Do you rather an automatic or manual transmission? (page 7)

SPAZnik

currently, manual.
it is more fun
and gives me more control.

mama1119

I used to love driving a manual before I had kids, but automatic is much easier now.

LittleToe

James:
The Roadster was more popular in California. I had a friend who used to import them back to Britain and convert them for right-hand drive.

Mine was white. The first of the Rubber fender versions. I actually prefered it to the Chrome fender versions, though the wings were still set up for the chrome-work. They didn't revise them until later. It was good for 100mph, which was good for the technology of the time, but felt a lot faster being so low to the road.

There was nothing better than riding that thing to the edge, shooting through the gears with the roof pushed back. Ah, the memories!

Frannie Banannie

I've owned and driven quite a few cars with standard transmission, but I prefer automatic. How else can I drink Starbucks and drive?

Simon

Manuals are way better than cheap automatics for control and performance.

The best are the manual/auto mixes though where you can chose the gear but the actual shifting is done by the car (pref. with paddle gear changes).

OUTLAW

Manual..More control when your in the mountains...OUTLAW

MinisterAmos

Manual transmission drivers are safer.

Probably because they have to pay attention rather than just sitting down in the traveling living room couch like many drivers.

james_woods

Quote from Little Toe -

James:
The Roadster was more popular in California. I had a friend who used to import them back to Britain and convert them for right-hand drive.

Very interesting - I recently heard the same thing said about the Austin Healey 3000; there were so many LHD in America compared to the RHD production that it is now worth it to buy up American cars and convert them back. This is driving the price of them way up in the US!

To quote Simon i.e. "paddle shifter is superior" - I will grant you that it is pretty much required to make in in F1 or most road racing now, but many of the old-school enthusiasts resent it.

So, I may be stoned for saying this by the progrssive thumb shifter crowd, but I did a little impromptu Q&A on this subject at the car club race gathering a few weeks back for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Not a single owner had a Ferrari with the F1 paddle shifter - and many said they had to wait extra time to get a traditional gearbox. There were, of course other cars represented there which have the paddle shift choice - Porsche 911 models, BMW M3, Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, etc. There was even one of those Lambo Murcialago Spyders - with normal shifter in the big chrome gate. The only one that had Paddle Shift was a Maserati Quattoporte owner, who said he got it because he wanted that particular car and it was the only transmission option. He says it is fine on the road but grinds and clunks around in town. He has a traditional shifter in his Aston Martin.

The clutch and gearbox are a large part of the driving experience for the speciality sports car people still - they view the F1 buyers as newcomers to the game who have not taken the time to learn how to drive a stick well enough to handle it in a high end sports car.

James

TopHat

I like manual transmissions because that gives my left leg and foot a little excerise while driving..

Do you rather an automatic or manual transmission?

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