"Maurizio Reggiani, the director of research and development at Lamborghini, says in an interview with the magazine that they will likely follow Ferrari in ending their manual transmission."

http://domesticfuel.com/2010/03/30/l...85-compatible/

Wow! That's kinda sad to me.

I imagine this trend will continue down the $ chain to all cars eventually. I wonder when the last manual Porsche will be manufactured. I think it would be nice to keep one in my garage.

 

I can't tell you when but I can tell you who will own it. The same guy who got the last air-cooled car off the line - Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry, are you lurking in this forum? If you are, PM me Dude.

I was also saddened to learn that brands "L" and "F" have discontinued manual transmissions. I'm not so sure Porsche will follow these guys soon because they are much higher volume than those Italian brands so they can justify producing both types for a while longer. I also have to imagine that a good chunk of what brands "L" and "F" sell are to older buyers who may have some joint or mobility issues and aren't looking for a 3-pedal car any more. Now that I said that every 20 and 30 something who hangs out on this forum who owns one of these is going to chime in and tell me how wrong I am.

For whatever this is worth I went to my local Mazda dealer earlier today looking at the Mazda 3's as I'm going to have to replace my daily driver at some point. At least 1/3 of them were equipped with a 6 speed manual and the flagship of that series the turbocharged MazdaSpeed 3 is only available with a 6 speed manual.

If I'm still interested in sports cars in my 50's and 60's I probably would opt for the paddles too. I opted for the manual in my car but you can't deny the amazing technology behind PDK and at the end of the day whether you want to admit it or not PDK shifts faster than any human can shift a manual no matter how good their skills are.

 

Seriously? You think ferrari or lambo execs give a hoot about joint flexability of some of their older customers? And this is why they are no longer offering manual trannies? haha

How about the reason being that paddle shift trannies are the next step in the evolution of these cars.

 

I read (cannot remember where) that 'F' brand stated their customers do not order/want the manual transmission. They are all ordering with eGear (or whatever it is called). Hence, they are delivering on what their customers want. Seems to make sense.

I suspect if more and more of the P-Car owners order PDK, Porsche, too, may move in that direction, although I'd venture to guess that is out in the future a bit.

 

I do not expect my kids or grandkids to know how to drive manual.

This is good for me, as they have no excuse to borrow my RS.

 

The single clutch pedal is on its way out, for sure - just as manual starters went out.

 

The Ruf RGT-8 is a manual transmission car because Alois found that's what people want. Perhaps all is not lost.

 

Lets not forget that Ferrari spends millions on developing this technology in F1. Their F1 transmission can make shifts in as little as 140 milliseconds. So with Ferrari there is a tickle down effect of this technology as its much quicker than a traditional manual. And with Lambo, they have to follow suit since their main rival is Ferrari and their cars have to keep up in performance.

I love my manual trans, it makes driving more involved and enjoyable for me. But I can't deny the performance benefits of PDK. It is definitely the way of the future and the evolution of sports/exotic cars.

 

The PDK is a simply amazing piece of kit but I for one hope that Porsche continues to offer the customer the choice for a long time.

 

The manual transmission may disappear from a few very high-end sport cars, and Porsche may follow suit with some of their future top tier models. However, I think that domestic manufacturers of the typical "muscle car" genere (Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, and even Corvette) will still have enough customer demand for a manual transmission that at least in those vehicles a stick shift will still be on the option list.

 

Evolve or get left behind. I have a 6 speed Gallardo and Porsche. I would and will go to a dual clutch. Especially since they are getting so advanced and are lasting much longer. I like new technology.

 

actually exactly 30 and both my Gallardo and my 997S are automated clutches. I just find letting the computer do it, lets me concentrate on driving more. Sure it requires less skill to work a paddle but it allows me to text and drive LOL JK.

 

I think that the point made that lower volume manufacturers may be forced to 'choose' long before higher volume players is a good one. Even Honda continues with manuals even though it is modest single digit percentages.
But there will be far more interesting evolution of PDK-like designs because of the integration in to rest of the cars sensor systems that can be done.
When it comes time for me to buy again, I will have a tough time making the choice, but by then (and I don't plan to make a move (I just bought a 930) for a long time) the differences will be even more profound and valued. At that point, buying a manual might be like the people who bought vinyl instead of CD's 10 years after their invention because 'they sound better'.

 

Hey guys, face it, the manual is on the way out. Thing is, I bought an SMG M3 thinking it would be the last great thing. I was wrong.
However, the manual is on the way out. I will tell you this fact, in case you don't know it. Only 10% of all licensed drivers CAN drive a manual. Given that not even all of the drivers that CAN drive a manual actually OWN one, it is a very limited market. Would you build a car that only 1 in 10 people could actually drive? Not exactly a winning plan.
The conversion has been slow and well fought. The BMW M5 release with only SMG, yet to need to release the car with a manual later. But you look at F and L, the change is coming.
Ever seen an F1 car with a clutch lately???

 

And the sad part is that the proficiency of many of those (who can drive manuals) leaves a lot to be desired. Of course, they think otherwise. This statement is based on my observation of the wear I often see on clutches, transmissions and axles.