Anyone Else Considering an Automatic FR-S?

[tripjammer]

Nothing wrong with people wanting the 6 speed auto in the FR-S. It is supposedly a good tranny.

But you will have more fun in the 6 speed manual.

Driving a manual in day to day traffic is not hard. You get use to it.
I have been driving manuals since a 1990 acura integra. Every car since then has been a manual.

But since the FR-S has paddle shifters..(I hear that they are plastic and not metal) and it does rev matching on the downshifts...you will be good if you choose this option.

[A Gomez]

On the other spectrum from Japan is Europe, I believe. At least in the UK. I went there on a business trip and got quite a few rides in other people's cars (did not rent one myself). From the pick up from the airport, daily rides between the hotel and the work location to even the micro-bus ride off to the airport, EVERY car was manual. Was a very amusing experience.

[ryude]

I have more fun in an automatic, but that doesn't mean I hate manual either. It's just my preference and suits me perfectly since I'm a no-skill driver that likes to drive fast cars.

[SUB-FT86]

I have more fun in a well designed auto like the one in the 370z and ISF than a manual. But a manual is more fun than a basic automatic. I like a tranny that can feel like a manual when I want and feel like a auto when I don't care for it at times. A flexible tranny is my preference.

[zoomzoomers]

When will this argument end???!!! It's like insanity!

When will "some" people understand that the definition of a "good experience", "good time", "pure", etc., etc. is entirely "SUBJECTIVE".

Personally, I love manuals and have most of my driving career (see all the rant from the 6AT camp for details and examples). But sometimes, you MUST make compromises (see married guys with kids or guys who live with crazy traffic). You do what you have to do with what you got people. Why is that such a hard pill to swallow. Ever since autos have gotten so advanced and began posting up better numbers than manuals, the guys in the manual camp have gotten very defensive. Honestly, I don't see the reason why they feel the need to be defensive about. Are current sport autos "techincally" faster than your average human being? Yes. Do manuals offer an experience and enjoyment that cannot be duplicated in autos? Yes. So what's the big deal here? What's next? We're all going to pull out our Jimmy's and compare??? Get over it...

[fitftw]

^ That's not it at all man. What manual guys are getting defensive over is really more about being upset that nobody is choosing manual anymore, and one day there won't be any new manuals being made which will piss us manual guys off, see? Don't let manual transmissions die.

On the flip side of the coin, this is the natural way of things. Manuals will die, and eventually automatics will die and we'll have CVT electric cars and no steering wheels because cars will drive us and in 30 years we'll be screaming "Save the automatics!" Is this what you want? It doesn't matter, because it's what we'll get.

It's the evolution of man. From hunters and gatherers to barely leaving our rooms and not having to think for ourselves and checking facebook all day long and having no real friends and everyone has social issues because of the internet taking over etc.

[zigzagz94]

Originally Posted by SUB-FT86

A flexible tranny is my preference.

Lol

[A Gomez]

Originally Posted by fitftw

^ That's not it at all man. What manual guys are getting defensive over is really more about being upset that nobody is choosing manual anymore, and one day there won't be any new manuals being made which will piss us manual guys off, see? Don't let manual transmissions die.

On the flip side of the coin, this is the natural way of things. Manuals will die, and eventually automatics will die and we'll have CVT electric cars and no steering wheels because cars will drive us and in 50 years we'll be screaming "Save the automatics!" Is this what you want? It doesn't matter, because it's what we'll get.

I kind of hear you and would hate to see manual transmissions die down in the future, too. But, there are maybe better ways to send the message to the industry. Who knows, the days of the combustion engine-motivated cars may have been already numbered, too. Let's enjoy them while they still exist.

[zoomzoomers]

Originally Posted by fitftw

^ That's not it at all man. What manual guys are getting defensive over is really more about being upset that nobody is choosing manual anymore, and one day there won't be any new manuals being made which will piss us manual guys off, see? Don't let manual transmissions die.

On the flip side of the coin, this is the natural way of things. Manuals will die, and eventually automatics will die and we'll have CVT electric cars and no steering wheels because cars will drive us and in 30 years we'll be screaming "Save the automatics!" Is this what you want? It doesn't matter, because it's what we'll get.

It's the evolution of man. From hunters and gatherers to barely leaving our rooms and not having to think for ourselves and checking facebook all day long and having no real friends and everyone has social issues because of the internet taking over etc.

I have to agree with you there. I'd hate to see manuals die and will probably reminisce about the goold old days of manuals, but at the same time I'm anxious to see what the future brings.

Originally Posted by A Gomez

I kind of hear you and would hate to see manual transmissions die down in the future, too. But, there are maybe better ways to send the message to the industry. Who knows, the days of the combustion engine-motivated cars may have been already numbered, too. Let's enjoy them while they still exist.

:happy0180::thum bup:

[oneday]

Originally Posted by fitftw

^ That's not it at all man. What manual guys are getting defensive over is really more about being upset that nobody is choosing manual anymore, and one day there won't be any new manuals being made which will piss us manual guys off, see? Don't let manual transmissions die.

The reason more and more people are opting for automatics in performance cars is because the modern sequential/automatic transmissions offer better performance than the manual; quicker more precise shift can never be wrong. When I am on the track or just cruising down the back roads quicker, more accurate shifts make the driving experience better. Period.

You are perfectly entitled to enjoy the archaic action of depressing a clutch pedal and grabbing 1st instead of 3rd on that 4-3 downshift while you only have one hand on the wheel. Meanwhile I'll pass your old-timey 'sploded trans ass with a smile on my face while snicking through gears with precision and both hands on the wheel.

What other "Don't let" battle crys where there for soon-to-be-outdated automotive technologies?

Don't let...
...three on the tree die!
...hand operated clutches die!
...hand crank starters die!
...bias ply tires die!
...horse drawn carriages die!
...keyed ignitions die!

[ryude]

[u2b]5sRiOGCV8nI[/u2b]

Less involved, but oh so satisfying...

[blur]

Considering manual is still cheaper to buy and fix, and more fun to drive, there's a good reason it has been around since the inception of the automobile. Automatics will be useless to electric cars, and there's no reason a manufacturer won't build manuals anymore especially if there's demand.

I actually like the idea of CVT, it's a much better solution IMO than an auto.

[Kids Heart]

Originally Posted by oneday

The reason more and more people are opting for automatics in performance cars is because the modern sequential/automatic transmissions offer better performance than the manual; quicker more precise shift can never be wrong. When I am on the track or just cruising down the back roads quicker, more accurate shifts make the driving experience better. Period.

You are perfectly entitled to enjoy the archaic action of depressing a clutch pedal and grabbing 1st instead of 3rd on that 4-3 downshift while you only have one hand on the wheel. Meanwhile I'll pass your old-timey 'sploded trans ass with a smile on my face while snicking through gears with precision and both hands on the wheel.

What other "Don't let" battle crys where there for soon-to-be-outdated automotive technologies?

Why would I be shifting mid corner?

[oneday]

Originally Posted by Kids Heart

Why would I be shifting mid corner?

Well, I never mentioned mid-corner gear changes, but since you asked:
That's the beauty of a smooth, fast automatic/sequential: Less momentum/weight shift during gear changes....while you have to worry about weight transfer due to clutch disengagement, I can click off another gear (up or down) to be in the meat of the power band all of the time and gain a speed advantage while navigating the Climbing Esses at VIR, through the esses at exit of the Octopus at NJMP, down the Corkscrew/Little Bend at Shenandoah, or through the esses at Road Atlanta. Just to name a few off the top of my head.