Cars with ONLY a manual transmission

"BadMotorScooter" (badmotorscooter)
09/14/2014 at 20:33 • Filed to: None

I was thinking how back in the day you could tell a real sports car because it was only available with a manual trans. No automatic available. But now there seems to be a small number in this category. Are there any others for sale now in the US? It is still a sign of a true performance car in these examples.

Focus/Fiesta ST

Viper

Z/28

Abarth 500

DISCUSSION (27)

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:35

I may be alone in this belief, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:38

GT500, you can probably buy a new 2014 model. And the 500 Abarth now has an automatic.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
09/14/2014 at 20:38

I think paddle shifters or the flappy-paddle-gearbox is a wonderful thing.

"Hey we brought my car but you're the DD tonight, ok?"

*massive amounts of clutch and gear grinding the entire way home*

deekster_caddy > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:38

It is good for two things -

1) keep big power out of the hands of people who don't know how to drive (ineffective)

2) save gas (not the case anymore)

lonestranger > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:39

WRX STi, and, umm...

Blue 2000 > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:42

The Fiat 500 Abarth comes with an auto now. They even have a commercial.

BadMotorScooter > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
09/14/2014 at 20:45

I forgot about the new auto Abarth. That makes me sad...

BadMotorScooter > lonestranger
09/14/2014 at 20:47

Forgot about the WRX STi

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:49

Ohhhh, does this mean my Cobalt is a true sports car then for reals? You could only get the SS (I refuse to acknowledge the NA "SS" in this category. Even Chevy changed it to Sport after a few years.) with a stick.

Vimto > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:51

Civic Si

BadMotorScooter > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
09/14/2014 at 20:54

Well, I presume GM made it manual only because they didn't have an auto that could handle the power. So, yeah, that is kinda my point.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 20:57

I think it's the opposite. I recall a lot of older high-power cars didn't come with a manual because with the transmission tech at the time, only automatics were robust enough to handle the output.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
09/14/2014 at 21:00

Depends on the application. The old drag cars came with high strength automatics because it was better for the strip. Those fractions of a second lost during shifting meant a lot more on a 12 second 1/4 mile pass than they would on a road coruse where being in the powerband of the motor made up more time.

The old high performance road racers came with manual only because it was easier to get an extra gear or two in the same size and weight of an automatic and you had a much easier time when the engine was constantly going up and down the rev range. THAT was the killer of automatics for those cars - they couldn't shift up and down all the time at high revs.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 21:02

Yes, they couldn't find an auto in any of their cars that could handle a raging 260hp.

Not trying to degrade the car, but I doubt that's why the made it manual-only. That's a problem you have with a 600hp Mercedes, not a hot hatch/coupe.

crowmolly > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
09/14/2014 at 21:08

Sort of. In the 60's and 70's most of the fast cars were all manuals. High stall torque converters didn't really exist (that's why the clutchflites and such were around) and the only people running them had factory backing.

BadMotorScooter > Vimto
09/14/2014 at 21:09

Good catch

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > crowmolly
09/14/2014 at 21:11

True, just pointing out why the drag racing transmission of choice since the 70s and 80s has been a built automatic but why road racers didn't want something without a clutch pedal until dual clutches came along.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 22:04

Abarth isn't going to be manual only for much longer :(

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
09/14/2014 at 22:26

GM front drive auto transaxles really couldn't. They suck, like all GM transmissions.

phenotyp > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 22:36

Third-gen MR2s, until the SMG in 2002.

samssun > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 23:05

STI, and the TT RS (here it's manual only, while in Europe it's DSG only)

shop-teacher > BadMotorScooter
09/14/2014 at 23:18

Class 8 big rig. Hardly a sports car, but I believe those are still manual only.

Two Drink Minimum > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
09/16/2014 at 13:06

I'm as die-hard a manual driver as you will meet, but I just can't get too upset about the Autobarth. It's a very niche product already as a raucous, A-segment sportscar. I think it's a smart move by Fiat to make the Abarth available to more drivers.

Zendax > Vimto
09/16/2014 at 18:01

That's what I like about the Si. You see one and you know that, all other things aside, guy (or gal) knows how to drive a stick.

Braniff747SP > BadMotorScooter
09/16/2014 at 19:20

WRX STi.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > BadMotorScooter
09/16/2014 at 19:57

Abarth 500 has an auto now..

Cobalt SS Turbo and SC was only available in Manual.

EleventhFromHeaven > BadMotorScooter
09/16/2014 at 20:18

Abarth 500 and 500 turbo are soon gonna be available with a manual. Shelby gt500 counts too, no other auto transmission could handle the gt500's torque so they basically said, "Who cares, the only people who would be buying this car should at least know how to drive stick." XD