So facing another winter locked in the garage, I decided it was time to move on my S2000 (which was only ever available in manual). And I finally realized a dream I’ve had since I was a teenager!
You’ll pay around a $10k premium for a manual on one of these, but for me there was no doubt it had to be a 6-speed.
I drove stick for 30 years and loved it except in rush hour traffic. That was enough to push me to automatic, paddle shifters have to fill my shifting urge these days.
So facing another winter locked in the garage, I decided it was time to move on my S2000 (which was only ever available in manual). And I finally realized a dream I’ve had since I was a teenager!
You’ll pay around a $10k premium for a manual on one of these, but for me there was no doubt it had to be a 6-speed.
From my 1977 Audi Fox (a Rabbit with rings)
So facing another winter locked in the garage, I decided it was time to move on my S2000 (which was only ever available in manual). And I finally realized a dream I’ve had since I was a teenager!
You’ll pay around a $10k premium for a manual on one of these, but for me there was no doubt it had to be a 6-speed.
I've had a manual transmission car for most of the time from 1975 until today, and that included a manual in Saudi Arabia for four years, and Australia for five years. And of course on all the motorcycles I've had since 1976. But people just don't want them anymore, and they have mostly been done in by the constantly tightening environmental regs that don't favor transmissions under control of the driver. When I last shopped for a sporty type car in 2015 I narrowed my selection down to the Subaru WRX, VW GTI and Ford Focus ST. Test drove all three and the Ford came out on top for me, seven years on it has only required oil/filter changes, and tires, otherwise bulletproof and a fun car to drive. When I drove the GTI the salesman said about 2/3 of the buyers wanted the then dreadful DSG (dual clutch auto transmission), little interest in the standard six speed gearbox. And I imagine it is worse now. I don't know anybody who drives a manual transmission now, people have moved on. An auto takes a lot of the fun out of driving, paddle shifters are a poor substitute, imo.
Stick shift with synchromesh was never a problem. Having to change down and simultaneously double de-clutch was something I recall having to learn when I bought this secondhand in about 1980.
