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Re: [Tigers] Manual Transmissions

To: Scott Hutchinson <shutchin@netjets.com>
Subject: Re: [Tigers] Manual Transmissions
From: Owain Lloyd <owain.lloyd@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 17:51:44 +0100
Cc: "tigers@autox.team.net" <tigers@autox.team.net>
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: tigers@autox.team.net
References: <000c01ceec3d$24e59930$6eb0cb90$@net> <F1E01D7B3BE7EC4891387517AA3C79F0087AE9@CMHPRDEXCMBX11.netjets.com>
yep.  in europe/UK autos are normally for disabled people only.  if you
take your test in an auto its because you are missing a leg an you're
subsequently only allowed to drive autos.   quite rightly so.   these days
most large luxury cars have autos but when i was young, an auto was not
much different to having 'hand controls'.

however, this discussion isn't really about auto boxes, is it?  the lack of
a clutch pedal doesn't make it an auto, and a sequential box is really not
that much different to a full manual - it certainly doesn't remove any
'functionality'.   you may as well argue that a sports car shouldn't have
electric windows!  in my rally cars i never use the actual clutch pedal
anyway unless i'm starting from a standstill or doing a handbrake turn.  i
quite often find myself doing this on the road in a manual with a regular
synchromesh box too.

i think that in the US, the manual transmission has been seen as something
for a sports car because its so unusual.  The E60 M5 wasn't even sold as a
manual anywhere but the US.  BMW made a special version because americans
associate a clutch pedal with a sports car.  fortunately, they still sold
the (far better) SMG single clutch 7 speed semi automatic.   oddly (and
very annoyingly) enough they also never sold the wagon version because
americans also associate a wagon with a boring family car.

let's kill these superstitions, i say!


On Thu, Nov 28, 2013 at 5:33 PM, Scott Hutchinson <shutchin@netjets.com>wrote:

> When we take the crew bus from european airports to the hotel, usually a
> Merecedes Sprinter or equivalent. 10+ pax.  It is almost always a stick.
> Diesel as well.
>
> I have seen a dodge caravan diesel manual shift over there.
>
>
> Scott Hutchinson
> Pilot, NetJets Aviation
>
> Mobile 843.290.2805
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Graham Harlowe [mailto:gharlowe@comcast.net]
> Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2013 08:24 AM
> To: tigers@autox.team.net <tigers@autox.team.net>
> Subject: Re: [Tigers] Manual Transmissions
>
> ...."I was even surprised to learn that Ford offers a manual box for the
> latest Fusion, but you have to pester the dealer and swear on your
> childrens
> children that you won't cancel the order once it's placed, and that's a car
> that Ford makes a bunch of(with auto boxes)."
>
> The dominance of automatics seems to be a US/North American phenomenon.
> Manuals are still quite common in Europe where gas is 4x more expensive.  I
> rented a Ford Fusion while on vacation in France that had a 4 cyl diesel
> engine with 6-speed manual.  It even had an "upshift" indicator light to
> optimize gas mileage and when you put the car in neutral while idling at an
> intersection, the engine would shut itself down.  Engaging the clutch to
> put
> the car in gear again would quickly restart the engine.  The first few
> times
> the engine suddenly 'died' in Paris traffic was discomforting.  Getting
> stuck in a 4 hour traffic jam en route to de Gaulle airport made me
> homesick
> for my Volvo automatic.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Graham Harlowe
> B382001466
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