Quote:
Originally Posted by ZMM_OMG
However... no configuration of automatic can replace the interaction and connectedness one feels with one's car when equipped with a manual. Heel-and-toeing and perfectly executed rev-matched downshifts are a skill. Maintaining chassis balance when diving into a corner is an accomplishment. In an automatic it's computer programming. A manual forces you to focus your attention to the task of driving. An automatic lets you look at your Twitter feed between stoplights.
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All true, 100% agree...
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZMM_OMG
So the real question of which transmission to purchase is a matter of how you intend to use the car. Do you want transportation, or do you want an experience?
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Here is where there is a gray area... the "experience" I have when I use the manual mode of my 8 AT is exhilarating to say the least. The way the car accelerates and bangs through the gears is unlike any manual I've driven. For anyone that's raced motorcycles and has experienced clutchless upshifts- that is the closest comparison I can make to the 8 AT. It's brilliant. No, it's not the same as a 3 pedal car. Yes, a real manual requires skill to master, but the 8 AT is no less fun, and that is the difference between it and a typical "slush box".
