Is the hope for manuals in the future?


Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
As the title says, might there be hope for manuals? I have come to the conclusion, the NGT is the one and only sports car that I will own with 2 pedals. If they do go away, there are still plenty of old and slow cars for me to buy.

It all about sales, and this article suggests numbers might support saving the manual..... Fingers crossed.

 

Gene Cassone

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 3, 2005
1,002
way upstate NY
Manuals will always be collectible! Look at the last of the manual ferraris. Manual 430s Hugh premium over paddles! Also less maintenance
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,782
Minnesota
Never happen in the new gt.. plus isn’t 21 last year for production?
 

DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,694
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Never happen in the new gt.. plus isn’t 21 last year for production?

Production through July 2022 for the NFGT, I believe.
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,751
Gainesville FL
Hope for manuals, for now a little; long-term, unfortunately I kinda doubt it.

Seems most of the younger generation is much more interested in their phone than a driving experience.
 
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KennethClay

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 15, 2012
860
New York
How many younger folks can even drive a stick? My two kids who drive are aces at heel-and-toe shifting, but they're definitely in the minority.

I can't help but wonder what happens to all these great manual transmission cars when us old codgers age out. But at that point, I suppose I won't care!
 

BtwoG

GT Owner
Dec 8, 2013
1,039
Atlanta, GA
My 17 year old got a manual for his first car last year. There is a hint of hope. He says there are a handful of manuals in his high school parking lot. Definitely a minority.
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,267
Kalama, Free part of WA State
Ya can’t even find new pickup trucks with manny trannies anymore.

Happy to report that my son takes after me as a 3-pedal man. His peers and my daughter, not so much.
 

Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
To clarify, I was NOT referring to the NGT, no way there (this is posted in the "Other cars" section.

Yes the landscape is super thin for manuals, but again, if people buy the offerings available, manufacturers will keep making them.

Yes used performance cars, are usually priced much higher than their 2 pedal equivalents. Porsche, R8's, Ferrari, Aston, BMW's, many comps where the 3 pedals are more desirable.

Like Kenneth above, both of our boys drive manuals. We will try to carry the torch!
 

Gene Cassone

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 3, 2005
1,002
way upstate NY
I taught both my children when they were 16 to drive sticks. Their first cars were “hand me down” manuals. The boys in high school were quite impressed when they saw my daughter driving a manual and still does to this day!! Only problem her fiancé does not !
 
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Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,832
Largo, Florida
A manual is now the best available anti-theft device.
 
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Oct 14, 2009
367
Alberta, Canada
I taught my daughter, who is now 20 years old, to drive a manual. Her daily driver is a shit box Suzuki with a stick. Gonna teach my boy to drive stick in the next year as he's going for his drivers license very soon.

The Porsche GT3 is more then likely my next purchase due to the fact that it has a stick. I'm a huge Ford GT and Shelby fan but without a stick, well, I've pretty much lost interest in the new offerings by Ford.

All the latest muscle cars, super cars and hyper cars have incredible performance and power. Everything goes like hell, even an electric Tesla has hyper car acceleration. The one thing that separates all the amazing offerings out there is the ability to row through the gears.

QSS
 

soroush

Ford Gt Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 8, 2007
5,256
Andy i think you should be less concerned with manuals being around than internal combustion being around in the next 25 years... and after that it will most likely be illegal to even drive on public roads.... self driving electric cars will be mandated by the government, the future looks bleak..
then most cars that are not museum quality or are of some value as a collector item will lose all of their value in short manner of time. there I painted a picture of the future for you.. better start driving your fox bodies while you still can :)
 
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PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,267
Kalama, Free part of WA State
That’s one of the reasons why I ain’t savin’ mine.
 

roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
7,994
ma.
2017 v12s Vantage with a manual dogleg! As analog as it gets! A shear joy to drive!
 

Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
Uggg, where is the "unlike" button..... I dont want to think like that.

Long live the foxes!


Andy i think you should be less concerned with manuals being around than internal combustion being around in the next 25 years... and after that it will most likely be illegal to even drive on public roads.... self driving electric cars will be mandated by the government, the future looks bleak..
then most cars that are not museum quality or are of some value as a collector item will lose all of their value in short manner of time. there I painted a picture of the future for you.. better start driving your fox bodies while you still can :)
 
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Special K

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Aug 23, 2016
1,775
Franklinton, LA
I think as the stats support, manuals will always reign supreme in certain niche models. For example, the cry for a manual in the new Bronco with the 2.7l was so loud, Ford responded by including that option in the 2022 model year even before the 2021s rolled off the lot. I drive one of my different manuals everyday. Some days it’s the 05 GT, on others it’s the GT350 or my Willys jeep. But I would not, and understand why many others also would not want to drive a vanilla point A to B car daily in a manual. Those cars were always sold that way as an economic advantage, and now that auto tech has reached the level it has, I get it and agree with it.
 

Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
Its also becoming interesting, look at BaT results (or what ever), and look at Ferrari, Aston Martin, Audi etc, and see the premium that people are paying for 3 pedals, over the 2 pedal version.

This is or course only applicable to those of us that are NOT looking forward to an autonomous thing to shuttle your body from point A to B....
 

sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
Apparently a very different story in Europe. 80% manual.

 

sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
My next daily driver will be a Honda Civic Type R...performance 6 speed manual. Not available with an automatic.