That pic Chris is right at its best angle for sure. ;-)

Cheers.

I vote:

Ferrari or auto?

Probably a hybrid.
Aren't there some high end automatics that allow you to put them into a manual mode and shift them as desired?

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Ferrari or auto?

Probably a hybrid.
Aren't there some high end automatics that allow you to put them into a manual mode and shift them as desired?

It has the Ferrari logo on it in the upper left. I don't know any more than that.

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Current: 94 Mazda Miata 5sp man
: 05 Subaru RS wagon 5sd man
Past 85 VW GTI 5sp man
78 Audi Fox 4sp man
77 VW Rabbit 4sp man
73 Audi Fox 4sp man
70 VW Beatle 4sp man
64 Alfa Veloce Spyder 4sp man
61 Saab 3sp man
53 Chrysler New Yorker 4 sp semi auto. What a tank but it did have a hemi V8 and it lasted thru my college years.

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One of the things I do at my job is park cars, and I've seen some odd ones that seem to offer a sort of manual option even though they are primarily automatics. I don't understand this, and I don't recall there being a clutch, but maybe there was.

On another note, I had a hard time backing in a VW once before I figured out you have to push down on the stick, first. ;~}

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

One of the things I do at my job is park cars, and I've seen some odd ones that seem to offer a sort of manual option even though they are primarily automatics. I don't understand this, and I don't recall there being a clutch, but maybe there was.

On another note, I had a hard time backing in a VW once before I figured out you have to push down on the stick, first. ;~}

I drove a VW a few times and that one messed me up as well. As for the manual automatic, with most automatics you can hold them on one gear. This is useful on ice if you want to start in second instead of first to maintain traction or if you are using the cruse control for braking on a long down hill run. Some transmissions have a shifter that is faster so you can use it for racing by selecting the gear you desire. When you are done playing, you can return to full automatic. I think the clutch is part of the joy of a manual but that's just my opinion.

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Learned on a manual, courtesy of the RAF, whilst having a motor-cycle. One of the things I got to drive, was an Alvis Salamander Fire Tender...6WD 4WS with a 6(?) speed, pre-select, split range box (high and low ratio....plus forward and reverse selection! The Stalwart was born from these....and we all know how good they are, 'off road'! Currently drive mainly an auto, because Honda, for some insane reason, decided that in the UK, we would only get the Legend (3.2 and on) with an auto, rather than have a choice as per everywhere else!

I hate automatic transmissions with a passion, as it takes away control from the driver and if I could afford to do it, I would convert my '91 Legend to a manual, in an instant! Thankfully, my sanity is preserved via my little Rover 216 Coupe (yes, Honda powered and hopefully turbo-charged by this time next year), which I do heel-and-toe in, as I have done, in almost all my 'manuals'. Even the much maligned Daimler Sovereign, which I could only fault on fuel consumption (compared to most other cars on the road at the time!) had a manual box with 'over-drive'.

Car history;
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint 1.7
Alfa Romeo GTV6
Daimler Sovereign 4.2
Honda Accord (3dr) X 2 (1602cc and 1829cc)
Honda Legend (4dr) x 3 (2659cc X 2 and 3206cc X 1...all still owned or in use)
Honda Legend (3dr) X 1 (3206cc under 'restoring to road use')
Lancia Montecarlo Series 2 (still owned with brother-in-law)
Rover 3.0 Mk2 (P5)
Rover 216 Coupe...in use.
Rover 800 Coupe (turbo....frightening!)
Toyota Celica Supra 2.8 'Mk2'(Lotus Spec...owners will know which one is meant)

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Don't take life too seriously, as you'll never come out of it alive!

We can argue untll the cows come home. I loved driving a standard. But my knees Refuse it. So call me a whimp. I dont care. Its not you driving with my knees.

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[/quote]

Old James

Ferrari or auto?

Probably a hybrid.
Aren't there some high end automatics that allow you to put them into a manual mode and shift them as desired?

It has the Ferrari logo on it in the upper left. I don't know any more than that.

It's a manual transmission, Ferrari 6 speed.
Ferrari has a tradition of putting a grate on the stick to make sure you hit the gears just right. It can be a pain, no room for error.

We can argue untll the cows come home. I loved driving a standard. But my knees Refuse it. So call me a whimp. I dont care. Its not you driving with my knees.

I would never call you a wimp for that! My brother started out on manuals and then drove a mix until his legs went out. Before he passed away, all the vehicles in his fleet were automatics including the 700 horse power hotrod he was working on and we are finishing for him. I may not drive that hotrod very much, not because of the transmission but because of the engine.

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All the rentals and loaners I've had recently, a Suburban, 2 Equinoxes, and now a Traverse, have rocker switches on the side of the selector that are marked +/-. This lets you have manual control of the automatic. I tried it once, but I didn't see any advantage in doing it that way.

The US (Illinois, at least) has no restrictions about being trained on manuals to be allowed to drive them.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

My Audi is the same. And even Ferrari has done away with real sifters. The new ones have paddles. The eletromechanical systems can change gears in 100 milliseconds.

James, I for one am not calling you a wimp! I refer you to my previous post.

For disabled or semi-disabled people an automatic is an absolute necessity and a life changer, for the rest of us it's horses for courses. If I lived in San Fran of course an automatic would make more sense, I wouldn't like it but I would put up with it. It simply has to be said however that you don't need a university degree to be able drive a manual car with a clutch. To be quite honest I just get bemused hearing about those those that can't, or can't do it properly.

It's also a culture thing, Americans have been brought up on Automatics and prefer them, The UK has been brought up on manual change and prefer those. Iona is also quite right in saying that automatics take away a certain amount of control from the driver, and as she can heel & toe I respect her judgement and agree with it.

A female relative of mine had a crash in her vehicle and was given a courtesy car while it was repaired. When it turned up it was a manual, so she said I can't drive it. The bloke said what do you mean, whats wrong with it? She said, I passed my test on an automatic. Ok he said, I'll see if we've got a Ladies car for you. Her language is not repeatable! But it has to be said that no self respecting Englishman would drive an automatic unless they really had to. But having said that, I'd quite like to have a go at a performance car with paddle change gears just to see what it is like.

When I was a young lad getting my learners permit. That was 1968, There were still a lot of manual shifters on the road. And I should have put a smile icon on my post:)
By the time my daughters got to drive it was mostly automatics. I think only my youngest can drive a standard and thats beacuase she was in the Air Force.

Now if I had extra money for a 1966 Pontiac GTO. You could bet your keyster it would be a manual shifter. I would just hope I dont get stuck in stop and go traffic.

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[/quote]

Old James

I sit behind a 15L engine rowing an 18 speed all day long, last thing I want to do is row a 5 speed in my pickup truck too and from work.

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Well, J. Mileski has given yet another example of my previous view "horses for courses". In his case i can quite easily see that when not at work, the ease of an automatic would be much preferred.

It's interesting to note that every post mentioning military service comments that when serving they learnt to drive manuals. The USA Abrams M1 main battle tank has an X-1100-3B auto transmission with 4 forward and 2 reverse gears, the British Challenger 2 main battle tank has a TN54 auto transmission with 6 forward and 2 reverse gears. Is there a reason why the armed forces appear to use manuals for day to day vehicles?

Have you ever worked on a transmission?
A manual transmission's problems can be diagnosed very easily, open the case and look at the gears. If the teeth of one are missing that's the problem. An automatic transmission on the other hand. Well that's what prompted Isaac Asimov to write "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Have you ever worked on a transmission?
A manual transmission's problems can be diagnosed very easily, open the case and look at the gears. If the teeth of one are missing that's the problem. An automatic transmission on the other hand. Well that's what prompted Isaac Asimov to write "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Another factor is weight and cost.
The manual tranny in my RX7 a healthy man can pick up by himself. A good sized automatic takes 2 men and a dog to remove and reinstall.

I have worked on a transmission or two.
I have taken apart and replaced synchros in the manual gearbox in my RX7.
Automatics take a rocket scientist to work on them.
The most I ever did was years ago take apart the valve body of a Turbo Hydramatic 400 to install a trick shift kit, which involved replacing some springs and moving some little ball bearing check valves around. You have to pay very close attention to things, because one little BB in the wrong hole and you have a large, heavy brick.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Have you ever worked on a transmission?
A manual transmission's problems can be diagnosed very easily, open the case and look at the gears. If the teeth of one are missing that's the problem. An automatic transmission on the other hand. Well that's what prompted Isaac Asimov to write "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

I remember that as Clarke's Law (Sir Arthur C. Clarke), but whomever said it, it is increasingly true today. Even shade-tree mechanics need advanced training certs.......

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Have you ever worked on a transmission?
A manual transmission's problems can be diagnosed very easily, open the case and look at the gears. If the teeth of one are missing that's the problem. An automatic transmission on the other hand. Well that's what prompted Isaac Asimov to write "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

I remember that as Clarke's Law (Sir Arthur C. Clarke), but whomever said it, it is increasingly true today. Even shade-tree mechanics need advanced training certs.......

Now ya know why I like my cars 'old school'...LOL.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Have you ever worked on a transmission?
A manual transmission's problems can be diagnosed very easily, open the case and look at the gears. If the teeth of one are missing that's the problem. An automatic transmission on the other hand. Well that's what prompted Isaac Asimov to write "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

I remember that as Clarke's Law (Sir Arthur C. Clarke), but whomever said it, it is increasingly true today. Even shade-tree mechanics need advanced training certs.......

The quote is from Asimov, but you are right the foundation is from Clark and known as his third law. Clark was a little more wordy. I don't recall his exact words.