Quote:
Originally Posted by BRAKE!
I used to be a strictly manual guy - if you were buying a sports car and there was a manual option, I'd think you were crazy if you got the auto/dual clutch instead.
But, since I've been driving on the track, I come to appreciate the auto so much more. I genuinely enjoy shifting with the paddles and like you said - the auto transmission helps you focus your mind where it should be out on the track - ahead at the next corner, focusing on corner entry, exit, trail braking, etc. I feel that in this environment, having a manual is not an extra level of engagement, it's a nuisance. For that reason, if I was getting a car to be used on the track for my fun experiences, I would get an auto. Ex. if I got a GT3 or GT4, I would get the PDK.
However, for this car, I'm buying a manual. It will be my afterwork/weekend toy used for back roads, small trips, cruises, CCA meet ups. In the environment I'll be driving it in, having a manual would be way more engaging. I'm not looking at hitting corner apex, rather, I'll just be shifting at WOT when getting on the on/off ramps, small drifts when leaving a 4 way stop, and listening to the exhaust under the overpass, etc. It's way more fun to drive manual here because you can really control your car's behavior with all of your limbs vs clicking the paddles twice with your finger.
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Very good point about track use and the automatic transmission. I feel the same way about my Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Since I use it off road I prefer the automatic transmission so I can pay attention and not hit trees. I’m a manual guy through and through but for Offroading it’s hard to beat an automatic these days!