A quiet drive

[FLEKTARN]

I like a manual transmission, but they are getting hard to find. The newer CVTs and 8-10 speed automatic transmissions are becoming more efficient than a manual shifter and you know how large companies are about mandating efficiency. Their tax rates depend on CAFE standards and how efficient their line of cars are. That screws the purist. Buy a classic.

At least Ford is still putting manual trans in their Mustangs. You won't see that with new sports Audis, and Mercedes-Benzes. Audi's politics has become so gay during the last 15-20 years, same as Mercedes. Only BMW is still using sticks for their powerful cars.

[FLEKTARN]

I like a manual transmission, but they are getting hard to find. The newer CVTs and 8-10 speed automatic transmissions are becoming more efficient than a manual shifter and you know how large companies are about mandating efficiency. Their tax rates depend on CAFE standards and how efficient their line of cars are. That screws the purist. Buy a classic.

This!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2008-Dodge-Cha ... 0&LH_BIN=1

[Valkie]

I like a manual transmission, but they are getting hard to find. The newer CVTs and 8-10 speed automatic transmissions are becoming more efficient than a manual shifter and you know how large companies are about mandating efficiency. Their tax rates depend on CAFE standards and how efficient their line of cars are. That screws the purist. Buy a classic.

This!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2008-Dodge-Cha ... 0&LH_BIN=1

I used to enjoy manual transmissions, but over the last 15 years traffic has become so bad that even a nice Sunday drive is gridlocked.
You can no longer enjoy "driving" as you are continually watched by cameras, cops and speed camera cars.
Traffic is bumper to bumper
Roads are crap and you have your foot on the clutch nearly all the time.

My last manual car was a Honda, lovely car, perfect gearbox.
But after commuting to and from Sydney for 12 months, I quickly go over manual transmissions, now it's auto for me.
My nice new 4x4 is also an auto, better for the type of driving experienced in rough tracks.

No more manual transmissions for me.

[FLEKTARN]

I like a manual transmission, but they are getting hard to find. The newer CVTs and 8-10 speed automatic transmissions are becoming more efficient than a manual shifter and you know how large companies are about mandating efficiency. Their tax rates depend on CAFE standards and how efficient their line of cars are. That screws the purist. Buy a classic.

This!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2008-Dodge-Cha ... 0&LH_BIN=1

I used to enjoy manual transmissions, but over the last 15 years traffic has become so bad that even a nice Sunday drive is gridlocked.
You can no longer enjoy "driving" as you are continually watched by cameras, cops and speed camera cars.
Traffic is bumper to bumper
Roads are crap and you have your foot on the clutch nearly all the time.

My last manual car was a Honda, lovely car, perfect gearbox.
But after commuting to and from Sydney for 12 months, I quickly go over manual transmissions, now it's auto for me.
My nice new 4x4 is also an auto, better for the type of driving experienced in rough tracks.

No more manual transmissions for me.

Same thing in capital cities around here. It's a suicide, self-strangulation, if you drive a manual in a city like Sofia, Bucureshti, Budapeshta, Milano, you get the picture.

[Valkie]

Even riding a motorcycle these days is no longer a pleasure.
All the best roads are patrolled endlessly for artificially low speed limits.

My old bike, a 1500 cc 6 cylinder, 6 carburetor monster, barely got out of second on most "bike" roads we once enjoyed.
The Old Pacific highway between Sydney and the Central Coast often has more cops than riders.
The road to Wollumbi is full of cops and even the back roads in southern Sydney have more cops than a dog has fleas.

Once hero pegs were ground away to the foot rest on many of these roads, now you'd be lucky to even make contact with the road.

I sold my beautiful bike about 7 years ago when the cops went stupid and started hiding in camouflage gear on the old Pacific.
Never got me, I'm wise to the base turds.
But now it's even harder, with speed camera cars and constantly changing speed zones.
Now I drive slow, my skills deteriorating daily as I no longer push myself.
When we all drive at 10k under the speed limit, they will reduce the speed limit more and more.
Eventually, anything over 40k will be classed as dangerous driving.

But do they actually catch the Truely dangerous drivers?
Not on your Nelly
They spend so much time and effort raising revenue, that the Truely dangerous drivers get missed all the time.
I see it every day on the M1.
Nutcases who can't drive, but who never get caught.
But do 10k over the limit on a perfectly flat safe road with no one around, and you are gone.