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Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmission

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:16 pm
by Standardshifter
Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmission, Audi executive says

"The manual gearbox could soon be a niche offering exclusive to economy cars and a small number of enthusiast cars, said Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s head of technical development."

http://driving.ca/auto-news/news/indust ... tive-says/

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:33 pm
by tankinbeans
A bit glib without much substance.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:02 pm
by Boston Fit
Interesting read, but it seems like the Audi official is contradicting himself a little bit. First he says: "the automatic gearbox has surpassed the manual gearbox in every way possible, including being able to provide better fuel economy and performance." Then he says: "Manual gearboxes, I think, will stay in cars where the customer wants a lower price, and maybe some more sporty cars." (Emphasis added.)

So ... if automatics and DSGs deliver better performance, including quicker lap times around Nürburgring, why does he think manuals will survive in "more sporty cars"?

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:16 pm
by theholycow
"more sporty cars" doesn't necessarily mean better performance. Sporty can include fun at the cost of performance, and can even mean just styling. Plenty of people drive sporty cars, real sports cars, and even ultra-high-performance cars without ever testing their limits.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:19 pm
by tankinbeans
My aunt used to have an SC1 that she thought was sporty, even referring to it as a sports car (with all of 100hp or so). She liked torturing that thing and revving the crap out of it, presumably so it would move at all.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:49 pm
by Boston Fit
theholycow wrote:"more sporty cars" doesn't necessarily mean better performance. Sporty can include fun at the cost of performance, and can even mean just styling.
And if he meant to say "fun" instead of "sporty," then he seems to be conceding that manuals are more fun to drive than automatics. Which hits the nail on the head: in my book, the most compelling reason (and arguably, the only remaining justification) to drive stick - in today's market - is for the fun factor.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:20 am
by daleadbull
By "sporty", he means cars that are aimed at driving enthusiasts. In these cars, the driver is looking for a fun enjoyable car to drive. So is more likely to choose the manual over the more advanced/faster shifting dual clutch even if it means that the car is a little bit slower to 60.

Honestly I'm fine with them phasing out the manuals out of everyday mass produced economy cars. I'd be happy if they continue to offer them in enthusiast cars but put more effort into it to make a really good smooth shifting transmission.

To me it goes like this: economy cars --> sporty cars --> luxury cars --> super cars. (of course there is some overlap with some cars)

In the future, I feel like the only place where the manual has a place is in the "sporty cars" segment. This to me includes cars like the Corvette, M3, GTI, STI etc.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:39 am
by theholycow
A manual transmission, while not necessarily more efficient than the latest automatic when driven normally, can be made more efficient than the most efficient automatic or automated manual by a person who works at hypermiling (even if he doesn't do any of the offensive stuff you might hatefully think of when you read the word "hypermiling"). Therefore it is good to have it in economy cars for fuel economy enthusiasts just like it is good to have it in "sporty" cars for other types of driving enthusiasts.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:25 am
by tankinbeans
theholycow wrote:A manual transmission, while not necessarily more efficient than the latest automatic when driven normally, can be made more efficient than the most efficient automatic or automated manual by a person who works at hypermiling (even if he doesn't do any of the offensive stuff you might hatefully think of when you read the word "hypermiling"). Therefore it is good to have it in economy cars for fuel economy enthusiasts just like it is good to have it in "sporty" cars for other types of driving enthusiasts.
Wayne Gerdes...

If I ever had the displeasure of driving behind him, I'd pop a bolt.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:15 pm
by Boston Fit
theholycow wrote:A manual transmission, while not necessarily more efficient than the latest automatic when driven normally, can be made more efficient than the most efficient automatic or automated manual by a person who works at hypermiling (even if he doesn't do any of the offensive stuff you might hatefully think of when you read the word "hypermiling"). Therefore it is good to have it in economy cars for fuel economy enthusiasts just like it is good to have it in "sporty" cars for other types of driving enthusiasts.
That's it, we need to band together with the hypermiliers!

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:28 pm
by tankinbeans
I don't want to be associated with them. They're nuts in my opinion. I like saving fuel, but at the risk of my safety and others around me... No thanks.

Going 35 on a freeway and heavy pulsing/gliding is dangerous.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:06 pm
by theholycow
grandmotherinbeans wrote:I don't want to be associated with car enthusiasts. They're nuts in my opinion. I like going fast, but at the risk of my safety and others around me... No thanks.

Going 125 on a freeway and heavy tailgating/braking is dangerous.
...do you see what I did there?

Hypermilers aren't all extremists doing extreme stuff that puts people in danger and blocks traffic. There are plenty of things that they do that fit within our values, we discuss many of those things here on Standardshift, and I'm pretty sure you even agree with/do some of them. Most are unwilling to do anything that could draw attention or bother anyone, let alone anything dangerous or illegal.

Of course, the news doesn't report on them just like they don't report on car enthusiasts who don't street race, nursing homes that aren't raping their elderly, Muslims who aren't trying to kill all Americans, gun owners who aren't shooting up schools, huge companies that aren't cheating on taxes, stock market traders who aren't doing illegal insider trading, etc.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:25 pm
by tankinbeans
Does that mean I'm finally in the "getoffmylawn" club?

I see what you're saying. Different sides of the same coin. I like a nice median.

Re: Industry getting closer to phasing out manual transmissi

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:17 pm
by Rope-Pusher
tankinbeans wrote: Image
I like a nice median.
Fickset