Manual V8 sedans are becoming rare.

[JuiceSSV]

I guess F1 drivers, rally car drivers etc must have no brains....

F1 cars are so quick now you couldn't drive them without the paddles.

Ferrari and Lambos are just produced to follow this technology as a marketing thing. They are quicker than manuals but if they were true drivers car they would sell them as manuals too, but people who buy those cars don't want the manual gearbox.

Rally cars still have a clutch but use a sequential box which is arguably still manual.

[evil_ss]

F1 cars are so quick now you couldn't drive them without the paddles.

Ferrari and Lambos are just produced to follow this technology as a marketing thing. They are quicker than manuals but if they were true drivers car they would sell them as manuals too, but people who buy those cars don't want the manual gearbox.

Rally cars still have a clutch but use a sequential box which is arguably still manual.

I get what you are saying, as I love driving my manual, but you say true drivers cars are full manual- well that cancels out a lot of the super cars in existence. I believe it is the way of the future and manuals are heading towards extinction.

[JuiceSSV]

100%.. I only bought my v8 manual ute as they are living on borrowed time. Wanted one as a kid in high school, give it 10 years they probably won't be sold anymore.

[Marco]

I did one of those supercars drive days a few weeks back and came away thinking that the 911, R8 and Vantage would all have been better as manuals. The F430 on the other hand is just such an OMG experience to drive that the lack of manual transmission just didn't matter.

[planetdavo]

It's cheaper too. No doubt a large factor

I don't doubt cheaper.
But look at where the world has been heading for years now, with 5 star ANCAP/NCAP ratings considered very important to many buyers. Leg injuries are a factor in reaching these 5 star results, so many cars now feature "breakaway pedals" to improve the rating. As does VE.
No conspiracy theories required.

[planetdavo]

I get what you are saying, as I love driving my manual, but you say true drivers cars are full manual- well that cancels out a lot of the super cars in existence. I believe it is the way of the future and manuals are heading towards extinction.

"Progress" isn't always "better". Is the planet actually a happier place since technology invaded our lives from every angle possible? Nope.
In the case of supercars, many of the buyers are rich people that probably couldn't drive a "proper" manual car if they tried. Not to mention wanting to have something different to the common folk that only spend 10% of what they did on a car, so they can feel all superior and all.

[Smitty]

I guess F1 drivers, rally car drivers etc must have no brains....

my comments were based on having driven the Ferrari road car with paddles
... as a comparison against my MANUAL SSv and my son-in-laws MANUAL Ferrari 360
and yes it really needs no brains to steer the flappy paddle version

it was not a comparison based on competition vehicles

[charlie15]

I did a thorough search on carsales for a used manual Holden v8 (ls1 and newer) and found that most people are asking at least 3-5k more for the manuals. If someone's looking for one with low kms in a manual they'll be hard pressed to find one at a decent price. Becoming rare even in older models.

[HSV,_I_GOT_ONE]

I gotta say I'm a fan of the flappy paddles in the Ferrari. I did one of those super car drive days as well which had a Gallardo (manual) and a 360 (flappy paddle). I thought the Gallardo was going to be the nicer one to drive and experience as it was the newer car and manual. Instead I fell in love with the Ferrari. The Gallardo was great and had a nice sound etc etc. but for some reason I didn't feel comfortable in it. The ferarri on the other hand felt like a glove. Everything about it made me feel comfortable from the get go and made me feel like the best driver in the world. That said not all flappy pedals are created equal. Have a go at an Alfa 147 GTA selespeed (different from their normal selespeeds so don't be confused with a base 147) but that thing was an aboslute dog in traffic. I think it would be at home on a track but I was test driving through the CBD at the time. Hated it.

My thoughts on why manuals are getting shown the door. The power in cars these days is getting to the point that the clutches required to handle the oomph are getting too heavy for a factory show room car. New generation gear boxes are now quicker than what a person can shift these days. And finally the driveability and ease of use factor for all types of driving is there with a twitch of a finger. I understand peoples perception of how fun a manual is (I am one too, my clubby is manual) but these new gen DSG's and dual clutch gearboxes are really quite good. Punt one hard through some of the twisties and I think they still demand the same amount of concentration if not more. It's too easy to slap that paddle too many times and get the gear wrong in these if you're not used to it.

[XUV]

Real drivers use a clutch

u don't need no stinking clutch ,lol , use to get the weirdest look when upshifting sans clutch .

[JuiceSSV]

u don't need no stinking clutch ,lol , use to get the weirdest look when upshifting sans clutch .

Fair call but you still need it to get off the line, whether you use it for up shifts is optional

[planetdavo]

I understand peoples perception of how fun a manual is (I am one too, my clubby is manual) but these new gen DSG's and dual clutch gearboxes are really quite good. Punt one hard through some of the twisties and I think they still demand the same amount of concentration if not more. It's too easy to slap that paddle too many times and get the gear wrong in these if you're not used to it.

A sh!t driver will usually find a way to their their "talent" shine through, no matter what the car. Thinks like all wheel drive and flappy paddles just mask it a bit longer...

[VL Executive]

I did a thorough search on carsales for a used manual Holden v8 (ls1 and newer) and found that most people are asking at least 3-5k more for the manuals. If someone's looking for one with low kms in a manual they'll be hard pressed to find one at a decent price. Becoming rare even in older models.

Yeah, but that's sort of always been the case. The manuals get better values than autos in the used market. Especially in performance / sports cars.

[Wonky]

Dont want to upset the VE owners, but is there anything good about the VE? Seriously? Ive driven a number of them (ranging from the base up to the calais and SSV) and ive been massively disappointed. Give me a top spec VZ anyday....

It's all subjective of course but I've had a VY SV8 (26,000km), 2 VZ SSs (30,000+km total) and two VE SSVs (sedan and ute, 80,000+km total) all autos due to having no choice with my disabilities and after driving them day in, day out over 9 years IMHO the VEs have been hands down the better cars to drive. In particular every time I get in the ute I have a big smile on my face because it just goes, sounds and handles so well. The A6 has been tuned by Chev and particularly with the extra oil capacity with the Cadillac A6 pan is smooth and decisive.

[GR346]

It took me ages to find my manual VZ R8, especially in the colour I wanted (Devil Yellow). Even the people that arent into their cars as much as other people have cottened on to the fact that the stick versions are worth a little more as their harder to come by. I guess it makes the bargaining process just that litle more challenging