I’m stuck. I want an FType very much. I don’t need to tell you why as you all get it. But I have a problem. I’m addicted to manuals. I’ve tried to quit. I’ve tried hard to convince myself that paddle shifting is better, and more responsive, and quicker, and can be just as engaging. It works for a while....then I relapse and crave a stick shift.

This is a problem because it is getting in the way of my acquiring an f-type. The option and color combinations with paddle shifters are plentiful and varied, and I would jump...but no stick. On the other hand, when I find a manual, it is in a color I don’t find appealing, or has the base seats, so I keep looking. For years now. Still don’t have one.

So...impose your values on me, I invite it. Which “should” be more important, color/features but no manual, or give in and buy a manual in a color I don’t find out is appealing?

One additional factor- I have a terrific car to play with in the meantime, an SLK350 with a six speed manual. The SLK Is a remarkably terrific car in its own right so I’m not exactly suffering.

bottom line - hold out for the manual I want which may take years? Take a manual if available even if not color that excites, or give up manual to get everything else?

 

have you driven an auto f type? I like manuals too but the zf8 and f type were meant to be.

 

I have a foot in both camps. The ZF and the F Type are a brilliant combination. But then everything about driving the F Type too me screams that it would be more fun in a manual (never driven a manual F Type). I'd sacrifice a little speed for the further engagement any day of the week.

but then - like you - colour was important to me. I dont think that there is a red manual F Type in Australia, and red was my pick. More to the point, most manuals were black and I didnt want black as it is too hot and hard to take care of where I live. I was also concerned about resale in a manual, not realising that I would keep the car forever (apparently) whereas I usually turn them over every 2 years.

If I were you I would buy a black manual in the spec you want and then wrap it the colour you want.

 

Color was important to me as well. These cars depreciate heavily, so I turned that discount into funding a vinyl wrap.

I just had to find a well-optioned 6MT model, which I was able to do 2000 miles away. Again, the depreciation discount funded the $950 shipping fee. I would say I paid a premium over the typical used F-Type purchaser because of these things, but I definitely believe the car was worth it regardless.

 

To me, it comes down to driving the MT car. I had a Fiat 124, couple RX7's and now 3 TR8's. They are (relatively) minimum speed, maximum fun. And the clutch effort to gear change are just right.
I've driven 911's, M3's, Miata's. Hated them. Couldn't see myself driving one everyday.
I'm not the kind of guy that adapts well to poor ERGO (to me): tools (Milwaukee), guns (glock) or cars (BMW) even though they are very good at what they do.
I just find the right ones that fit me: tools (DeWalt), Guns (Beretta) and I would definitely go drive a MT F before I lost another minute coveting something I might not like.

 

Fair question, should have addressed this. I have driven both. I have spent a day with one each on Turo and enjoyed both. But I generally like cars so much that I can spent a day in pretty much anything and appreciate it for what it is.

I guess my real question to myself is, after six or 36 months, will I be happier walking up to an automatic FType in a color that makes me swoon, or driving in an FType with an interior I like with a stick (remember, it's not just the stick I want, it's the combination with the sport seats - for some reason JLR paired manuals mostly with base seats - my ideal car, apparently a unicorn, is a loaded FType convertible with manual in color that I love).

Obviously it is "ultimately up to me," but this is a forum where people have varying perspectives, all of which I invite you to share.

,

 

I have never truly considered a wrap. Hmmmmm.

 

You can change the seats?
I'm sure you could find a stuffed F in the breakers yard with good seats.
Or if you're making a track day car, put in some Recaro's?
You can also change out the leather on the existing seats. https://www.garrettleather.com/
My lady does private jet interior refits and helps out MTI when their in house guy gets behind.
VIP Upholstery & Interior Design - Home https://marinetechnologyinc.com/

 

If you are a manuholic (as am I), you will quickly lose interest in an AT F-Type despite the perfection of the ZF 8sp. Find an MT with the performance seats and have it wrapped in your preferred color.

 

3 pedals for life. I drove 1200 miles for mine

 

In [re] to the second quote; the man is totally UNHINGD! He doesn’t know you and neither do I. While you might “tire” of the automatic, you also might not. We get it. I too LOVE a manual—and two of my four cars are (and it sounds like you have a car to enjoy rowing the gears—but, paraphrasing Jeremy Clarkson [albeit in reference to V6 vs V8], “at no time while I am driving this [the auto] have I thought, yeah but I wish it was more exciting.” ). The automatic gearbox in the F-Type is sublime.

The F-Type is such a magnificent car—in practically every aspect—I cannot imagine you would dislike much less hate any variation of it. The look of the car—color, interior, etc.—would, IMO, take precedence over the auto/manual dilemma.

IMO—unless you are dead-set against an auto; and your post suggests that you are potentially “open” to an auto—you might be overthinking it. Life is short and all this time you’re without an F-Type. And while all of life is a compromise—and what you are seeking sounds to be a unicorn (and to start doing one modification after another to achieve what might be your ideal car...and there again asking UNHINGD about modding one’s car is definitely a bad idea; ask me how I know)...might be a never ending futile quest—I am not suggesting you compromise what you truly seek. And, as an aside, I assume you know that some of the early manual transmissions have been problematic or worse?

Carpe diem!

Good luck.

 

I completely understand your dilemma. I had also been searching for what seemed like forever for the perfect car with a manual transmission. It may help to rank the features you find the most important and the features you are willing to compromise on. I had to compromise on interior and exterior color, but to be honest, every time I see the car I get excited. And every time I sit in the car, I am even happier. My car was about 1200 miles away and the color and interior grew on me as soon as I saw it in person. I'm sure the joy of driving it helped! As others have said, you could wrap the car to the color you would like. As far as MT convertible F-types go, there are very few options, and it looks like the price has actually increased about $7-10k in the last year for the S variant. I think there is one currently listed that might come close to meeting your needs.

 

Mines the auto but I drive it almost all the time in sport/dynamic/manual. Playing with the paddles is great fun. Maybe not quite as interactive as a manual but so much fun non the less. I also love the fact that the auto can be just that in traffic jams etc. I've got a tuned 1972 MGB in the garage for keeping my left leg exercised. 👍

 

This is great advice. When searching for a used car, especially a used car that is part of a small market, you typically have to compromise on what you are seeking. I would focus on things that are not easily changed or not possible to be changed (i.e. you want a manual so converting an auto to manual what technically possible, is likely not financially feasible..... Coupe or convertible, you aren't going to change one into the other). Things like wheels and exterior color are things that can be easily changed at a later point in time.

 

When you drove the auto, did you use the stick to shift (in S) instead of the paddles? That might help to scratch the itch. OTOH, buy the auto so you can enjoy an F-Type and keep looking for "your" MT.

 

To be honest I think the worst option is the one you've actually chosen: waiting years to get a car you want.

The marginal increase in happiness you would potentially get from having the exact color you want or having a manual, has already cost you multiple years of enjoyment.

If nothing else, 2020 should have proven to all of us that life is short. Enjoy it while you can.

 

Good advice. I knew what I wanted and had mine made to order, but that's no longer an option. The base seats are called "sport" and the optional ones "performance." I think that many manuals were ordered for dealer stock, so were minimally optioned. A wrap can change the color, so be sure to consider things not so easily changed. For example, if you need a limited slip differential you'll need to look at the S only. Some combinations are going to be exceedingly rare.

 

What a GREAT series of comments! This is great. I wish we were in a pub so I could ply you all with rounds and keep the conversation going. I particularly like (a) manuals, if you love them, you’ll never be satisfied with an auto VS (b) these autos are so great you probably won’t miss the manual, and then (c) if you keep waiting you’ll be dead by the time you (never) find exactly what you think you want!

Again, this is a decision I”ll have to make, but it’s great fun to read all your comments, so I thank you warmly and invite more to weigh in! CHEERS

 

BTW, will this be your only or primary car? After having owned the auto for a while now, I don't long for a manual... what I want is an additional dedicated (MT) sports car, which the F-Type is not.

 

as you can see from my sig, all my past cars were manuals while all my current cars are auto's. while I do miss rowing gears, I don't regret an auto in the F-Type as I'm throughly enjoying it. my only problem is trying to "keep it stock"...which already has gone out the window.