I have driven all my cars to the Max. One of my friends was/is the top Lamborghini tuner in the US. He once shook his head, not understanding how someone could drive a Lamborghini engine so hard, keeping it so consistently at redline and not blowing those fussy engines. Secret? Going to redline is fine but, exceeding it with miss-shifts is a no-no.

The RX-7 has a standard audible alarm when you hit 7500 RPM, to warn you that you are a fraction of a second from passing the stock 8000 RPM redline. It actually helps. Of course, you can always use an aftermarket rev-limiter that will work much more reliably for up-shifts than one's senses.

Albert

 

How do we get from a manual trans to talking on your cell phone? First I don't talk on my cell phone while driving. It takes a way from the experience! On top of that its dangerous as hell! I strongly believe it should be a zero tolerance offence. NOTHING you have to say or do is more important than your life or anyone else's, but that's another thread.


I agree that manual was more fun to drive and made you feel more connected. But most people can't drive manual anymore (which is sad). To sound repetitive I grew fond of being able to spend more time focusing on driving and having fun in the twistys. Again I love how the car does not change the gear when in the turn like most autos. It keeps the RMP where it should just like you would in a manual. Way better than a manual that I don't have to constantly change a gear every second or two while going through the twistys. Not having to worry about a missed shift or wrong gear is great! Also if an accident is going to happen having to change gears quickly to avoid it vs how quick at least the Jag shifts I would take any day.


It's going away for the good in my opinion. People are getting to selfish to drive a manual. Playing games and talking on their cell phone at the same time while reading the newspaper with a dog in their lap drinking coffee and for some putting on makeup. Last thing we need is someone having to worry about a shift.

 

You actually answered your own question in a way, but i will elucidate....

Engaging drives can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. As stated by some, engaging drive is not necessarily driving fast and pushing the car to the limits, but simply switching gears and stepping on the clutch.

I personally do not care for manual transmissions as i actually think it takes away from your performance and concentration. That's why i made the analogy regarding speaking on the phone and driving, because something as simple as that splits your concatenation quite a bit (also stated by you). Having to think about placing the car where it needs to be, stepping on the clutch, switching gears, making sure you are in the right RPM range and paying attention to the everything else around you, would only make things worse, therefore wouldn't make for a truly dynamic driving experience.

The ZF transmission in today's luxury cars are a masterpiece. Whenever i am spiritedly prowling the cat, it acts as if it's relayed to my mind. It's puzzling as to how good they are.
It knows exactly what to do and when to do it, in all conditions. Makes the 4200 pound sedan feel like a sports car.....lot of fun.

 

I am very confused by some of the posts here. Taking out all of the required thinking and skill out of driving is making your drive more engaging?

To me, this whole debate is analagous to baking a cake. You could just buy a cake, or make one from a box mix--both of which could give you better results than making one from scratch. But which is most satisfying? Do you want to be a central part in the process or just get the most delicious cake you can get? There is nothing wrong with just wanting the best cake, but I'd have trouble believing you if you said you're as involved with the baking process when you just pick up a cake from the store versus baking it yourself.

 

I'm another "no, thanks" but I can see why some may want a manual. Don't any of the specialist places offer one? It's gonna cost of course but has anyone even asked.... (You probably DO have to ask, don't expect it on a web site already.)

I doubt jag would sell enough to make it worth their while.

 

To be honest, I love the XKR and F-type but, at least for the time being, can't see myself buying one. Same with the Gran Tourismo. All are stunning cars with more than adequate performance. They each have the look and feel of a special car. However, the lack of a stick shift kills it for me. To those that argue an automatic is faster around the track, the canyons, or wherever, so is a GTR, Z06, etc. However, I suspect most here are not lining up to buy those. Most of us chose jaguars for the experience and beauty, not outright speed. For some of us, a large part of that experience involves the third pedal and will always do so. Unfortunately, it seems that relegates those people to fewer and fewer options. On the bright side, honey, I really do need the DBS because it comes with a stick!

 

I doubt Jaguar would sell enough, either.

I wonder how many manuals Porsche sells these days--as the auto-manuals have gotten much better I imagine only the row-your-own-gear purists are left. Any ideas?

 

Hmmm... I looked on Ebay at 2010 thru 2014 Porsche 911s. 117 automatic models and 46 manual models for sale. Seems like it's still a relatively high percentage of manuals that are purchased!

 

I agree jaguar probably would not sell very many. I wonder if any of the race teams would be able to fit a manual box. That could be an interesting option.

 

Did the RSR Jaguar XKR use a manual transmission? I thought it was a sequential gearbox. But was that an automated manual or what?

 

I don't recall offhand, but it was most likely a sequential box and not a torque converter auto. They would at least have some experience with modifying the gearbox.

 

I had a manual transmission on my 997, and I thought I'd miss it but I really don't.

The ZF transmission on the F-Type is a terrific transmission and a perfect match for the car. Either way, I have to think the market for a manual on these cars is somewhat limited. Would be great to have a choice, but if Jaguar thought there was a market for the manual I'm sure they'd offer it. Maybe that will change with the Coupe, but I really can't see that many actually taking up the option if a manual were offered with either version of the F-Type.

 

Different maker, vastly more sales overall. Different target market, too. I can't see Jaguar copying them!!

I really think this is a case where whoever wants a manual box just needs to pay to have it done. Solved.

 

It's encouraging to see that I am not the only fellow who pines for a true manual transmission as a crucial element of "fun & engagement" in a sports car. Jaguar, if you're out there monitoring these forums, maybe you'll think again about giving your F-Type buyers a three pedal option.

 

Work on the basis that they won't. It's up to you to pay someone else to do it.

 

Different target market? I thought the F-Type was specifically going after 911 customers!

If Jaguar wants to become a true performance/sporting brand, they need to align their customer base with the likes of Porsche, Audi, etc. Even given Jaguar's recent advances, they still have huge reputation problems among the general populous who still thinks they are 1) unreliable, 2) for old folks, or 3) Ford clones/badge jobs. There are many ways for them to reform their image, and offering a manual transmission could only help.

If somebody came up with some sort of kit to install a manual transmission on the car relatively affordably, I'm sure a few people would do it. But more likely, anyone who really wants a stick will probably just abandon the Jaguar brand.

 

huh?

for those who are skilled in the art, there is barely any thinking at all ... it's like breathing ... it just happens.

it can even be done with a coffee in the left hand on the wheel and a cigarette in the right hand on the gearshift as long as it is only city traffic and not an all out run.

and one more thing ... with a true manual gearbox there are no torque reduction strategies built into the ecm/tcm combination. those algorithms are intended to preserve the gearbox and you have no choice if the vehicle is programmed to do it. with a manual gearbox, if you want to bang shift to break the tires loose then you bang shift and there is nothing to prevent it.

 

What other Jaguar models have been offered with a manual transmission? Besides the E-Type and anything older, the only ones I can think of are the X-Type and the S-Type. I also think in Europe there might have been a few one-off XJs from the mid-90s.

 

Not sure if that's exactly an engaging drive. Might as well just get into a back of limo with glass of Champagne and a cigar.

I don't know of any high performance car that will not let you disable electronic stability. Hold the traction control button down in any new Jaguar for few seconds and it will let you roast the tires till they melt or brake them loose at any speed.

 

If you are among those romantics that feel the manual gear box is an integral and indispensable part of your enjoyment in driving a sports car, and it certainly seduced generations of enthusiasts over decades, then embrace that and seek out the perfect car. There are a great many who share that passion, and more likely to find them on a brand's forum that actually offers a manual

Perhaps the ideal would be to enjoy a gorgeous Jaguar and a sports car with a stick!