manuals going the way of the Dodo

[Benman]

that is a myth in the traditional sense -in the sense that it has turned into a common belief based on no concrete, explicit, direct facts- like paul bunyan or che guevara's heroism.

Best quote of 2009. Check and mate. Well said.

Ben

[rks838]

RXBG is right, there isn't a right answer here, it's all subjective. That said, my opinion is that a supercar is not about lap times but driver involvement and high overall performance. The car cannot be doing all of the work, so I like traditional stick and clutch manuals. It's the extra physical coordination of using a clutch and stick that I enjoy.

Tailpipe is right - nobody's getting rid of the manual, just the standard manual with a clutch. AKA, the fun, interesting, challenging, slightly slower one.

Ferrari has "sold out," but rightfully so. They're a business, they've got money to make. Those attracted to it often seem to buy for the prestige of the brand rather than the legendary driving experience, so I'm not surprised. Still, I don't think we need to lose hope. I think there will always be a number of people who prefer a manual transmission, and some manufacturers will always cater to this group, even if it becomes a niche group, which is the direction it's headed. The auto world is too competitive to leave such a niche uncovered.

By the way, Yellow RS6 - I was on the fence between a GTI and an used A4 2.0T S-line. I drove both, and the shifters certainly didn't help me make the decision - both feel nearly identical and are a joy!

[Yellow RS6]

By the way, Yellow RS6 - I was on the fence between a GTI and an used A4 2.0T S-line. I drove both, and the shifters certainly didn't help me make the decision - both feel nearly identical and are a joy!

I would love to find a manual A4 2.0T S-line, but there are SCARCE!

Update - I sold the yellow RS6 last Friday and am seriously car shopping now. Yesterday I drove 2 GTIs again (the new Mk6 this time), once again one DSG and the other a manual. And once again, I'm torn. The DSG is a hoot, especially the perfect downshifts, and I've been waiting for this type of technology to trickle down since it first appeared in the US back in the mid-90s (F355 F1). But..........once again, the manual felt great! The clutch was light, with smooth take-up (vs. the Mazdaspeed 3's quite heavy clutch and on/off uptake) and a sweet shifter with tight, defined gates. This is a car that is tempting me to get into a stick-shift again. And it would be $1100 cheaper than a DSG.

After my drives yesterday, I'm 99% sure a new GTI is what I'm getting, there just isn't another new car for $25-30K that compares. Now I just have to decide what trans to get.......