What's with all the automatic hate?

[ZL1-V]

Originally Posted by Whos_Drivin

I don't think anyone is hating on the autos. People just get shit for buying them because their wife said so.

That about sums it up. The problem I have is the "double standard" that some wives do to men. It does seems to be happen often on here and of course none of the "married" guys want to admit! How many of you tell your wives what to buy?

The other group of "married" guys are blessed with wives that don't make a big deal out of controlling their husbands and seem to be more secure in their relationships. Just an observation.

[Billy10mm]

I will never understand "car-guys" who prefer automatic transmissions. I have driven manuals my entire life, I almost got divorced because of one (admittedly, that would not have been a good tradeoff). When my Forester died a few years ago, we were replacing it with another boring daily driver and I didn't want to potentially get into any spousal fights over stick/auto like we had gotten into when I bought the Forester, so I got my Accord with an auto. 3 days later I called the dealership to see if there was any sort of money-back guarantee that allowed me to hand the car back - I was miserable to the point of being physically ill and despite the Accord being an amazingly practical and useful car, I despise it and it infuriates me to know it has only two pedals.

I live just outside of NYC and have commuted to NYC my entire life. I have spent many a evening in 3-hour traffic (one way) and enjoy driving stick in traffic, I would rather not have an auto there either.

Back in 2012 Porsche announced that the new 991-gen GT3 and GT3RS would be only offered with their PDK transmission. Distraught, I took to FerrariChat (been a member there for probably a decade) to vent. The post was title "Manual Transmission - A Rant - I Vent", and here it is:

F@$k!

Read yesterday that Porsche is considering a PDK-only transmission for the next GT3. Go f@$k yourself Porsche. I'm truly upset, very very upset, at the demise of the manual transmission. I guess it started with Ferrari, then Lamborghini did it, now Porsche. I held out hope for Porsche - I thought they "got it" when they released the CGT and the only option was to row your own via what is arguably the most beautiful shift knob ever created, but apparently my hope was ill-founded.

I don't like sports-cars for the outright last ounce of speed. I'm not an 18 year-old speed junkie with something to prove, nor am I having some sort of mid-life crisis where I need to own the fastest thing on the block. I don't care that this year's sequential manual gearbox can shift 10 milliseconds faster than last years. I DESPISE the idea of some computer blipping the throttle for me on a downshift.

My love of a good sports car revolves not around the badge on the hood or the timestamp on the last lap, but around how much sensory overload I experience during the drive. A good sports car should be a like a good woman; stunningly beautiful, firm, a great dance partner, and her voice should be pleasing to your ear. On the dance thing; she should be light on her feet, respond quickly to your lead, and she should follow your commands - however wrong they might or might not be. That last part is the most important.

I find no joy in driving fast if I can't take credit for it. I doubt any man here is smitten with the idea that his wife is well-pleasured, if another man is doing the work. Like finding the groove and making her tremble, mouth open - holding back the screams, there is no greater joy behind the wheel than a well-executed, perfectly timed heel-n-toe downshift in a good car.

I want to be as heavily involved in the experience as possible. I want my right foot to control the mid-corner attitude of the rear half of my car. I want to synchronize my left foot, my right foot, and my right hand for each up-shift. I want to additionally control the ball of my right foot and the side/heel of my right foot on most of my down-shifts. I want to do it all myself and I want the joy of doing it right to be mine, even if that means that I'll have to take financial responsibility for doing it wrong.

If I fall in love with a car, I want not only to be able to keep it for 30 years and pass it down to my sons, but I want a mechanic to be able to repair it along the way. I don't want a knob on my steering wheel or a button on my dash that puts me in control of my car - it should just come that way. The only aid I want is anti-lock brakes, you can remove the rest of the crap. Yaw control, stability control, traction control ... no thanks, I'll take over from here. It infuriates me to know that we're primarily here today, in this age of nanny-control, because of idiots with more money than sense who wrapped their 930 Turbos (for example) around inanimate objects then sued the automaker for selling them a car they didn't have the skill to drive.

I find it unbelievably depressing that I get excited when I see an F430 with a stick because they're so rare, that the 458 isn't offered with one, that there are but TWO Murcielago SVs in the US with a third pedal, and none worldwide for the Aventador. It absolutely floored me to read that only 30% of Porsche buyers opt to row their own.

I love when a car is only offered in a manual. Cars like the Honda S2000, Dodge Viper, and Porsche CGT will always hold a certain level of respect in my heart for no other reason than that they were made for purists; those who can't drive stick need not apply - the rest of you get in line. I respect that in a very real way.

I died a little inside last night. I really did. I read the news yesterday and it put a fear into my mind that 5 years from now there will be no good sports cars left that will let me blip the throttle on my own damned downshift. I can't stop thinking about it. I'm not doing anything productive today because I just can't seem to expel the thought from my mind.

This truly blows and I haven't been this disappointed, this upset, since my grandmother passed away 10 years ago.

Rant over. Apologies to all, I needed to write that down somewhere.

--Billy
Stick-Shift Driver.

[blessedhellride]

You know, I may catch slack for this, but if the next c7 z06 is dct auto im all in.

[ZL1-V]

^^^


The key statement was the lawsuits against the manufacturers. When working for the fire department the shift in between my shift respond on a rescue call in Pasadena,CA with a brand new 911 Turbo owner with 3 miles on the car, wrapped it around a tree going home!

[banter]

It's all about preference. Personally, I get bored driving automatics, even the super fast shifting flappy paddle types. I feel more involved with a manual, and I enjoy it more. Even for sitting in traffic, which I do pretty often, I wouldn't trade it for the convenience. I used to race cars (drag and autox) and frankly, I don't even care if the auto is faster, I like driving a manual more than I'd like to have those few fractions of a second. Maybe if I raced for money I'd feel differently, but I don't. I race for fun, I drive for fun, and a manual (to me) is more fun.

I'll sooner teach my girlfriend or wife to drive manual than I would concede to getting an automatic. Unfortunately, the trend of the auto industry is moving against my preferences.

[boondocksaint]

The "shaming" of the automatic should have stopped years ago. Drag racers know that an auto with the right gears and a trans brake are necessary for the best overall times. Race cars now usually use flappy paddle/dogbox transmissions that eschew the clutch foot – and while they aren't automatic, they are "semi-automatic." That third pedal is on its way out, gentlemen. Even the new Porsche Turbos and GT3s cannot be ordered with a stick.

When GM finally develops/co-opts a true paddle-shifted manual transmission, the economy of scale will begin to phase out the true manual, just as it has for other automakers. It will be a money question.

Me? I like the manual, so that's what I bought. Pretty soon, it'll be the best anti-theft device you can buy.

[ricky_ZL1]

I traded my 06 M6 GTO and SRT 10 M6 for my auto ZL. I did this via my own choice. I could never shift this fast and was tired of loosing one here or there due to a missed shift or late shift. besides its easier to drink my morning monster without worrying bout that.

[omegaman]

My ZL1 is an auto and I love it. It's not my DD. My DD (Civic Si) is a bolt-action as was my last Camaro SS. I wanted the ZL1 auto for its technology (paddle shifters, rev matching, differing shift points, etc.). I've never experienced an auto with these features and wanted to try it.

[TomF1]

I've always driven/owned manuals, loved the shifting and the control. (still miss my 97 z28/SS) :(
But in 2006, they didn't make Camaros, I bought a MonteCarloSS. which only came in automatic. (Couldn't afford the Cadillac or Corvette)
I got used to the Auto, even started liking it, both in traffic and on long road trips.

So, buying the ZL1, I was going to go manual, but with a lot of thought, I want my wife to drive it, better specs on the Auto, plus paddle shift, I went with the auto. $1900 option here in Canada. And I love it.
Don't regret getting auto at all.
But my left foot still goes fishing for a clutch every now and then.

P.S. Hi Omegaman, your Z is almost the same as mine. I got sunroof too.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by Billy10mm

I will never understand "car-guys" who prefer automatic transmissions. I have driven manuals my entire life, I almost got divorced because of one (admittedly, that would not have been a good tradeoff). When my Forester died a few years ago, we were replacing it with another boring daily driver and I didn't want to potentially get into any spousal fights over stick/auto like we had gotten into when I bought the Forester, so I got my Accord with an auto. 3 days later I called the dealership to see if there was any sort of money-back guarantee that allowed me to hand the car back - I was miserable to the point of being physically ill and despite the Accord being an amazingly practical and useful car, I despise it and it infuriates me to know it has only two pedals.

I live just outside of NYC and have commuted to NYC my entire life. I have spent many a evening in 3-hour traffic (one way) and enjoy driving stick in traffic, I would rather not have an auto there either.

Back in 2012 Porsche announced that the new 991-gen GT3 and GT3RS would be only offered with their PDK transmission. Distraught, I took to FerrariChat (been a member there for probably a decade) to vent. The post was title "Manual Transmission - A Rant - I Vent", and here it is:

Wow. I hope you have since been helped out with that paranoid self esteem issue.

[hognutz]

it's just preference.

why to mustang guys hate camaro's or vice versa. who knows it is just something to bicker about.

I have never driven a automatic I like on a real windy road the same way I like a manual. I Just like control over the gear I am in. that is my own thing though. I used to hate auto's IE TH350 or TH400 or anthing with truns. they always were hundereds of rpms off on shifts etc. the new ones are pretty accurate on shift points though. so much that I just let the computer do it.

ironically on this car the automatic stock vs stock is quicker than the manual at least for the first 120mph. they never test the auto's on a road coarse I always just assumed the manual was a tad quicker because if not the published ring time would have been in the auto car one would think.

I could car less which people by but in my case there was no way I was spending $2600 for an auto. my inner jew would not allow it. for sophisticated people like me that is 65 lap dance or .5 barret .50 riffles.

If I drag raced a ton I would have though about it more though is auto's are just easier to launch with varying track conditions for me anyway.

[LGM30G]

No hate here my friend......Learned to drive on a stick, daily driver is a stick, toy is a stick, driven Semi's for 28 years with up to 20 speeds.....Comes naturally too me. Chose the M6 for the "Fun Factor".
I just don't feel like i'm in control with an automatic.
Had i planned too drag race mine i would have gone with the Auto though.
Lord knows i'm no Ronnie Sox....(too many years of *floating gears* in the big trucks).....slow and, smooth.

Now go out and, enjoy the heck out of that evil critter!

[Billy10mm]

Originally Posted by PQ

Wow. I hope you have since been helped out with that paranoid self esteem issue.

Your initial post in this thread is spoken like someone who drives in a straight line.

I've had my first track day (LimeRock) when I was 19 years old and have been enjoying the track for almost that long. I've been driving stick since I was 16 and your theory that I, or anyone else, has something to prove, is laughable.

Automatics, traction control, and stability control are all technologies that remove the driver from the task of driving. I don't love cars - I love driving. I want to be as involved as possible.

You want to get shuttled around. You want the car to take care of things for you that others enjoy doing, that's fine. But I will never understand it.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by Billy10mm

Your initial post in this thread is spoken like someone who drives in a straight line.

I've had my first track day (LimeRock) when I was 19 years old and have been enjoying the track for almost that long. I've been driving stick since I was 16 and your theory that I, or anyone else, has something to prove, is laughable.

Automatics, traction control, and stability control are all technologies that remove the driver from the task of driving. I don't love cars - I love driving. I want to be as involved as possible.

You want to get shuttled around. You want the car to take care of things for you that others enjoy doing, that's fine. But I will never understand it.

I made certain to say 'Most'. And I made certain to say 'Man'ual guy.

Most people I know who drive and love the manual transmissions are not in this category. I was talking about THAT guy. It's a small percentage of those who drive manuals.

You are clearly THAT guy. lol You were threatened by it. lol

My post quoting you was a joke commenting on your description of a woman cheating.

Nothing in what I've posted should have brought that reaction. So you are clearly that guy.

Until you get into a car or truck with no syncronizers don't talk about being removed from the task of driving. I have in fact done all of the above.