[coolabhi]

Low demand for MT in the premium segment is the main reason i think.The investment required for a seperate gearbox/Transmission is huge.Low volumes increase the cost further. And its the general mind set that if a car is premium ,it should have auto transmission.

[MHG]

Originally Posted by Harbir

Clicking electrical switches just isn't the same thing as operating the machine with your hands and feet, and feeling it flood your nervous system with information with its touch.

Originally Posted by Harbir

We have no option because there in no demand because few of us know anything about it.

Yeah I understand what you mean now. But don't you think the time is coming when anything other than Autos/DSGs will hardly have a market in the Indian premium segment ? A growing number of the affluent class in India is turning out to be full of 1st generation car owners or those who don't have enough experience with cars to be called "enthusiast drivers".

[Harbir]

Originally Posted by MHG

don't you think the time is coming when anything other than Autos/DSGs will hardly have a market in the Indian premium segment ?

the time has already come. anything other than autos/DSG hardly has a market in the Indian premium segment.

[MHG]

Originally Posted by Harbir

the time has already come. anything other than autos/DSG hardly has a market in the Indian premium segment.

Atleast a good number of those who love manuals are ALIVE today. I'm talking about the coming generation, many of whom wouldn't see anything except autos and DSGs in their lifetime of driving.

[S@ndy]

I guess it isn't correct to call only that cars premium that have auto trannies. Remember, When an enthusiast shifts cogs himself using that stick, that stick provides such an addicted feeling that you get used to it. Same is the case with me, even in bumper to bumper traffic, I drive my EON and enjoy it inspite of a lot of turbo lag and neutral feeling stick. Still I like it and am planning to do a Ladakh trip on it even though I have automatic sedan and an SUV.

Keep revvin'
S@ndy

[Harbir]

Based on the silence on the issue and the absence of vocal and prominent grumbling about it at present, I think there aren't that many alive today either. Manufacturers are very sensitive to market demands. and they haven't seen the demand in this market. If you search on this very forum for people who have said that they have no premium car because they couldn't get one with a manual, you will find only a very tiny fraction.

Its not a demand if you will readily accept something else.

[A M]

Originally Posted by S@ndy

I drive my EON and enjoy it inspite of a lot of turbo lag and neutral feeling stick. Still I like it and am planning to do a Ladakh trip on it even though I have automatic sedan and an SUV.

Dude.. Eon and turbo lag? Its a Naturally Aspirated engine.

Sorry for going

[suhaas307]

Very informative post Habir. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Harbir

By the way, 7 speed manual transmissions have no rewards for the driver. Thats too many ratios for manual control and this is useful only if you have an EXTREMELY narrow power band and very poor flexibility. If you don't have that limitation, so many ratios are hard to keep a track of and increase the probability of selecting the wrong ratio because there are no clear inputs to the brain to make clear what ratio is the correct one at any instant. More ratios are good thing when they are computer controlled because that allows the car to approach the theoretical perfection of a CVT.

So the Porsche 7 speed manual is trying to go for the fuel economy advantage that the 7 and 8 speed computer controlled transmissions have become capable of. 7th is so tall that its virtually unusable except for highway cruising with minimal acceleration.

I think you're referring to the new 7-speed 'box in the 991 Carrera.

This 'box does not allow the driver to shift to 7th from 4th or 5th, I believe. The 7th ratio is deactivated in 'Sport-Mode' - and when you're in 4th/5th and in the meat of the power-band. The 7th cog is purely for the purpose of achieving good fuel economy, as you'd mentioned correctly.

So technically, you still have 6 ratios to play with and the 7th becomes usable only when you're cruising.

[S@ndy]

Originally Posted by A M

Dude.. Eon and turbo lag? Its a Naturally Aspirated engine.

Sorry for going

Sorry, I was thinking something else and posted so. Still, I feel the engine of Eon to be suitable just for commuting from point A to point B. Sorry for the error! And I didn't ever know that engine of Eon was a naturally aspirated one!

[lancer_rit]

well most folks may prefer AT, but I prefer MT :-) As someone else posted, why shouldn't manufacturers give us a choice ? Esp a brand like BMW for example ? For CBUs, it should be no hassle to do this - they sell way more MTs than ATs in Europe...

[Harbir]

In this post I shared some quotes from Car and Driver about how they find 3 pedal manuals more involving and satisfying than DCTs. This is the latest comment from them, taken from a report on the Audi RS5.

Switch the dual-clutch seven-speed automatic to sport mode, and the transmission suddenly thinks that it’s in the middle of a DTM race—and that it’s losing. Even dabbing the brakes elicits an aggressive downshift, and upshifts are held in anticipation of full-throttle acceleration. Given the choice, though, we’d trade launch control and the quick shifts for a manual transmission just so we could foster a closer relationship with the incredible V-8.

In other words, even such an aggressive, sporting oriented DCT leaves room to "foster a closer relationship" with the engine.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by karan561

PS - Although i know a friend who owns a 2010 Merc 200 K which is a M/T

^ Will try and get pics of the same.

Finally sharing the pictures of my friends C Class ( W204 )







Driver footwell snap . Note : Stupid Parking brake pedal. ( This one deserved a proper Hand Brake )



It is a C 200 Kompressor

He is the 2nd owner of the car.

Have driven the car twice and trust me, we are missing a lot by being offered A/T's only.

It is a completely different feeling driving a M/T biggie (Merc/BMW/Audi)

Frankly the negative was the shift quality - Precise but rubbery ( VW's & Skoda way ahead in making SLICK shifts )

[karan561]

A video review of the F10 M5 (M/T);

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=c3qjDQw_kpQ

^ The video also discusses the need for M/T on such cars & why they should stick to Dual Clutch Automatics on Supercars too.

Interesting watch