Harlaquin
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 7, 2017
- Threads
- 179
- Messages
- 1,780
- Reaction score
- 1,353
- Location
- USA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2017 Type R and a beater ford focus
- Thread starter
- #1
So I know immediately some of you are gonna be ha never, and the manual purest like myself just cant even imagine the world with out manual transmission cars but. In the USA Manual transmission sales have hit such a low, less then 3% cars sold, that most manufactures have dropped even importing them. Audi is another one now to join the list of makers stopping import of manual transmission cars to the USA because sales are so low. Manual transmission in other country actually account for most of the sales some as high as 80% but the good old USA just does not like Manuals.
Along with most USA auto makers dropping cars left and right because again the USA only seems to like SUVs, the coming of more and more electric cars which basically more or less dont even have a transmission. And Honda closing Swinden as they say to focus on electric cars. I do not think it will be long till we just dont see manual sports cars in the US anymore. wont be worth the manufactures efforts plus again electric really doesn't need them.
Some examples. Ferrari and Lamborghini along with a whole host of supercars don't even offer manuals anymore. The BRZ and its clones use to be all Manual but now 90% of their sales are automatics. The new Supra is an automatic. I mean it really looks like here in the US anyway the days of us car guys getting a new manual are numbered. Cause even though there is a sub group that loves them its not worth a billion dollar car company to keep separate supply and manufacturing lines for a 3% crowd. I have read its so bad here in the US that driving schools dont even teach manual anymore cause no one wants to learn. As us older car guys pass away, the majority of the people who love manuals will be gonna and the young crowd just wants automatics. The percentages have dropped year after year and have never gone up once. Once they hit 2 or 1.5 percent I bet we can kiss manual transmissions good by.
I bet by 2025 we wont even have a manual option on the R anymore if not sooner. And it most likely will be fully electric.
I really dont want to live in a world of all electric automatic SUVs but that is where the USA market is heading. if they do stay around hybrid gas/electric with manual transmission sport cars in the USA will become an un-affordable premium due to the Manufactures losses to keep a minority product going.
What got me thinking about this was yesterday I was in the best buy parking lot and there were about 50 vehicles. I was no joke the only car in the lot everything else was SUV. and I was for certain the only manual car.
Along with most USA auto makers dropping cars left and right because again the USA only seems to like SUVs, the coming of more and more electric cars which basically more or less dont even have a transmission. And Honda closing Swinden as they say to focus on electric cars. I do not think it will be long till we just dont see manual sports cars in the US anymore. wont be worth the manufactures efforts plus again electric really doesn't need them.
Some examples. Ferrari and Lamborghini along with a whole host of supercars don't even offer manuals anymore. The BRZ and its clones use to be all Manual but now 90% of their sales are automatics. The new Supra is an automatic. I mean it really looks like here in the US anyway the days of us car guys getting a new manual are numbered. Cause even though there is a sub group that loves them its not worth a billion dollar car company to keep separate supply and manufacturing lines for a 3% crowd. I have read its so bad here in the US that driving schools dont even teach manual anymore cause no one wants to learn. As us older car guys pass away, the majority of the people who love manuals will be gonna and the young crowd just wants automatics. The percentages have dropped year after year and have never gone up once. Once they hit 2 or 1.5 percent I bet we can kiss manual transmissions good by.
I bet by 2025 we wont even have a manual option on the R anymore if not sooner. And it most likely will be fully electric.
I really dont want to live in a world of all electric automatic SUVs but that is where the USA market is heading. if they do stay around hybrid gas/electric with manual transmission sport cars in the USA will become an un-affordable premium due to the Manufactures losses to keep a minority product going.
What got me thinking about this was yesterday I was in the best buy parking lot and there were about 50 vehicles. I was no joke the only car in the lot everything else was SUV. and I was for certain the only manual car.
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