http://editorial.autos.msn.com/artic...umentid=656470

 

Nobody wants a stick anymore because it takes away a valuable hand that can be holding a cell phone, cigarette or cup of joe.

 

People in the US are not accustomed to manual transmissions, mostly due to historically larger cars with perceived luxury/convenience features such as automatic transmissions being so prevalent. Add to that the fact that we've always had cheaper gas than most of the rest of the world and only enthusiasts drove stick shifts - or the very frugal or very cheap (automatic trans options often cost almost $1000 extra).

In Europe the manual gearbox is much, much more common because the small car is much, much more common. And it's not just because of the higher cost of fuel in Europe, but also vehicle taxes that are often tied to engine displacement. Consider that a small car with a low powered engine is usually much more lively with a manual gearbox and such a transmission just makes more sense.

But with high end sports cars/GT cars, etc where more expensive items are often introduced (disc brakes, anti lock brakes, traction control, dual clutch transmissions, etc all debuted on pricier models) the manufacturers are looking to squeeze out max performance. As much as you might argue that a true stick shift with three pedals is a more connected way to drive a car, you simply can not shift one of these as quickly as a well engineered dual clutch transmission can change gears. Many high end sports cars that offer both semi-automatic dual clutch transmissions AND fully manual gearboxes are quicker to 60 with the new technology. That's exactly why Formula 1 cars use them and that's where the technology trickled down from.

Now, as the technology develops and becomes more commonplace it can be incorporated into less and less expensive vehicles. And it is. So what used to be a question of efficiency and/or performance giving the nod to the fully manual gearbox over a true slush box automatic is now becoming a simiple matter of technology giving us a new twist on the gear change - and it's sort of the best of both worlds. Better performance and better efficiency, albeit at the cost of the purists "fun factor" I suppose.

Sure, the purists are going to decry the loss of a stick and three pedals, but a true, high end dual clutch transmission with shifts faster than the blink of an eye is a blast to drive. I've had the good fortune to drive a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and it's a hell of an experience. And I didn't even get to drive it all that hard.

 

You’ll have to pry my gear stick form my cold dead hands before I drive an automatic...

That said, gear boxes will be a thing of the past when electric motors become the norm, so from a technical stand point, their days are numbered. Unless some bright spark figures a way to build a gear stick/clutch into the user interface of the car of the future.

 

Sheesh, i'm sixteen and all i want is a stick!

Where's Franc Rauscher? He'll be all over this one in a bit....

 

Just the other day, as I approached my office, I "corked" third to second as I made the final turn. A quick snap downshift and a controlled pop of the clutch broke the rear lose a bit. My employees were watching and were sure I had bumped the curb. They came over to see the wheel damage and, much to their surprise, found none. " We were sure you dinged your wheels, we saw the car bump sideways."

I explained the little manouvre that lets you put downforce on the front wheels while forcing the rear to skip around and help make a crisp tight turn. None could relate as they all drove automatics.

There will always be old dinosaurs like me who insist on a true manual. There is no question that the dual clutch transmissons have revolutionized the high end sport driver's experience. There will, as a result of this technology, be fewer and fewer high performance cars offered with a manual option. Sad.

While many purists still insist the manual is faster off the line, it hasn't been true for years. Unless you are dealing with smaller engines or underpowered cars, the manual does not have an advantage. Once you get into set ups like the SRT6 where there is a lot of torque and HP to handle along with an engine management system (that doesn't like the driver to interfere) Auto's take the lead.

So guys who want to just "push and go" command the market.

And us dinosaurs who like to think we have something to do with the movement of the vehicle over the pavement, will just have to settle for fewer and fewer selections.

Or, keep what we have running.

roadster with a stick

 

I'm sorry to say, while I've driven manual trannies (!) for 35 years- it, in my case at least, is going the way of the cartilage in my left knee. South to extinction.

Call me lazy, but never call me late for supper!

 

That sounds like a cool trick lol. If I find an open and empty road at night one day, I'll have to see how it goes. Any other words of manual wisdom that you could impart??

 

I'm a big fan of the concept of the latest dual-clutch transmission (doppelkuppling), which in my opinion is going to be the de facto auto transmission of future sports cars. (Mind you it is an American invention, licensed and sold by Borg-Warner. God love those German-Americans

The only thing I don't like about the dual-clutch transmissions is servicing. They are very complex little beasts!! Imagine how hard a single-clutch service is, and imagine a double-clutch service!!

One day, I'm hoping, the Full Manual Transmission is going to switch to a simpler sequential design, removing the entire shift lever/shift rod assembly with a ratcheting drum assembly.

This would allow car companies to manufacture 6-7 speed transmissions without having to deal with the physical limitations of the H-pattern, and reduce part count.