Manual Transmission is arguably the most preferable among car enthusiasts, the most fun and the least expensive, but 90% of the population isn’t looking for fun; they’re looking for comfort, good fuel economy, reliability; you know, the kind of figures we as car enthusiasts overlook. They want all of that in a single package, which is why the semi-automatic transmission came to light.
Semi-automatics are as fuel economical – if not more – as their manual counterparts, they’re lightning quick and kind of also fun if you really think about it. I mean sure, they’re not as engaging as manual transmissions, but when you’re on a track, you’re always looking for the tiniest fraction of a second.
Manufacturers are now slowly trying to get rid of the good-old manual, because frankly, it’s becoming quite of a hassle for them to develop three different transmission types. Take BMW’s F10 M5 as an example, which is being offered with a dual-clutch transmission only, except for the USA, which also gets a manual, but if weren’t for the high demand, BMW would’ve ditched it.
Let’s move on from BMW to Porsche. As I was browsing the internet the other day, I came upon an article entitled “Next 911 GT3 caught on video with PDK transmission”, and then it struck me: Car companies, even the sportiest of them, seriously want to pull the plug off manuals.
Although it kills me to say it, but semi-automatics will eventually replace manuals, there’s nothing compared to the skills and physical effort required when driving a manual, but the majority rules, and companies want less cars in their showrooms and more on the road. It is part of life, new replaces old, it’s sad, but it’s the truth, and we have to accept it sooner or later. Manual Transmissions will die out, and there’s nothing much we can do but enjoy it while it lasts.