oh and something else: my buddy told me a story about a european friend he was talking to about AT's.

My buddy asked "do they even have Autos in europe?"

"yeah, the disabled!"

 

I was just thinking about Europeans. I just spilled coffee all over my pants about 20 minutes ago so I drove home to get new pants (coffee colored), and while driving my MINI, which has a stick, I thought about what Europe would have to say about this. The article in The Economist said that 8 in 10 Europeans take the stick over the auto.

Here's one thing to think about- Could Europe save the MT? It is possible that MTs may be discontinued in the US but you would have to get a European delivery to get the stick. Also, Europe is small and driving is more condusive to cars with a manual transmission. However, much of Europe's population is aging, rapidly in fact. So will the aging population of Europe cause the overall numbers of AT cars to increase? Could this demographic problem be the fate of the manual transmission? Food for thought...

 

One comes to mind (the geek portion of my mind, anyway): keyboards and mice. Touch screens and voice control are starting to come on strong, and will probably be followed by gesture control to spare the wear and tear on our fingertips. But then again, I still remember my first programming classes in the early '80s when the teacher talked about the end of paper. Won't need no stinkin' documents, it'll all be on the huge 6 foot tall, 5 MB hard drive array...

 

So you're thinking that touch screens and voice control will completely replace keyboards and mice? So ATs will be gone as well?

 

I'm sure some form of manual control (whether or not automatic function is also present) will exist for a long, long time.

 

Yeah, look at the Starship Enterprise. Talk to the ship, tell it what you want (or it anticipates your needs) and it still had levers and buttons all over the place. We are a 'touchy-feely' species, after all.

 

Well its kind of impossible not to have 'manual' control isn't it?

 

Nope. "Car! Take me home! Wake me when we get there."

 

I'm confident that there will be a thriving aftermarket for add-on shifters and pseudo-clutch pedals that connect to the computerized auto-trannies. You know, with force-feedback like good joysticks, etc. So you'll THINK you're driving a manual... for the dinosaurs out there...

 

I bet you're right. It will be a few years though before that happens. There could be as many tranny mods as there are engine mods! Imagine that!

 

hahah true that

its funny because my first 2 cars were auto and then my friend got me to drive his 5 speed gti all the time and i fell in love with stick shift and now if i ever get in an auto i always hit the break with my left foot like woops ****. haha

 

I'm with you Blimey and AM, a few years down the road electric motor hybrids with fully engaged 1sp electric motors and gas motors to just recharge batteries are going to be here to stay. Several companies got that technology in testing right now, can't wait for BMW starting to incorporate it into the MINI.

Btw, before anyone scoffs hybrids, the ones made today (called parallel hybrids) are not performance oriented. The companies Blimey mentioned make very quick electric cars... with a small gas motor to recharge batteries, you get the best of all worlds, performance AND range AND great mileage. That's what's called a series hybrid, and I think it's really the way cars will be powered in the future. Modern locomotives have been using this technology for years, and they're actually among the most efficient "road engines" today.

 

Btw, which vendor on here is now selling the paddleshifter for the manuals? I remember seeing a youtube link a little while ago. Now that's a great alternative imo to a fully manual tranny, because you eliminate missed shifts and still manually work the clutch.

 

See post #8. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...29&postcount=8

 

D'oh! Thanks for the link, missed that post somehow.

 

Considering that many of the advanced automatic transmissions now have five, six, (even eight) forward gears and are computer controlled -- there are certain vehicles in which the automatic achieves slightly better than the same car equipped with a stick shift. From personal experience, I think I typically leave the shifter in first gear longer than an automatic might (and second, and third, etc.). I guess it's reasonable that an automatic might get the same or better mileage than a stick.

But!!! Pure and simple economy aside....It's almost sinful to consider driving certain vehicles with anything other than a manual transmission. Just doesn't seem natural.

A sad thing, though, is the generation of young people who have never learned to drive a stick....experience the thrill of being in total control of a well built performance car --- like, say....a MINI. (Of course - what are they going to learn on?? If you drive down the street and pass a dozen homes - there's a good chance that none of the twelve will have a stick shift in the garage!)

 

Yup, gimme a Tesla in a Mini body, please.

 

I also remember hearing that in the future we'd not even have steering wheels, our cars would all be controlled by road sensors ...we'd just touch our GPS navigation and tell the car where we wanted to go. This was like 20 years ago, and the future is now.

Yet we still have steering wheels?

I think, what these predictions usually forget to take into account is the "people factor" ..that is people enjoy doing things that aren't always the most logical or most efficient. Getting rid of the stick may turn many car buyers away from a potential sale, thus I feel that dealers will continue to offer a variety to customers as long as there is a desire for that variety. ...i.e. $$$ talks. As long as they're making $$$ on it, they'll sell it.

 

My Mini is the first manual transmission car I've ever owned.
Now, I can't imagine owning a sporty car without a manual transmission.
I think it has made me a more aware driver, also.
So I think I will always buy a car with MT from now on, even with the increasing options.

 

exactly!

 

I definitely see electric, not necessarily hybrid cars as future sports cars. As I posted earlier, there are already people who are getting electric cars in the 12 sec 1/4 mi range.

As for why cars aren't being driven via road sensors and GPS as predicted some years ago- its too hard to make any sort of switch in technology that most of the world depends on that fast. And as eR1c said, if companies can still sell gas powered cars they will still sell them. There is no incentive to build completely new factories and invest in new infrastructure just to be green. GM is shutting down 3 SUV plants last I heard (thank God) because they aren't selling well due to high gas prices. This type of trend will likely continue I'd bet, but it will be slow as it has been. As we have seen it has taken a lot to get people to switch to hybrids (and there aren't that many on the road).

I don't think we'll be seeing any highways like in "The Minority Report" anytime soon!

 

Speaking of that generation, or my generation that is- I feel like almost no one knows how to drive a stick! With people using their cellphones while driving (the list goes on) no one really wants to worry about shifting each gear. The Acura TL my family owns is an auto. The manual trans version of the car comes with an LSD and Brembos and the price was the same or less!

 

A mom told me that she was going to make sure her son's first vehicle is a straight shift. Her reasoning: One hand on the wheel, one hand on the gearshift - no hands left for a cell phone.

 

+1000

Thats how it should be. Not to mention even ear pieces are illegal in NJ alone.

 

If you have seen "What Happens in Vegas" you may have picked this up.

As Jack hops into a car, Dave the Bear says "Do you even know how to drive an automatic?"