Quote:
Originally Posted by SupraLove
Toyota sold out. Honda never did this. Ever. It's the CARDINAL SIN of car manufacturers.
Putting a slushbox in a sportscar.
I understand, yeah, it's a good auto and that "it feels like DSG" stuff, but it's still a damn auto. DSGs are also auto – any transmission that can shift gears for you is still an automatic transmission. I don't have anything against automatics; I think they're a godsend for parents with smaller children, but here's why I despise them in a sports car: Automatics open up the car to a bunch of people that NEVER will use it to its full capability. Period. The majority of men and women who buy 2 door coupés buy them for looks, not practicality, nor performance. Most enthusiasts will see that just because a car is a coupé, it does not have to have sporting intentions. I see so many Civic coupés on the road (non-Si, of course) that have automatics. But for every 30 coupés I see, I only see ONE with an Si badge on the back. What is this proof of? That most people buying a coupé or convertible just want the look of a sports car, and none of the performance. If it's automatic, all the better.
How does this relate to Toyota selling out? Well, based on the statistics, Toyota simply added a slushbox to the GT86 to get more sales. That is a definite sellout. Honda understood that sports cars are meant to have manual transmissions. Period. None of this DCT nonsense. Nearly no one purchasing a DCT will EVER use it to its full potential. What percent of people track their cars? 4-5%, perhaps? Even then, a skilled MT driver can still beat the crap out of an inexperienced DCT driver on the track. Hell, a skilled MT driver can beat a skilled DCT driver if he tries hard enough.
These are sports cars. Not race cars. Remove the auto. The S2000 never came with a slushbox. Neither did the Si, nor the ITR. Keep it pure and manual. These cars are marketed as a "pure driving experience". Keep the promise. Please.
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i agree in principal,however,as you mentioned MOST will NOT use the car to it's full potential,but if you give this some thought,NO other car is really used to it's full potential either! it's a money game,and sales WILL suffer WITHOUT the ''slushbox" manufacturers KNOW this,hence the the "slush" lives on this car! i have driven direct drive trannies for over 45 years (showing my age here),and i dislike slushboxes intensely.this car is made for the full driving experience of a nice 6-speed manual,as it imparts a feeling of control that is out of reach with the auto.(paddle shifters are a joke) a ''proverbial' "wet" dream'' in my view,however they CAN impart some type of ''event pshycological' in those that choose that transmission.in the final analysis,it's about the bottom line and the ability of the maker to extract maximum cash from the consumer!..'nuff said!