The third pedal, foreign to many, yet home to the dedicated few. In the United States, the amount of manual transmissions available to purchase has tanked sharply. With a push toward electricity and a preference for an automatic, there is a void left for the Enthusiasts to draw to.
The elusive manual transmission, once a standard feature in vehicles, has become increasingly rare in the United States. Today, only 28 out of approximately 229 new vehicle models offer a manual option, with 99% of cars on U.S. roads equipped with automatic transmissions.
“Car and Driver”, an American automotive Enthusiast magazine, sparked the “Save the manuals” movement in 2010, with Enthusiasts rallying to preserve this pivotal driving tradition.
Despite the trend, some manufacturers remain committed to manual transmissions. Porsche, Ford and Toyota have vowed to keep manual transmissions and internal combustion engines as long as possible, recognizing their appeal to a dedicated group of drivers.
Even Ford’s Ceo, Jim Farley, went as far as stating “we’re doubling down on our V8. As long as we can possibly sell our V8, we’re going to.”
As the world pushes for green and Electric cars, the racing heritage that the manual holds, is too much to let go for these Enthusiast manufacturers.
The Global Chief Engineer of America’s Favorite pony car, the Mustang, Laurie Transou, stated that “The pure Enthusiasts loves the manual transmission, so [we] continue to offer it. As long as our customers desire a manual transmission and there’s a market for it, we would continue to offer manual transmission.”
The manual car has gone through an acculturation from being in every car imaginable to a narrowed down list of Enthusiasts vehicles that the few vow to keep alive.
Manual transmissions offer several benefits where autos do a poor and otherwise weak job. Manuals keep drivers alert and off their phones, with both hands engaged in the driving process whereas automatics create a drowsy and sleepy environment coupled with modern amenities such as sound deadening that make some zone out and distracted.
The manual transmission also serves as a built-in “anti-theft device,” as only 18% of U.S. adults know how to drive a manual. With these reliable numbers, drivers can worry less about their manual car vanishing into nowhere.
These vehicles are typically cheaper than their automatic counterparts and are usually more reliable due to their simplicity. When driven properly, manual transmission vehicles can achieve incredibly high gas mileage as opposed to their automatic counterparts.
The driving experience of a manual transmission is often described as more engaging and natural. With hands working in sync, there is little room for distractions. manual driving provides a more involved and raw feeling compared to automatics. Behind the wheel of a manual driver, there is always an adult giggling like a child.
The manual defines the sports car. Some say that a manual transmission is the heart of a sports car because it provides an exhilarating, breathless driving experience. Drivers can choose any gear at any speed, and spin the engine all the way to bang the rev limiter on a racetrack or lug it just above idle for a cruise down a mountain road. The manual has been the standard way of life for not only the sports car, but the race car as well.
Auto racing has been the cornerstone of manufacturers for over a century now;“Win on Sunday, sell on monday.” The race car has always been coupled with a manual transmission. It is the way of life for the race car.
There has never been a more famous or recognizable sports car that did not start its life as a manual. Look at the greatest sports cars of our time like the Porsche 911, BMW M3 and Ford Mustang. Regardless of their significant differences, they all have one thing in common: a racing heart that sticks to the manual transmission tradition.
However as these monsters got more powerful, the ceiling with a manual was only so high. Porsche’s Le mans winning hyper car of 1983 was paired to the first iteration of the Dual clutch transmissions or PDK.
The manual is part of a tradition; however the PDK was the future for the Enthusiasts .
Yes, the PDK is incredibly quick by shifting in 100 milliseconds, while the most skilled manual driver takes 500 milliseconds to even one second. Critical and crucial time to be accelerating insead of shifting. Regardless of these numbers, most skilled and even amateur Enthusiasts flock towards the manual instead of the PDK.
Fernando Alonso, two time world F1 champion, a gentleman that races dual clutch transmissions for his day job still prefers the manual as he stated in an interview with top gear.” Having the manual with a V-12 car is something that I think has more appeal than having a normal automatic.”
However, the automotive industry is evolving. Modern vehicles are becoming increasingly complex and counterintuitive. The market is flooded with what some perceive as “cheap throw away cars, pricey hybrids and electric car after electric car.” This shift has led to concerns about the loss of mechanical steering and the simplicity that manual transmissions represent.
There are exceptions to this trend, such as dual clutch transmissions like Porsche’s PDK and BMW and Volkswagen’s DCT/DSG. These technologies aim to bridge the gap between manual and automatic transmissions. Meanwhile, manual transmissions themselves have evolved, becoming more robust and aimed toward Enthusiasts over time.
The manual transmission holds cultural significance, often associated with a bygone era of “Steak and Eggs, Elvis Presley, and little to no safety regulation” in the U.S.A. For many, it represents a connection to automotive history and a more hands-on driving experience and for others it is a nuisance.
The fact of the matter is, the general public should be involved and take careful consideration in what they drive and not to disregard or neglect the manual, for even the average consumer can enjoy the prowess and skill that comes with knowing a manual transmission.There is absolutely nothing that can replace or mimic the absolute raw feeling of controlling the car and becoming one with the car.
