02-13-2016, 01:03 PM
artie67 wrote:
If you can rent one for a short holiday and get a better idea than the usual dealer drive, it will give you a feel of the vehicle.
I think the manual tranny in passenger cars is a thing not needed. Even my '04 Mazda will shift manually by moving the stick to the left and act like a manual shifter much faster than using a clutch. Race cars use paddle shifters and automatic tranys. Automatic transmissions are generally electrically operated today.
Go drive some!
Cant compare the automated manual in a race car to what you can buy in the store. Those transmission are awesome on a race track where they have been programmed for that specific track. Try driving a 458 with one of those around town and it's clunky and frustrating. A true manual make driving more engaging, more enjoyable for those who like driving. Try feathering the clutch into turn, or hold a gear because you know your going to be slowing back down in just a moment. With todays smaller displacement engines, precise transmission control can really make a difference in how the car responds. I find this less important in larger displacement cars, for example a Cadillac CTS-V. The 6.2L V8 has enough power over a wide enough RPM range that gear selection is not so critical, but in a turbocharged 4 cyl, it can take a lot of time to wait for the transmission to drop 2 or 3 gears while trying to get into boost.