Et tu, BMW?

Beemerguy53 said:
Amen.

I've heard all the arguments over the years for automatic transmissions, and I still prefer my standards.

Yes, good modern performance automatics are more efficient, shift faster, and result in better lap times on a track. Except that I don't drive on a track, and I don't drive performance cars for their efficiency; I drive them because they are pleasurable to drive.

Nothing beats a well-executed upshift at the peak of the engine's torque curve, or a perfectly-timed heel-and-toe downshift on a favorite mountain road. I like having all four limbs engaged in the driving experience, and having to think about what I'm doing. I like to drive my cars, instead of having my cars drive me.

I have had both knees replaced, and two spinal fusions. I have all the aches and pains associated with my age. I drive in urban stop-and-go traffic every single day. None of that matters. I will change gears myself until they pry my cold dead hands off my shifter and steering wheel... :)

The Manual Gearbox Preservation Society - Home
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With the deepest of respect sir, your tougher than I'm!:cool:
 
I only owned one car with an automatic transmission between 1976 and 2019. Then I bought a Mazda CX 5 which only comes with a 6 speed automatic. And i have to admit it's a good one. I live in the mountains and can feel it downshift when needed for engine braking. The computers that control the transmissions these days are quite good. It also has a Sport mode that changes the shift points closer to the redline and shifts faster, and at any time I can select the gears manually if I feel the need to like when driving in the snow.

I also have a 2021 Jaguar F Type R that has the wonderful German ZF8 speed auto transmission. It has paddle shifters that I can engage when I want to and also has a sport mode and a dynamic mode which not only changes the transmission mapping but adjusts the amount of boost in the power steering, throttle responsiveness, and suspension stiffness. In either of the performance modes it shifts hard and fast and will actually chirp the tires in the first three gears.

I have learned to really like the modern automatics, especially after owning a despised GM 2 speed Powerglide auto and an even worse GM 3 speed auto that was supposed to slip into an overdrive 4th gear at freeway speeds but seemed to constantly be "hunting" when to shift into that overdrive mode. Modern autos can certainly be done right.

But I won't ever own any CVT equipped car.
 
Walter Rego said:
I also have a 2021 Jaguar F Type R that has the wonderful German ZF8 speed auto transmission. It has paddle shifters that I can engage when I want to and also has a sport mode and a dynamic mode which not only changes the transmission mapping but adjusts the amount of boost in the power steering, throttle responsiveness, and suspension stiffness. In either of the performance modes it shifts hard and fast and will actually chirp the tires in the first three gears.
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Interestingly, ZF8 autos are starting to make their way into non-native installations in race cars. It's a very good transmission, and aftermarket companies have developed stand-alone, programmable transmission control units as well as the hardware to bolt them into cars they never came in. Paddle shifters and a good transmission can make for lower laptimes, and often the ZF8 will hold more power than the stock manual transmissions can handle.
 
I bought my 1971 2002 BMW in Germany. Drove it over there for four years and brought it home. Loved it and loved driving it (4 speed). Wonderful machine. Got orders for Florida and discovered that Florida and a non air conditioned auto were not compatible. Sold it in 1985 for more than I paid for it. Miss it to this day.


 
I'd say we have 2 sticks and 2 autos, but the pickup with the auto is still in the tranny shop after 10 months and the other "auto" is a CVT. Had to drive the big truck in & out of the local city to pick up my tractor after getting new wheels & tires. Thought my left leg was gonna fall off by the time I got home, but still love the manual in my car.

I've driven cars with the new versions of automatics and the wife's car has a CVT. The auto that impressed me the most was a VW auto, I expect it's close kin to the PDK. It'd downshift as you were slowing down to keep you in the correct gear for the speed. Shifts were most positive. Don't recall if it had paddles. OTOH, many autos with paddles don't really shift when you hit the paddle until after consulting with the power train control system. I could kinda see this if you decide to select 1st at 80 mph, but we're using electronics too much to enable drivers who shouldn't have licenses.

I don't want to have to buy a new pickup, but if I have to it'll pretty much have to be an auto. However, I use pickups to haul/tow weight and the current auto trannys are geared for unloaded cruising and the rear axle ratios reflect this too. Dammit! I don't want to turn dials to select gears/drive modes.

I find the CVT interesting. Seamless ratio changes while cruising, if you stand on it seems to shift simulated gears to keep you in the power band. Not sure how long that goes on, run out of legal speed before I run out of speed. It's been awhile back but Renaults Formula 1 team experimented with a CVT in partnership with someone who was willing to build one that'd take 850+ HP. No idea of costs involved. The rule of thumb had been it took 1 million pounds (about $1.6 million at the time) to cut 1 second off a F1 lap time. The CVT car was 4 seconds a lap faster than it's twin with whatever sequential manual they had at the time. F1 promptly outlawed it. Who knows where the CVT would be if they hadn't.

Belatedly dawned that the CVT might have reduced the "experience" for race watchers. Pretty much a steady drone, much like that of Formula E where the electrical cars just whine.
 
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I still (at 84) drive a Mazda MX5 with a 6 speed manual. It does have AC so on really muggy days in the Philly area, I will "sink" in closing the top and turning on the AC. However, I will leave the top down and when people say "are you not concerned with car theft?" I merely point to the gear shift and say anyone under 50 cannot drive it!!! Always drove a manual in the UK (which I left in 1968) and manual shift cars since. Dave_n
 
riverrat38 said:
Bring back the Ruckstell box.

73,
Rick
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Not to mention the further addition of a Warford, just to make things truly interesting.

I love driving stick shifts and currently mess around with a '29 Model A Ford Tudor. I like to master the gear box in something that doesn't have any synchromesh, double clutch specials...thats driving.
Many years ago I test drove a Porsche with Tech-Tronic gear box. I thought it was amazing and feel much the same about any of the high zoot vehicles I have driven with modern automatics and paddle shifters. CVT gear boxes are a whole different story, they never shift...truly weird.
 
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375hh1973 said:
Im 49 years old and have NEVER driven a manual transmission vehicle

No need, no desire.

In fact, I don't belive I know anyone... friends, relatives, etc that has a manual.
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Gasp! Let me catch my breath! :confused:

If you can track one down, you might give it a go. I suppose it's like revolvers. Once you try one, you're hooked. Sometimes we don't know what we're missing. As a kid, I discovered that with mincemeat pie. Dad had it all to himself since nobody else even wanted to taste it. Then I did one time and Dad had competition for his favorite pie.
 
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Just imagine if the auto box was invented first. After 50 years of motoring a young engineer tries to sell the manual transmission to his management.

"Yeah, it can save some gas and it's fun, you feel like you are making the car go down the open road".

Replies as follows:

Marketing guy: "So you expect our customers to keep pumping their left legs and keep wiggling that lever to make the car go? You say this is fun on the open road? Strikes me there's traffic everywhere you go. Then there's the gas angle. We don't want to suggest to our customers that they are skinflints. Seems like a hard sell to me".

Production manager: "What? Now I have to keep track of the inventory of three pedals? The added time fitting the new pedal is going to slow down the line. Also, I will have to carry out more inspections to make sure the assembly line drones have put the right pedals in the right places. This is going to up the overhead."

CEO: "Sounds like a lot of work and money chasing a minimal amount of fun to me. Oh, and gas is cheap. Project denied. Go do something useful like designing the perfect cupholder or puke proof upholstery".
 
a manual transmission is an anti-theft device... I personally don't care if the automatic is quicker.. it isn't more fun... my daily is a twin turbo V6 SUV with paddle shifters automatic... my toy cars have 5 speed & 6 speed manual transmissions... they are FUN...
 

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10-4, robvious. Ford saved me $80,000 by making the GT500 automatic only.

LVSteve, for 50 years, the manual transmission was called "transmission." As there was nothing else, no differentiating adjectives were required.
 
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