CHANGE IN TASTE ???

[PRIYAM]

ARE MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS SLOWLY GOING TO BE REDUNDANT IN THE NEAR FUTURE ????


VOLVO , MID SPECS HONDA - TOYOTA - NISSAN , ALSO THE GERMAN FLEET VW , AUDI , BMW , MERC ......... HAVE ALL STOPPED SHIPPING MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS IN THE UAE ......THIS CURRENT YEAR

HAVING ENQUIRED FRM THE DEALERS I HAVE ENOUGH CONVICTION THT THERE AINT A FEW MANUAL CARS ( 2006 MODELS ).....EXCEPT OFCOURSE SPORTS COUPE'S OR SUM OF THE FOUR WHEELS


WELL PERSONALLY IM AGAINST THIS CHANGE.......I THINK THT PPL R SCREWING UP DRIVING BECAUSE OF AUTOMATICS.......THTS WHY SO MANY ACCIDENTS ...... WELL THERZ LOT OF TRAFFIC WOES HERE .....BUT IN THE ENTIRE EUROPE ALSO THERE ARE.....SURPRISINGLY OVER THERE THEY GOT LIKE 90 % MANUALS .....WELL HERE ITS THE REVERSE


WELL WHT D U GUYS THINK ???

[root]

Thats an interesting hypothesis, but I am not sure that it is true...or I have not seen statistics for this.

I would dread to see people who can hardly drive automatic to start with manuals here.

The reason for accidents vs Europe can be attributed to many other factors, like much stricter driving license tests than here, harsher penalties on breaking rules, expense of cars and insurance, smaller roads, smaller cars.

My personal example is that living in Europe, I did not get a speeding ticket ever in 10 years. Over here already in the first year I had 5.
Same person, but the difference was that I had a faster car, wider roads (and a lot of stored up road-rage )


Its an interesting topic to understand why there are so many more accidents here. If I am to give my top 3 reasons they are:
1- Speed
2- Speed
3- Unclear/Disobedience of driving rules (like round-abouts, stop signs, give-way, etc)

What do you others think?

[T.N.T]

Root, you are ABSOLUTELY right!
Like you said, people who can't drive automatics well, just imagine their state with manuals! Certainly more accidents if they switch now.
And I am with you about the reasons behind less accidents in Europe.

Something about sports cars: I think that the way the driver engages in the driving experience is changing now. Sports cars are and have always been about going fast. Hence, traditional manuals were vastly better than conventional automatics because the driver could shift faster than automatic and select when to shift, thus maximizing engine potential.
Now, the F1 gearbox in Ferraris is directly related to the one in F1 or WRC. The reason it was put there in the first place was to make those cars go faster...and yes, this is why we actually want sports cars, is it not?
Of course there is a group that buys sports cars for the looks or prestige and may not care if they have a three-speed '60s automatic in it, but those who buy sports cars for their stated purpose — going faster — would clearly want a faster gearbox — which in this case is no longer the traditional manual.
With SMG you select when to change the gears and it happens faster than with a manual. Similarly, note that the average driver (and sadly that is most of us) tends not to be a lot faster or even slower than traditional automatic. A majority of us are not driving our sports cars on track or twisty mountain roads — we commute in them as well. Hence a lot of people may appreciate not having to switch gears or work the clutch constantly.
Yes the clutch provided more link with the machine, but if we take that back far enough we should be then driving horse-drawn carriages. Sports cars are about going fast — and the F1s, DSG and SMGs of this world provide this.

BTW, I drive both a manual (Lancer EVO and an automatic (Toyota Land Cruiser), so you can't say that i support automatics because I have never driven a manual.

[root]

I agree that the new good automatic gears are about as good as most drivers changing manually.

I tried the Audi A3s supercharged vehicles at Dubai Autodrome a few weeks back, and these ones had both manual (steptronic type) and an automatic gearbox. There was a gear level called "S" (for sports I think), and I did a lap with that and another using steptronics. It was more fun changing gears, but I think I accelerated better using the S gear. Even the instructor told us to put it in S and just press the gas.

I've used manuals for a long time but now am more inclined to go automatic or steptronic (or triptronic or ..tronic) as it gives the best of both worlds. With Dubai traffic as it is, it is sometimes nice to have your left leg free from the excessive clutch use.

[root]

One thing I did notice about driving automatic is that my brake pads used to wear down much faster than on manuals. Although fairly obvious, I never thought that I used the brakes so much, but how else can one bring down the speed of a car in automatic gears? You cant just shift down.

Next time you're driving an automatic car try to pay attention on how much you actually use the brakes....if you try to drive with minimum brake usage you will notice some very boring driving with automatic vehicles.

[PRIYAM]

WELL TNT are u planning to dispose off your evo 7 anytime in the near future ???

or else can u find out another car like an evo 7 or subaru or any other manual from somewhere ??


let me know

[T.N.T]

First of all, it's an EVO 8!
And second, I LOVE MY EVO, and am not planning to sell it, although I had changed my mind a few weeks back, but now I am thinking long-term.
As for used, I'll try my best and I'll be on the look-out for an EVO or STi, if I find anything, I'll surely let you know!

[T.N.T]

Hey, I think I found one:
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution8, 2003, white, 18,000 kms, 6 speed manual gear, for sale. Call 050-6822202.
It's an 8 so it might be expensive. Calling to check it out won't hurt.

One More:

Mitsubishi Evo8, 2003, modified, 375 BHP, done 30,000 kms, in VGC, for Dhs 92,000/-. Call 050-5520581.
This one's the REAL DEAL! 375 HP.

[WSF]

Cars in general r getting crappier everyday.. Automatics r making people worse drivers...

Also cars r becoming cheaper, less durable and more complicated for the sake of selling them with cool luxury specs... Example: look at the hondas 10 years ago compared to the ones right now.. The new ones look better but theyre cheap compared to the tougher previous model...

[T.N.T]

A lot of people keep telling me that cars are tougher or weaker. eg. American cars are strong. I mean, in what sense? American vehicles use sheetmetal for the body which is why you can call them tough, which nowadays isn't good as manufacturers go towards less-durable bodies with more crushable zones to pass the newer and newer safety standards.
I believe that cars are getting both better and worse, depends on the situation and which car we are talking about.

[WSF]

U know that american cars got a tough sheet metal but have terrible safety standards!!! Take the lumina SS for example....

I know 2 ppl who died from that car... plz excuse me for saying that..

A gmc yukon which it tough as they say.. gets crushed when it rolls over killing every one inside it..

One of the cars ive seen that r build well is da new Daihatsu Sirion. shes even better than a nissan tiida or that altima.. ABS, airbags, is all crap!!