OT: Are manual trannsmissions becoming endangered??

[Qweklain]

It seems almost all of todays and future sports cars are all coming with just new CVT transmissions with no option of a traditional stick. Sure, this new CVT supposedly is better than a stick (depending on how the driver knows how to handle the stick), but I mean come on, an automatic takes the fun and control out of it! Sure you have buttons to "manually" shift through the gear, but there is still no control over the RPMs when shifting up/down, and though I don't know much on the manual automatics, they are still automatics, so they'll still shift themselves if you don't do it soon enough anyways, right?

 

[Code001]

Depends on what you're talking about. They're mostly gone in most family-oriented cars. They're getting less and less popular in sports cars in favor for better shifting mechanisms. They'll always be available in work-oriented trucks and such. As far as your comments go on shifting themselves, you need to be more specific. Are you talking about the CVT only? There are more options than just the CVT out there.

Edit: P.S. The CVT isn't new. It was invented by Leonardo da Vinci.

 

[OneArmedScissor]

My personal car is a manual Accord. I have been driving an automatic Accord while the air conditioner on mine is being worked on. Sometimes, it scares me, because I feel like I'm not in control, even though I should be able to drive just fine and focus even more on keeping the car in control. When I am turning, and there is loose gravel or something, I feel like the car could suddenly accelerate uncontrollably and just go flying off the road. It also could be a latent desire to just shed my little remaining sanity and do so, though. I guess that's the REAL scary part. Or is it?

 

[trey85stang]

I only want a manual transmission option if the car is rear wheel drive. I like the shifter being directly mounted to the transmission.

 

[Qweklain]

Depends on what you're talking about. They're mostly gone in most family-oriented cars. They're getting less and less popular in sports cars in favor for better shifting mechanisms. They'll always be available in work-oriented trucks and such. As far as your comments go on shifting themselves, you need to be more specific. Are you talking about the CVT only? There are more options than just the CVT out there.

Edit: P.S. The CVT isn't new. It was invented by Leonardo da Vinci.

For example, most average automatic vehicles will shift from 1st to 2nd around 10-15 MPH, then from 2nd to 3rd 25-35, etc. etc.. What I don't know about with these manual automatics, is if you are in "manual mode," and you are accelerating pretty hard trying to reach the higher RPMs in ideal of peak HP and Torque, if you don't shift before a certain "limit" or w/e they program them to do, will it shift autmoatically (since it IS an automatic transmission)? Or will it keep going until you actually up-shift yourself?

If the CVT transmission was developed by da Vinci (wait, what? Thought he was a painter? ) why is it only now we are starting use them in vehicles? Makes no sense to me.

 

[soc_monki]

depends on what brands of cars youre looking at. lots of american cars are sans manuals, aside from a few. most import cars (euros and japanese, etc) still offer manuals, but theyre usually only about 15% of the cars made in that model (automatics sell more).

i was lucky to find my Altima in a manual (99 btw). nearly every one ive seen has been automatic, and thats because only 15% each year were made in manual. CVT's, on Nissans anyways, are the new Automatics, they stll offer a regular manual tranny. and thats the way i like it...i hate automatics of any kind (unless they were a computer controlled manual transmission, which are in some cars, albeit VERY expensive cars like Aston Martins...clutch and everything, its just computer controlled).

 

[soc_monki]

Depends on what you're talking about. They're mostly gone in most family-oriented cars. They're getting less and less popular in sports cars in favor for better shifting mechanisms. They'll always be available in work-oriented trucks and such. As far as your comments go on shifting themselves, you need to be more specific. Are you talking about the CVT only? There are more options than just the CVT out there.

Edit: P.S. The CVT isn't new. It was invented by Leonardo da Vinci.

For example, most average automatic vehicles will shift from 1st to 2nd around 10-15 MPH, then from 2nd to 3rd 25-35, etc. etc.. What I don't know about with these manual automatics, is if you are in "manual mode," and you are accelerating pretty hard trying to reach the higher RPMs in ideal of peak HP and Torque, if you don't shift before a certain "limit" or w/e they program them to do, will it shift autmoatically (since it IS an automatic transmission)? Or will it keep going until you actually up-shift yourself?

If the CVT transmission was developed by da Vinci (wait, what? Thought he was a painter? ) why is it only now we are starting use them in vehicles? Makes no sense to me.

Da Vinci was an inventor, a war strategist, weapon maker...he was a little bit of everything as for the auto and CVT shifting, if it has a manual mode it SHOULD go up to redline and not shift, until you tell it to. if you hit redline, it should just bounce off the rev limiter like a regular manual will. the advantage? you cant downshift until the computer says its ok, unlike a manual where you can accidentally downshift and miss the gear youre looking for (5-2 instead of 5-4...thats a BIG whoops!)

 

[griff10672]

I don't know about endangered ... but I agree .

I love my 06 Civic SI .... 6 speed

don't get me wrong ... I would love paddle shifters .... but don't dare take the clutch away from me !!!!!!!!!

you have so much more control with a manual .

 

[Qweklain]

I don't know about endangered ... but I agree .
you have so much more control with a manual .

Exactly my point, but it seems a lot fo vehicles are going all manual automatics now. I've been (as of recently) trying to get all the info I can on the new Lexus IS-F, the fucking sweetest-ass-sweet car I've ever seen. A beautiful sounding 400HP V8, with dual exhaust, and quad-output tips that are stacked vertically, not horizontally, and that's really concept car style. Thing is, it seems to only be optioned with a CVT 8-speed tranny. I know, a manual with 8 gears would be really nucking futs to shift 1st and possibly 2nd, depending how they're ratioed, but it would be soooooo much fun!!

 

[guitar_god123456]

depends where you are. Britain still has loads of manuals on the road.

 

[Code001]

My personal car is a manual Accord. I have been driving an automatic Accord while the air conditioner on mine is being worked on. Sometimes, it scares me, because I feel like I'm not in control, even though I should be able to drive just fine and focus even more on keeping the car in control. When I am turning, and there is loose gravel or something, I feel like the car could suddenly accelerate uncontrollably and just go flying off the road. It also could be a latent desire to just shed my little remaining sanity and do so, though. I guess that's the REAL scary part. Or is it?

Unless something is seriously wrong with the transmission or you go WOT in a corner for no apparent reason, what you're saying will not happen with the automatics today. If you get loose because of gravel, you would have gotten loose period. That's driving-style dependent, not transmission-style dependent.

I only want a manual transmission option if the car is rear wheel drive. I like the shifter being directly mounted to the transmission.

The Corvette C5 is RWD and the shifter is not directly mounted to the transmission. If it were, you'd have to reach back into the trunk every time you had to shift. Just because it's RWD doesn't mean the shifter will automatically be directly mounted.

For example, most average automatic vehicles will shift from 1st to 2nd around 10-15 MPH, then from 2nd to 3rd 25-35, etc. etc.. What I don't know about with these manual automatics, is if you are in "manual mode," and you are accelerating pretty hard trying to reach the higher RPMs in ideal of peak HP and Torque, if you don't shift before a certain "limit" or w/e they program them to do, will it shift autmoatically (since it IS an automatic transmission)? Or will it keep going until you actually up-shift yourself?

If the CVT transmission was developed by da Vinci (wait, what? Thought he was a painter? ) why is it only now we are starting use them in vehicles? Makes no sense to me.

My friend soc_monki answered your first question. As far as the second, look up the history of the transmission. It's kinda like Mazda claiming their rotary engines are new technology when, in fact, they've been around the mid 50s - WAY before they started using them.

Exactly my point, but it seems a lot fo vehicles are going all manual automatics now. I've been (as of recently) trying to get all the info I can on the new Lexus IS-F, the fucking sweetest-ass-sweet car I've ever seen. A beautiful sounding 400HP V8, with dual exhaust, and quad-output tips that are stacked vertically, not horizontally, and that's really concept car style. Thing is, it seems to only be optioned with a CVT 8-speed tranny. I know, a manual with 8 gears would be really nucking futs to shift 1st and possibly 2nd, depending how they're ratioed, but it would be soooooo much fun!!

When people add gears, they usually don't adjust first at all. In fact, 1st gear is longer in the car you're referring to than it is in my car, not to mention it has weak-ass 2.93 rear-end gears. Instead, they spread them out across the band and add more overdrive gears. Think of a standard 5-speed manual and then add a gear from 2nd to 3rd, from 4th to 5th, and then from 5th to 6th.

 

[Code001]

Some final thoughts of my own:

More and more normal people prefer automatics. Sales reflect that. Usually it's due to lack of experience, laziness or they're in a situation with heavy traffic (however, some people just outright prefer them). Car companies are using different technologies in sports cars to try to sell cars. By thinking outside the box, they can claim what they're doing is new to the market and gather money accordingly. The manual transmission will never die in our lifetime.

From a racer's standpoint, I'd want the transmission that requires me to think the least about shifting and the most on car control. This is why today's race cars now have a semi-automatic transmission in them (I'm kinda hesitant to say semi-automatic as they're actually more manual-based and fitted with various devices). As far as the 8 gears are concerned, IMO, that's just retarded. If 6 or 7 gears are good enough for F1 cars, then they're good enough for me. I never think to myself, "Oh man! I wish I had another gear to shift through during turn number 8 at Watkins Glen!" There are other, more economical ways to adjust how and when to shift without adding unnecessary gears.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

We need those clutchless manual transmissions like the race cars have

 

[Code001]

We need those clutchless manual transmissions like the race cars have

They still have clutches. They're just electronically controlled instead of manually controlled.

 

[Digital Jams]

We need those clutchless manual transmissions like the race cars have

Porsche GT.....if ya gots the money for it

I hear that car is the closest you will get to driving a F1 ride.

 

[SkyhighRocks]

I can't stand manual transmissions. It feels like I'm playing a video game when I'm driving. And I hate driving as it is. I just want to relax and not have to worry about moving this, clutching that,etc...

 

[Code001]

We need those clutchless manual transmissions like the race cars have

Porsche GT.....if ya gots the money for it

I hear that car is the closest you will get to driving a F1 ride.

There are other cars out there that will give you a closer feeling than the F1. The Porsche Carrera GT is also extremely dangerous with the way the suspension is setup. The closest thing on the market that feels like an F1 car would most likely be the infamous Ferrari Enzo.

 

[griff10672]

I can't stand manual transmissions. It feels like I'm playing a video game when I'm driving. And I hate driving as it is. I just want to relax and not have to worry about moving this, clutching that,etc...

Really .... the exact reason I love my manual .

I love being able to redline a gear if I want . The SI doesn't redline to 8000 rpm . The Vtec kicks in around 5000 and brings you to 8000 in a hurry . A lot of fun to drive .

I think Code is right about .... that's what the people are demanding so the Co's have complied .

I personally think it's because all these people that talk on the phone while they drive ....

a little harder to do comfortably on a stick . and don't forget the DVD controller too

 

[Code001]

I can't stand manual transmissions. It feels like I'm playing a video game when I'm driving. And I hate driving as it is. I just want to relax and not have to worry about moving this, clutching that,etc...

Really .... the exact reason I love my manual .

I love being able to redline a gear if I want . The SI doesn't redline to 8000 rpm . The Vtec kicks in around 5000 and brings you to 8000 in a hurry . A lot of fun to drive .

I think Code is right about .... that's what the people are demanding so the Co's have complied .

I personally think it's because all these people that talk on the phone while they drive ....

a little harder to do comfortably on a stick . and don't forget the DVD controller too

You can redline an automatic, too. Just mash the gas and you'll get up there. There is also manual shifting the automatic to hit redline (which is just plain retarded, unless you have a manual valve body). If you go into the ECU, you can adjust the shift points as you'd like via the OBD-II port, or a piggy-back computer chip on the ECU itself.

 

[griff10672]

I can't stand manual transmissions. It feels like I'm playing a video game when I'm driving. And I hate driving as it is. I just want to relax and not have to worry about moving this, clutching that,etc...

Really .... the exact reason I love my manual .

I love being able to redline a gear if I want . The SI doesn't redline to 8000 rpm . The Vtec kicks in around 5000 and brings you to 8000 in a hurry . A lot of fun to drive .

I think Code is right about .... that's what the people are demanding so the Co's have complied .

I personally think it's because all these people that talk on the phone while they drive ....

a little harder to do comfortably on a stick . and don't forget the DVD controller too

You can redline an automatic, too. Just mash the gas and you'll get up there. There is also manual shifting the automatic to hit redline (which is just plain retarded, unless you have a manual valve body). If you go into the ECU, you can adjust the shift points as you'd like via the OBD-II port, or a piggy-back computer chip on the ECU itself.

but it never sounds as good ...

I really don't even think about shifting .... it's so subconcious at this point . Unless some punk pulls up next to me with his pimped out Jetta .