Save the Manuals (Malibooya's Project Thread)

[ZX4STDoug]

Originally Posted by Crunchy

Is driving a manual a distraction or would it force the kid to pay more attention to his driving? He won't be texting and yakking on his cell and eating cheeseburgers.

Oh, I totally agree with you. Everyone is too busy texting while driving and parents today seem too afraid to set boundries. I think a lot figure "the kid is going to text, regardless of what I say" so in their mind, a manual would be a distraction. Some people just aren't too bright.

[truth1110]

If you are truly a car person a stick is the only option. I mean what car would you rather have on a track? People with autos are usually the type to just use a car as a way to get from point a to point b. Most with sticks have serious pride in their car and go above and beyond normal maintenance. Not trying to get anyone upset just basing this off my friends and people I meet at shows ect.

[indy_11]

Originally Posted by Crunchy

Is driving a manual a distraction or would it force the kid to pay more attention to his driving? He won't be texting and yakking on his cell and eating cheeseburgers.

meh. not unless you're in fifth. i still eat while i drive and roll through the gears. as for texting, it's either at a stop light or a one word text in fifth (or any place safe from other people). I don't understand why people say it keeps the texting away, if you're not shifting constantly like you were in a race it really doesn't matter. but why text when you have something enjoyable to drive?

[mac.mogul]

You really don't shift that often while driving unless you're in town and going from stop light to stop light.

I think all teens should be taught to drive a manual though. It forces you to think a lot more about your driving technique than an automatic does. You have more control over the vehicle and you are much more aware of your surroundings as a result.

[indy_11]

Originally Posted by mac.mogul

I think all teens should be taught to drive a manual though. It forces you to think a lot more about your driving technique than an automatic does. You have more control over the vehicle and you are much more aware of your surroundings as a result.

if i had a video of my friend comparing her driving in the parking lot and on the road it would prove this very well. in the parking lot she was fine. not the greatest but she got it down. but when we got into traffic it freaked her out. like she was never taught at all.

btw, if we wanted to do an interview, how would that work? would we have to sign up or something?

[Crunchy]

They still love manuals in Europe. Some Europeans say that Americans have little idea what makes a great car. But is it any wonder when many of us don’t even know what makes a great road? Here in pancake-flat Illinois (state motto – Tolls R Us) all the roads are laid out on a grid: you drive straight for a while, turn 90 degrees, then drive straight some more. Sometimes the most exciting thing is dodging the potholes. And those are the kind of roads that influence an American’s idea of what a luxury car is: one that insulates you from those potholes, insulates you from the road, insulates you from the driving itself. Have you ever driven a manual in a Chicago freeway traffic jam, averaging 3-4 mph for half an hour? Why bother engaging yourself in the driving experience when the roads just aren’t that engaging?

That said, there is one thing you can do with a manual that you cannot with any other transmission, whether it’s a regular automatic or a fancy dual-clutch paddle-shifter, and that’s heel-and-toe a perfectly matched downshift while braking hard into a corner with all four tires right at the limit of adhesion. When I can string a couple of those together in the big end of the powerband (not often!), it never fails to put a huge grin on my face and make me feel like Mario Andretti. Maybe I would be faster through those corners with a paddle-shifter, but I don’t care. To me, rowing that stick around is what spirited driving is all about.

[truth1110]

Originally Posted by Crunchy

They still love manuals in Europe. Some Europeans say that Americans have little idea what makes a great car. But is it any wonder when many of us don’t even know what makes a great road? Here in pancake-flat Illinois (state motto – Tolls R Us) all the roads are laid out on a grid: you drive straight for a while, turn 90 degrees, then drive straight some more. Sometimes the most exciting thing is dodging the potholes. And those are the kind of roads that influence an American’s idea of what a luxury car is: one that insulates you from those potholes, insulates you from the road, insulates you from the driving itself. Have you ever driven a manual in a Chicago freeway traffic jam, averaging 3-4 mph for half an hour? Why bother engaging yourself in the driving experience when the roads just aren’t that engaging?

That said, there is one thing you can do with a manual that you cannot with any other transmission, whether it’s a regular automatic or a fancy dual-clutch paddle-shifter, and that’s heel-and-toe a perfectly matched downshift while braking hard into a corner with all four tires right at the limit of adhesion. When I can string a couple of those together in the big end of the powerband (not often!), it never fails to put a huge grin on my face and make me feel like Mario Andretti. Maybe I would be faster through those corners with a paddle-shifter, but I don’t care. To me, rowing that stick around is what spirited driving is all about.

I cried a little bit with You all the way man

[Malibooya]

Originally Posted by blueflow94

btw, if we wanted to do an interview, how would that work? would we have to sign up or something?

I'm probably going to make a Google spreadsheet within the next few weeks so I can start getting the source list together. We'll take it from there.

[Bob G]

Has this become some sort of Hollywood Mistique?

I got to thinking about this and was watching 1 of the "Bourne" series movies (with Matt Damon). In a car chase seen where he's driving a BMW the movie shows a lot of closeups of Matt rowing through the gears and clutching as he races through an urban setting.

Also in the movie "Eagle Eye" the gal driving is being held hostage, driving a Porsche Cayenne with a stick and being chased by the cops. Again a lot of closeups of her rowing through the gears and clutching. Of course this time the guy holding her hostage is, shall we say "critiquing" her shifting style.

They both kind of reminded me of the movie "Bullit" with Steve McQueen. Some similar scenes of Steve doing some aggresive shifting as well.

Bob

[Malibooya]

Bump! Talking to my show producers about getting the piece aired. My advisor already cleared it, so now I have to delve into the logistical mess.

Still open to meet new people for the project though, keep it coming guys! And feel free to mention it to your buddies, too.