Manual Transmissions - Nearly Extinct

In America people love to have their gears changed for them.  It has been that why for a long, long time.  Many cars are still offered with manuals on base models, but the take rate, in nearly every instance, is miniscule.  This is not the case in other parts of the world, such as Europe, where manuals have endured due to their lightness, added efficiency, and low cost.

Culture also plays a role.  Americans are too busy talking, reading, eating, texting, applying makeup, and crashing too be bothered with a clutch pedal and gearshift.  On the other hand, when blasting down the autobahn at a buck-thirty, you want to feel fully invested in the driving experience.  Hence, on the continent, the manual endures.

There are some enthusiasts who rage that if you don't row your own, you're not a proper gearhead.  That's true to some extent.  Hearing someone has an automatic in their 911, Mustang, or Corvette just sounds odd.  What for?  Such cars are all about the enjoyment of the drive, and having full control over the powertrain is a key part of it.  Leaving that to a lowly slushbox is self-defeating. 

Alas, with time's inexorable march forward, things change.  In the past decade there's been a revolution in transmission tech.  Slushboxes were usually inferior to manuals in terms of acceleration and fuel economy.  But now we're seeing autos with six, seven, and eight gears, maximizing economy and keeping the motor in the power band.  Automated manuals and dual clutches now offer near instantaneous shifts which no human could match.  They also have the advantage of letting the driver do the shifting when desired, or leaving it to the computer when feeling lazy.

It's getting to the point where most Ferraris don't even offer a manual tranny anymore.  Over at Porsche, the PDK seven speed is sure to become the favored transmission in time.  So when performance and convenience are better with these newfangled devices, are gearheads still going to demand a clutch pedal?

Still, changing gears for yourself is a great way to add to driver involvement.  If you're able, just once, get a car with a manual.  Yes, it'll be more work, but it'll change the way you feel about driving.