Since the topic popped up in the Chevy SS thread about how awesome automatic transmissions have gotten (and because I was bored on my way to Fedex) here's a couple videos of me flogging my car. The first is pretty self explanatory and is just general flogging. More or less this is to show how fast the transmission shifts, how it rev matches, etc.
If I'm doing a dedicated exotic like Turk maybe then I'm getting a manual transmission but otherwise, considering how awesome automatics are now, I might have owned my last manual in the 550. This was the original comment I made about manuals:
Full disclosure: If you don't like watching tachs and speedometers go up and down these videos are NOT for you!
[youtubehd]ZynoRcbTPn4[/youtubehd]
Second video is just a full throttle go from a stop, again, no traction but that actually gives you a good idea of how quick it can shift.
[youtubehd]1sODqYXj4bM[/youtubehd]
If I'm doing a dedicated exotic like Turk maybe then I'm getting a manual transmission but otherwise, considering how awesome automatics are now, I might have owned my last manual in the 550. This was the original comment I made about manuals:
As for the 3rd pedal, it's just not going to happen. These cars need to be sales leaders and it's almost never worth it these days to add a manual transmission. For one, the automatic transmissions these days are awesome. I very rarely find myself missing the manual transmission from my 550 because the automatic in the 535 shifts consistently fast, instantaneously, rev matches on downshifts, holds my chosen gear until it bounces off the rev limiter, etc. The only thing I don't have is the physical motion of switching the gears and pressing the pedal which is fun, yes but if I had to go and do it all over again and was offered the same car with a manual transmission or the transmission I have, I'd go automatic all over again.
The second thing is that the most vocal supports of manual transmissions are the enthusiasts yet enthusiasts make up such a small portion of sales that it just doesn't matter. The same people cried foul when the new SHO came out (why they didn't call foul on the rest of the car I'll never understand) but it just doesn't matter.
Third, and this doesn't apply to all cars: manual transmissions can crap up an otherwise great car. Case in point: the E60 M5. Read reviews on the manual transmission version of that car versus the SMG semi-Automatic transmission. In many cases it's like the reviewers were reviewing entirely different cars. Whereas the SMG semi-auto transmission was tailored to the engine, the 6 speed manual transmission was somewhat of an afterthought, wasn't properly geared for the car, had a traction control system that could never be fully shut off for fear of destroying the rear end and was measurably slower in all aspects of acceleration. And the only reason BMW put a manual transmission in the car? Americans.
Manuals are fun and if this was 1995 and we were still putzing around with 4 speed automatics that took 6 seconds to shift after bouncing off the rev limiter than I'd be right there with you guys.
Full disclosure: If you don't like watching tachs and speedometers go up and down these videos are NOT for you!
[youtubehd]ZynoRcbTPn4[/youtubehd]
Second video is just a full throttle go from a stop, again, no traction but that actually gives you a good idea of how quick it can shift.
[youtubehd]1sODqYXj4bM[/youtubehd]
nice
thats awesome.
fucking AWD) I couldn't help but notice how GD fast it shifted. On top of that, how many times it shifted. It sounded good from the front too, as I passed his ass up. :nanadance:
