

Not everybody buys a car to "win" a race or get the bast lap time. Some sports car enthusiasts by manual cars just for fun's sake, others buy their daily cars with manuals because they think they can get better gas mileage, others buy it because on some into. level cars (Fiesta, Civics, Golfs, etc) automatics are an optional expense.

This article is more about sports cars than daily drivers. Furthermore, Europeans still buy manuals in droves, and there is no danger in them dying out there any time soon (believe the rate is still 80:20 or so). Finally, I know I can beat manual EPA estimates with my car by skipping gears and upshifting faster. I can cruise in the cruise between lights in third of fourth gear, typically earning closer to 20-25 with my 335i, even though EPA puts city mileage at 17. And highway speeds at around 70 I am earning at least 30/31 with no mods whatsoever in 6th gear. Not sure how EPA came up with their highway figures for the manual???

As far as I'm concerned it's not even debatable that manual transmissioned cars are much more fun and involving than automatics (yes i consider automated manuals automatics) so who cares if an automated manual gets you to 60mph a few tenths of a second faster if it's more boring to drive?? The fact that my grandmother could get into the Ferrari 458 and post a fast lap thanks to all the tech (automated manual, electro nannies etc) makes that car lose some of its appeal in my eyes. I think the most rewarding cars are ones that require driver skill and the GT-R's and 458's of the world require little to none. My grandmother wouldn't even be able to get my manual transmissioned e30 or e92 M3 out of the garage! Ironically, one of my favorite cars to drive is my friends Ferrari 360 with the open-gate 6 speed manual tranny. (and i love how the Audi R8 is available with an open-gate 6spd as well) and if I were in the market and had the room for an exotic, those two cars would be it strictly because of their available manual trannys

Europeans and Americans have different view of manual transmissions. In Europe, low end cars are often equipped with manuals and high end car purchasers tend to opt for automatics. In the U.S., manual transmissions are viewed as being sporty, whether in expensive or less expensive vehicles, whereas automatics are not.

Manual transmissions will continue to be offered, but I fear in the end they will become even less relevant, not because they are not fun or effective, but simply because the rising younger generations will not experience them in all but a handful of specialty cars.

Personally I haven't driven any manumatic that rivals the enjoyment I get from a stick (and that includes PDK)

I'll take slower times for better a feel and experience.

I think there are many similarities between vinyl records vs. digital sound. I much prefer vinyl, it simply sounds better and involves the listener much more. To me this is what you get with a manual transmission.

With digital sound, you get wonderful consistency and ease of use, but it isn't very special to listen to.

Here’s where I part company with you guys. If someone developed a good servo control system for my Rega Planar 3 turntable so that I could remotely change tracks, flip the record, etc., I would be very happy! All the great sound, but none of the hassle of getting up and working tonearm carefully. This to me is DSG!

Now the rest of you guys can go on and on about how much fun it is to have a 3rd pedal and a shift gate...but to me the best thing with manual is full control of the engine/gear/road interface. If I can now control that with a flick of my finger, instantly, that’s a much better and fun driving experience. That’s why I love DSG/PDK/whatever, and why I can’t wait to replace my 5-speed 330i and 6-speed Boxster S when the time is right.

I'm starting to warm up to Auto slush boxes. As the horse power has climbed and the transmissions improved upon, I now see them as a viable option for me with the right car. Horse power is one factor I look at, and I think at ~400+ HP, the Auto makes more sense. For a small, light weight car, the manual is still a better option as you can keep the RPMs in the best power band keeping the car lively. Auto transmissions are still not perfect though as they:
1) Weight more then there manual counter parts
2) Are much more complex (god forbid you have a transmission problem out of warranty). Just ask Nissan GT-R owners how much it cost them to replace their transmissions - - - even with their core trade in!
3) They just cost too much. For example, the cost of adding the Auto to the R8 will set you back an additional $9,100.

The people who buy them can afford them and want that technology because they are too busy to learn how to drive a stick and would rather drive a car thats like a blackberry.

LONG LIVE MT!

No funerals for straight sticks as they were called years ago. MT's separate the men from the physically challenged. Nothing like getting rubber in second with a stock vehicle. I have witnessed street drags where one driver could drive three or four different cars and cream every other driver. The MT truly lets you bond with the car.

I think the Japanese will be the last to change... Cars like the Civic Si and Subaru STi only coming in stick... You are starting to see GT-Rs and Lancer EVOs in DCT, but I think the Euro-brands are the first ones to bail on the stick.

I have always been a purist and wouldn't drive anything but a stick, My standard tranny has saved my from being stranded maybe a hundred times, On one trip while driving deep into the mtns through lots of mud and water both my friends Jeep and my Bronco's starter were fried, luckily we had standards. I have owned 3 toyotas with standard trannys, I have powered out on so many hill climbs because of the lack of power and I couldn't gear down fast enough, The new paddle shifter would be an advancement here for sure! I have driven a VW Jetta with the paddle shifter, It didn't excite me at all, although auto trannys are better off road exept for compression braking.

Next Ferrari will design a car that drives itself for you around the racetrack or to the grocery store! This will be called the F-1 neuvo poser option complete with capuchino maker and tanning bed.

Sure, a Ferrari may not need an auto but less powerful cars (<180hp) perform so poorly with an auto that its sickening.

The paddle shifters in a Honda Fit do nothing to improve the driving experience but they are great for a laugh!

You can always take a MT out of gear to save your bacon....what happens when the computer decides you're not driving fast enough? MT should be mandatory for all able bodied youngsters to teach them how to drive and keep 'em off the phone.

Long live the MT!

I echo each and every MT lover on here. I just keep taking my $$$ where the MT cars are. Nothing feels better then a nice perfect shift. How fast can you really go here in North America - the argument for paddle shifting simply does not stick for me.

The thing that irks me about automatics is that you don't choose the shift point. Yes, most have a manual option, but they generally still babysit you... Sometimes it won't let you downshift, even if you have the RPMs to spare. "oh, you wanted first? Well too bad. You're getting second." And yeah, some also have a switch for "sport mode" that raises the shift points, but if you have a true manual, you have infinite control of shift points. You can switch from fuel sipping to engine screaming on a whim. That's what makes a manual fun for me.