One of the great things about a free market is that it freely responds – to demand as well as its lack. If something is wanted by enough people, the demand creates an incentive for those interested in making money to satisfy that demand.
Interestingly, no force – as in the form of “mandates” – is necessary to meet that kind of demand.
If there is no demand, the market responds by recognizing that there isn’t any for whatever it is and that item disappears from the market.
Like Dylan Mulvaney, for instance.
But here’s the really interesting thing: If market demand for something is strong enough, it can even overcome government’s demands – which have the effect of countering what the market wants. Put another way, if enough people demand something – and will not accept something else – the market pressure to satisfy the stronger demand will sometimes win out.
Case in point, BMW’s M cars – models like the M2 and its bigger brother, the M4. M cars are BMW’s highest-performance cars and one of the very interesting things about them is that they are currently the only cars BMW still sells that are available with manual transmissions.
They actually come standard with them.
But every other car BMW sells – even the Z4, which is a sports car – comes only with an automatic transmission.
The reason why has a lot to do with government demands, as readers of this column are already aware. Automatic transmissions eliminate driver variability from the equation, in terms of how a car performs on a government fuel economy test. These tests are, of course mandatory. Notwithstanding the fact that the market never demanded them.
Anyhow, an automatic can be programmed to shift gears in such a way as to deliver the highest-possible city/highway gas mileage numbers on the government’s test.
The difference between 25 city and 32 on the highway (with a manual) and 27 city and 35 on the highway) matters a lot in terms of complying with the government’s mandatory MPG minimums – Corporate Average Fuel Economy, in bureaucratese. If a given vehicle doesn’t quite meet the minimums, it can reduce the manufacturers’ CAFE “fleet average” numbers and this will trigger “gas guzzler” fines, the government’s way of punishing the manufacturer for building what people want to buy – no one is forced to buy a “gas guzzler” – as opposed to building what the government demands.
There is also another factor, related to taking the driver out of the equation.
It is that a given car – especially a performance car – with an automatic transmission will usually perform slightly better in 0-60 and quarter-mile testing and will always be more consistent, because there is no “driver variable.” Just floor it – and the car goes. An automatic never misses a shift – and will upshift (and downshift) at precisely the right moment for best-case numbers. These numbers are very important to manufacturers, who want to tout the best numbers a performance car can deliver.
It is the main reason why the Chevy Corvette is no longer available with a manual transmission – even as an option. It is no longer America’s Sports Car but an American super car that competes with others, with the victor determined by numbers that often aren’t even whole ones (as in fractions of a second).
But numbers cannot convey intangibles.
The people who buy BMW’s M2 cars value them as much or even more than numbers. And probably the most important intangible to a buyer who likes to drive is being able to shift for himself – even if he misses one every now and then.
The point here is that BMW is meeting that demand – for intangibles – by equipping its M cars with manual transmissions. Because M buyers want not only want them, they won’t accept what they don’t want.
The lesson here is that if enough people make plain what they want – and what they will not abide – then it is much more likely they won’t up not getting what they want.
It is interesting to note in this context that the manual-available version of the BMW Z4 – sold as the Toyota Supra (which gets 19 city/27 highway vs. 23 city/31 highway) is selling better this year (1,621 sold so far vs. 1,121). This may be partially due to the Toyota-bodied version of the BMW being considerably less expensive than its BMW-badged sibling.
But it may also have to do with intangibles rather than numbers.
. . .
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It seems to be that the solution to most of not all of our problems would be accomplished by a small spread of Sarmat MIRVS over38° 53′ 42.40″ N x -77° 02′ 10.93″ W
The yoots in my life are all about manual transmissions and motorcycles. There is still a glimmer of hope.
Front engine, rear wheel drive, and manual transmissions for life, baby.
Forget boring EV;s….buy something old school with a stick shift…like this car,,,,
A 1970s Car That’s Quicker Than Modern Supercars? DeTomaso Pantera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6cilVD1S_o
Update on car transport ship on fire off Dutch coast:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Fremantle+Highway+EV+caused+fire&t=ffab&atb=v387-2__&ia=web
An EV caused the fire, the crew barely escaped alive – many had to jump overboard, all 3500 cars onboard completely destroyed. The funny thing is that huge firefighting boats pumping unlimited ocean water can not put the fire out.
The Daily Mail says many injured. One dead. The carnage caused by EVs continues, now this boat load of burning junk threatens bird habitat, I wonder what that dunce earthluvr will say in defense of this EV caused horror show.
Earth is being destroyed by EeeeeeeVeeeeeeeeees. If you hate earth, buy an EV and park it next to a game preserve then let it self combust and kill everything.
——————-
Man fatally burned in fiery Tesla crash after door wouldn’t open, lawsuit alleges
The late father of five was “burned beyond recognition,” his lawyer said.
ByCatherine Thorbecke
October 24, 2019, 9:36 AM
The widow of a father of five in Florida is suing Tesla after her late husband was burned alive in a Model S when the electronic door handles wouldn’t open during a fiery crash, according to court documents.
Omar Awan, a 48-year-old anesthesiologist, died on Feb. 24 after his Tesla Model S veered out of control on a parkway and struck a palm tree. A police officer who witnessed the accident immediately rushed to help, court documents stated.
“The police officer tried to open the doors of the Awan Tesla but the door handles were retracted, and did not ‘auto-present’ when he approached,” according to the complaint filed earlier this month.
——————
Tesla Owner Breaks Window to Escape Before Vehicle Catches Fire in Vancouver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQxm6n7SdvE
The really funny part of this story is the young man then films his burning Tesla – just like in that movie Idiocracy, his crap electric car battery dies, so they run away and the police surround and open fire, then Frito cheers on the assault on his car:
Idiocracy – Frito’s Car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwR1-aRTyyM
Nobody cares about manual transmissions.
You, sir, are a true vulgarian.
Hi Jim,
Really? Tell that to the people who demand them in BMW M cars. Tell it to Toyota, which is going to offer more models with manuals.
I care. I bought one. 2023 Crostrek. 38 mpg by my measure. Fun to drive.
Jim, you’re a transphobe.
Well played sir.
My Cayman 718T with the manual six is the most amazing drive I have ever had. True minimalist, no Nav, no Apple interface, just a just an SD chip for my music no real diver assistance except for PSM which is easily deactivated. It’s s easy to drive my 67 year old 4’11” 110 pound wife has no trouble with it. She even punches it and found out that the brakes on the car is not that necessary.
Hi Alex,
The Cayman is a superb car – in the truest sense; it is something one drives. It is not a transportation appliance. The same can said about the BMW M2 I’m test driving this week. It makes me feel alive. As opposed to most of the cars I test drive, which make me feel nothing.
One thing I’m somewhat happy to see is the shift selector dial instead of the center console mounted selector lever. Even back when it was all mechanical linkages the console mounted “gearshift” on automatics didn’t make sense, it was just an illusion to make boring cars seem sporty. One that takes up an enormous amount of functional space. The fact that Ford set it up to flatten and disappear so you can get some work done shows just how unnecessary this thing is.
Back in the 1960s Chrysler put a “push button” selector on the 300 because it was a high-tech premium product. It looked cool back then and still does today. And it took up almost no room in the cockpit. Every automatic transmission sold today is fly-by-wire and there’s no reason why levers need to be in the middle of the car. Lazy design and marketing focus groups keep the faux mechanical selector in place.
Does anyone remember the “three on a tree”? I loved banging through the gears on that thing.
When I got my first hot rod the floor shifter (not in a console) was a blast. Burned a few clutches out with that.
I had a friend with a Chrysler with push button gear shift. The first time I drove it I couldn’t figure out how to put it in gear. After that I felt like I was driving something from the Jetsons. I think that set up was fairly unreliable given the tech at the time. New small Fords have a dial selector for shifting gears.
I had a 64 Dodge with the pushbutton selector, which caught the attention of my former wife. She was fascinated by it and it’s likely a major factor in our eventual marriage. In hind sight, I wish I never owned it. As far as reliability goes, it never had a single hiccup, until the day I pulled the slant six engine and pushed it off in the woods. Yes, the slant six wore out the car.
Had to read your comment twice. LOL
I love automatic transmission levers on the column. Hard to find now, but it used to be quite commonplace.
Never had a tree shifter but I’m in love with the idea. Keeps your hand closer to the wheel while shifting.
Mr Demartino drove a massive 1960s Polaris station wagon with 3 on the tree. I was mesmerized watching him when it was his turn to drive us to school functions. Every shift looked like he was conducting an orchestra.
My biggest question is, what kind of retard prick spends the money for a BMW, only to have a car that drives them, instead of one that, according to the same BMW pricks, “loves to be driven”?
Maybe I already answered my own question, lol!
Hi gtc,
My brother worked for BMW years ago, got me all kinds of swag with the logo “The Ultimate Driving Machine”. Not so much now I guess, but I still have a Blaupunkt radio/tape deck set up in my garage.
Hi Mike. There ya go. Just make sure you have ‘nitrofill’ so the tunes go go flat, lol!
I shift my automatics, mostly out of boredom, and partly because I hate riding my brakes, and the a-holes that ride my ass only responding to my brake lights.
The BMW automatic has a unique “feature” I have found in no other. If you are rolling in Neutral, the shifter is LOCKED there until you hold the brake pedal down for a sufficient length of time for it to “unlock”, or until the vehicle in no longer in motion. This is insanely dangerous, as well as just bloody obnoxious. I can’t even see any conceivable purpose for this ‘feature’, either, except to be uniquely idiotic. The last thing you need to be is freewheeling, which is illegal in just about every vehicle code, and for good reason.
May some BMW prick can give me a ration explanation for this idiotic crap, but I have yet to find one, lol!
‘Even the Z4, which is a sports car – comes only with an automatic transmission.’ — eric
By my definition, a ‘sports car’ features a manual transmission. Otherwise it’s a four-wheeled café racer for poseurs, wankers and layabouts, with a cup holder for their Bud Light.
Now and then my interest in a BMW vehicle perks up. I still like the old Z3s. But I’ve never pulled the trigger. An automatic-only Z4 says all the wrong things about BMW. Don’t want their overpriced, dodgy-quality crap no more.
Not to mention that the Z4 is a thousand pounds heavier than the Z3, which in my mind disqualifies it as a sports car. Any thing over 3000 pounds is just pretending.
My dad had a Ford pickup truck, a 1954 year model. Four on the floor, six cylinders, red color. It had some torque, it would move. Still miss it to this day, one day, it was gone.
Somebody boxed me into a tight spot in a parking space. Put the truck in reverse, the car that was inches from my rear bumper was moved back about three feet and I drove away.
Wasn’t going to make ten moves to limp my way out of a parked spot.
A manual transmission did the job, got back on the road.
Another day of hauling more coal to Newcastle.
China has plenty of anthracite, so let it burn.
Kids barely drive these days so the chance to learn a manual is virtually non-existent. A manual -as we know- gives you more connection with the car rather than being just an appliance. I’ll continue driving them the rest of my life. It seems kind of pu55y imo to use an automatic.
I have to think it makes you a better and more attentive driver. And its more fun.
How to save ICE cars and manual transmissions? Stop buying anything but ICE cars with manuals, boycott all the new cars – which are designed to control us.
Remember Ralph Nader and his anti-lemon laws? What about these EVs which are causing massive capital losses and massive damage to the environment when they auto combust, like this:
ZH – EV Suspected In Fire Of Massive Cargo Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars
“Fremantle Highway is carrying 3,000 vehicles. Of those vehicles, 25 are EVs, a coastguard official told the NOS public broadcaster, adding there is suspicion that one of those 25 EVs started the blaze.
Should the vessel sink, “it would be a disaster of the highest order,” ”
(It may be a disaster with a silver lining as people might wake the fuck up – and insurance companies refusing to insure the shipping company for loss if they ship those damn things, and if you can’t ship them then you can’t sell them.)
And it is not the first time a Tesla/BMW caught on fire destroying the ship or the truck:
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/10/02/trailer-loaded-with-teslas-burns/
(the driver barely escaped alive – even though he was in the cab and separated from the trailer)
Where oh where is Mr. Nader?
———
Burned ship carrying luxury cars has now sunk
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN Business
Updated 9:44 PM EST, Wed March 2, 2022
“Total damage costs for all the vehicles have been estimated at about $335 million. VW has said the damage will be covered by insurance. ”
WHERE THE HELL IS RALPH NADER?
—————–
The Hill – Massive Tesla battery catches fire, takes 150 firefighters, 30 fire trucks four days to put out
by Adam Barnes | Aug. 2, 2021
“A blaze stemming from Tesla’s largest battery pack took more than 150 firefighters and dozens of fire trucks to extinguish, Australian authorities said in a statement Monday”
Again, WHERE THE HELL IS RALPH NADER??
Why does the public have to pay for this unsafe crap coming from Tesla? How about we send Elon MuskRAT the bill.
————-
Independent Journal Review – Hazmat Crews Called When Tesla Catches Fire While Being Towed, But That’s Not Even the Worst Part
By Johnathan Jones, Western Journal February 27, 2023
“Firefighters in Scottsdale, Arizona, put out the blaze before it could cause any substantial damage to any surrounding property.
KSAZ-TV reported the driver of an unknown Tesla model was attempting to park when the car suddenly moved forward and crashed into a building.”
WHERE THE HELL IS RALPH NADER??? ???
—————-
Elon the con man became the richest man in the world unleashing his carnage of death on us, for these untested new wonder weapons called EVs.
The Independent (UK) – Flaming Tesla has to be buried in pit to extinguish battery
—————
Salvation is achieved when these damn EVs are exposed as the highest of risks. You all know that dozens of Tesla owners were burned alive by their car – which locks the doors and prevents escape when the damn thing catches on fire. You couldn’t even pay me to get in one, when it is turned off!
And if you park it in your garage – charging or not – the damn thing can autocombust also, so you lose your car and your home and all your shit!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11423865/Out-control-Tesla-speeds-Chinese-streets-killing-two-people-injuring-three-others.html
Yeah, that fucking Tesla just murdered 2 people – which means Elon the MuskRAT is the real murderer. Be sure to watch the video earth luvr, because your savior Elon is the devil.
Nader is in a basement somewhere. He’s an inveterate asshole. I met the guy.
I am reading his book Unsafe at any Speed to gain insight into his mindset. It’s pretty insuffereable.
Nader doesn’t give a crap about “safety” or “consumer protection.” at all. He is at the heart of it an ascetic. He wants everyone else to live like he does. He has some kind of podcast or radio program.
Yes, Nader is some weird guy, but you don’t hear any safety minded activists calling out Tesla. That was my point. What Nader railed against then is nothing compared to what is unleashed on us now.
I guarantee you that if we were in the 1970’s and people were being burned alive in their EV, Nader would have been on the front page of news. Now, all you hear is crickets.
Hi Jack,
Nader wasn’t really a “safety” advocate. He was – he is – a car hater. He used “safety” to further his real goal, which was to undermine the car and driving. Like all Leftists, Nader is a liar and an oily manipulator of people, whom he (like Lenin) despises and sees through a lens of misanthropy that is hard for most people to comprehend.
There is only one way, really, to deal with these people.
(sigh….) I wish it was worthwhile to convert my 2000 Toyota 4Runner from an automatic to a 4 or 5 speed manual…..that is, if someone even made such a transmission.
Hi President,
The Tacoma is still available with a manual; it’s the truck I’d buy if I needed to replace my Nissan Frontier (which has a five speed). Converting any modern vehicle is much more involved because of the electronics; they are specific to the factory drivetrains set-up, so it’s not just a matter of the physical swap, as it once was.
Yep, you can’t easily swap anything with and ECM – which is specific to that engine in that year. Computer controlled fuel injection ended the era of easy engine swaps.
I recently drove a couple thousand kilometers in a rental Hyundai I20 in Poland. It’s a budget car, nothing fancy, 100HP 1.0L engine with 5-speed manual. It was nice to drive despite being weak, and it returned an average of 4.8L/100km (49mpg) in mixed city/highway driving.
It’s too bad we can’t have small and light cars here anymore.
The downside to that Hyundai is that it had the EU’s mandated “speed limit assist” and “lane keep assist” systems. Damn thing tried to steer me towards the center of the road when I was steering towards the edge to avoid trucks. That was scary.
How did the speed limit assist work? You weren’t able to exceed teh posted limit at all?
It didn’t enforce, it only nagged and pressed back on gas pedal, but I could push through it. It got things very wrong, though. On a 120kph highway, for example, it would occasionally think that the 40kph exit speed limits were the highway speed limit, so it beeped furiously at me for driving 120 in a 40. These systems are stupid, due to not having any understanding of the world.
Hi OL,
I don’t think they are stupid at all! They are intentional. The idea is to make driving torture – so you’d rather not.
Glad that 2 vehicles I currently own are manual: 6 spd 1997 Camaro Z28, and 5 spd 2004 Cicic 2 door. We need more new vehicles like this (they especially need to be affordable)
Hate to say this as I do believe in speech. I think you should block the urthlover. He, she, it adds nothing to the conversation. Simply just a troll. Spews out “hate” speech non stop.
Richard, Cathy and some others do add some facts/insight even if I disagree with them and their conclusions. This thing adds nothing. Just a PITA.
Time to get rid of the nonsense.
You do not need to block me. I can go away on my own. I thought you wanted to debate the issues but I guess you feel too weak for that and just want the banhammer applied. Just as I thought, those with foolish beliefs are weak defenders of them.
earthluvr: It doesn’t appear that you want to debate in good faith. It appears all of your comments are intended to simply insult and get a reaction.
I think Eric is loathe to ban anybody from the site. I’m not aware of him ever doing it (I could be wrong I suppose). As you can see, he’s no stranger to engaging with folks like yourself. However, you do come across as a troll though.
Earthluvr –
You’ll note you’ve not been banned. I’ve attempted to discuss the issue with you – using facts – and you’ve serially failed to respond to any of these. Instead, you hurl abuse and threats (e.g., people like you will seize our non-electric cars and force us to accept what you want) and make hysteric, ridiculous assertions about how the “planet” is going to become uninhabitable unless we drive EVs.
Earthluvr is good to have around if for no other reason than for being an example of what we’re up against.
And it ain’t much, it’s just loud and obnoxious.
I agree, Mark –
That’s why I engage in debate with them. It’s tiring, but necessary.
Two potential memorable days in the history of reader comments:
The day earthloser showed up.
The day earthloser leaves, or is banned
Nice to know I’m not as bad as earthloser.
I’ll add your complement to my resume.
>This thing adds nothing
I am betting it is a chatbot.
It’s highest goal (“prime directive”) is to become a “master baiter.”
JMO.
Eric-
Are you saying that the the reason for no manual transmissions is mileage? can’t the car companies make the case that a manual transmission could theoretically be driven in the same manner?
I wonder if the auto companies don’t want manual transmissions perhaps due to fewer people wanting them and extra tooling costs for two different drive trains?
Are the mileage standards for the manual that much different that a few of them would skew the fleet numbers?
In my limited experience manuals are better for mileage. Of course that goes back a few years. I did just buy a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek after Eric’s review. Last Manual transmission. I got 38 miles per gallon the first time I checked it, highway and stop and go. Which is a lot better than my Tahoe.
A manual transmission’s mileage advantage pretty much ended with the lock up torque convertor, where the connection is mechanical instead of hydraulic, most of the time, on the highway. I did find that I got better mileage in an 08 Miata with a six speed auto if I took care of the shifting on the twisty hilly two lane blacktop I spend a lot of my driving miles on. It had paddle shifters, so it was really easy.
Hi Krusty,
The problem as regards manuals and mileage (on government MPG tests) is that they can’t be programmed to shift unnaturally. Automatics can be. What I mean by that is you can program an automatic to shift up before a human driver would tend to do in a given situation because to do so would cause the car to perform sluggishly. So the driver holds the gear he’s in or shifts down, even. But the automatic is programmed to not do those things – or do them in such a way as to maximize the efficiency potential on the test cycle, irrespective of the effect on the car’s real-world driving characteristics.
Of course, the driver of such a car will simply force a downshift, by increasing pressure on the throttle. That’s why in real world driving, the automatic’s supposed mileage advantage is negligible and sometimes less than that delivered by the same car with a manual (if available and if properly driven).
Ford engineers would debate the manual versus automatic fuel economy question a lot. The skill of the driver was only a factor with manuals.
Skipping gears to get to fourth or fifth gear faster with a manual transmission was debated. But the automated skip shift feature originally introduced in the Chevrolet Corvette six speed manual tranny in the late 1980s GOT THE THUMBS DOWN — better fuel economy, but poor performance. It basically uses a solenoid in the transmission to force the first-to-fourth shift when you’re calmly diving along at around 35% throttle or less. Just hold in 1st gear until the rpm’s are above the parameter, and you can shift into 2nd gear, rather than a forced shift into 4th gear.
A four speed manual has the potential for better fuel economy than a three speed automatic.
But a six speed automatic has the potential for better gas mileage than a four speed manual. An automatic with more gears has an advantage.
CVT get better mileage than automatics
The more gears offered in a typical automatic transmission, the better engine power is optimized.
What makes the most difference in fuel economy is driving with a “light foot” on the accelerator (using gradual acceleration, especially from a stop)
Until the AT blows up. Then repair costs far exceed any fuel savings. There are ATs that will likely outlive the car, but many more that won’t. Nearly all MTs will, with minimal maintenance.
Manual transmissions do last longer than automatics but some people wear out clutches too fast.
My opinion is that if the automatic is not too overly fancy, then it can beat out the manual (to include the clutch) for longevity. I had a Ford 4R70W in my 98 Econoline and 97 Merc Mountaineer that had no problems at all. Just keep the fluid changed, and drain out the torque converter while changing it. To that, had an 02 S10 with 300k and one clutch replacement. Currently, I have a 14 VW, 170k on the original clutch!
My 22 F-150 has the 10-speed which skips gears (on purpose) on upshifts, and shifts as soon as it can (again on upshifts). The car gags a little bit, as the upshift happens too soon for my driving style. Although I *do* get 22.X mpg’s on the highway! Problem is, I’m not saving the pennies of gas money from the mpg’s in order to pay for the eventual transmission work!!!
On the other hand, I have never had to replace a clutch.
MDP, if you are changing fluid every 30k miles, you will probably spend more on that than changing a clutch, since manuals only need an oil change at about 50k, and the oil is a lot cheaper, and easier for the owner to do.
Eh, I changed the transmission fluid every 50 to 60k or so. It was always nice and pink. I did have an old Caddy, whose trans fluid went from pink to purple every 25k!
krustyklown,
“the auto companies don’t want manual transmissions perhaps due to fewer people wanting them”
And a lot fewer people knowing HOW to drive them.
A manual transmission has become a somewhat effective anti-theft device.
My Croostrek was “releieved” of its mountain bike recently (probably because I forgot to lock the doors). I think the only thing the whole thing wasn’t “relieved” is because of the manual transmission.
Eric:
I have a very good friend who is the #1 salesman at a large mega dealership (has 10-15 brands) near me. He is # 1 as people come back to him.
He will fight with the service department on your behalf. He did it for me years ago. A blown engine.
I have made deals with him. IE a couple comes in with a trade. He called me, I can’t give them what they want! But it might be a good deal for you. I showed up with 15K cash for the car. My friend sold a new car to the buyers, I paid 15K cash and got a new car to me, I still have it 300K miles later. I drive them till they drop, Michigan with all the salt.
I am going to share this post with him. He might already be a lurker.
That’s good stuff, Ugg!
More such is needed to keep our spirits up. I hope RG’s family gets some from the dealer. That business with the engine in the brand-new Escalade catastrophically failing two weeks after they bought it is one of the worst such stories I’ve heard in 30 years of covering this business.
Didn’t that almost new Escalade first lose its brakes on the road, and later the dealer refused a long term loaner too. That adds up to the worst lemon I have ever heard of in over 60 years. And I spent 27 of those years in the auto industry. We heard some wild anecdotes, but that two week old Escalade tops them all. And that the two week failure was engine bearings is even stranger. I wouldn’t take a replacement motor as the solution. I’d get a full refund or sue the dealer to force the issue.
The spontaneous EV battery fires are also pretty bad.
https://autoversed.com/11-worst-lemons-in-automotive-history/
Ditto, Richard –
And what interests me most is that the engine that failed was a 6.2 V8. This a V8 GM has been making for decades – basically – and heretofore it has been a very reliable engine. What happened? Did they change assembly processes? Or have they substituted poor quality parts – perhaps from Chyna – for high-quality pieces?
RG brought up a weird but not inconceivable possibility. What if GM is deliberately making their V8s shoddy, so as to accelerate the “transition” to our “electrified” future?
I wouldn’t put anything past any of the carmakers. The modern day carmaker is a truly disgusting lot. They are all too willing accomplices in building a defective product, just as they were alleged to be doing back in teh middle 1960’s. Except today, cars are mandated to be defective by the government and carmakers are all too willing to play along.
I also wouldn’t put it past carmakers to be trying to phase out manuals on their own. Manual transmission cars used to exceed the epa gas mileage ratings of automatic counterparts. Today, there isn’t one that gets better mileage. They have different gearing with shorter gearing than automatic transmission cars. I don’t understand why they numerical ratios on auto vs manual can’t be the same. I like getting better highway gas mileage. In the age of $4.00 gasoline, we need to have those long highway legs.
Another observation.
During the latest IMSA race coverage Cadillac had it’s usual sponsorship. Their prototypes are truly badass. What was different was the fact they ditched the 5 black chicks in an electric Escalade cruising in the ci-tay and were offering MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS!!!!!.
I dang near spit my beer back through my nose.
How can this be? With Mary “Battery Power is a Turn-On” Barra running the company?
Wonders never cease.