Ok guys I want your honest opinion on automatic tranny sport cars. I drive an automatic RX-8 and many other automatic sports cars before this one and I wanna know what's the deal with all the backlash on the automatic tranny..... particularly on sports cars. I hear all kinds of things especially from the younger crowd where they all think they are race car drivers. Here are some of the things I have heard and have been said to my face from various people.

"Automatics are for the lazy"

"Automatics are for people who don't know how to drive"

"Shiftable automatics are for people who wish they knew how to drive stick"

"Automatics are for *******"

"Automatics are for ricers"

And the list goes on.........

I personally don't understand. Why can't I appreciate an automatic sports car and not be a true car guy? I own a 94 Mazda Miata thats a manual and I can drive manual cars very well. I prefer an automatic transmission cause I enjoy the luxury of one especially on the newer cars. In my opinion shiftable automatics are the best thing to ever come out for cars. You have the best of both worlds. Sure manual cars have their advantages in racing and what not but why hate on a car that is driven on the streets and never raced because it's an automatic.

The younger crowd especially annoy me with this. I was recently at a car meet where there are older guys with their Mustangs and Camaros as well as the younger crowd with their Honda's and Toyota's. We all get along pretty good but I see a lot of the younger guys really ripping on people with automatic cars. Half of these kids drive stock Honda's with body kits and all stock motors and they think they are on top of the world. My automatic RX-8 could stomp most of these kids cars any day of the week.

Anyways I want your guys honest opinions on what you think.

 

Before the flaming starts and I'm hoping it won't, here's my opinion.
The joy of driving a sports car is how it connects you to to the road. It's being involved with action of driving. Anything that disconnects you from that experience turns driving a car into merely steering. A automatic transmission, in a sports car, does just that. I would put other drivers aids in that same category, like cruise control, TSC/DSC, and others. These aides belong on GT's.
Automatic transmissions have their place. I have a Jeep with one and wouldn't want it with a manual.

 

haters gonna hate. that being said i hate autos. not bashing you just my feeling. i own 3 cars right now and my subie (gfs car) is the only auto. its a fully loaded legacy with every option and the only thing i hate about it is the trans.

if you love your car who cares what others think

 

I'm with Al on this.

Driving a sports car is all about feel and control. I want control of every aspect i can. It sounds cheesy, but a in a proper car, i feel at one with it. With an auto (even very well done DSG/auto-manual boxes) i don't feel the same. They are far less involving. Even with a good paddle shifter i feel like i'm just steering the car. Hell i don't even like the auto rev match feature of the 370Z. It takes away from my involvement with the car.

"Its not a real Vette if it's an auto. It's nothing but a status symbol." - My classic vette owning father.

I believe "Vette" can be substituted with any other "sports car" and the quote still holds true.

 

For some people automatics make sense, for bad asses like me, a 6 speed manual is the only obvious choice.

 

He's a legend in his own mind.

 

I like what you said. I don't feel disconnected from the experience just cause it's an automatic. I daily drive my RX-8 and it's in fact a GT and I love all those extra features like heated seats and the paddle shifters. Like I said I'm not a race car driver and none of my cars will ever see a track. I live pretty close to Chicago and drive in heavy traffic daily and I can tell you from experience that a manual tranny in heavy traffic is no fun. Just cause I preffer an automatic doesn't make me any less of a car guy. I love my sports cars and will most likely always own one.

 

It sounds to me like you are seeking approval from others. If you like your car and you are happy with your purchase then what is the point of this thread?

 

All the pretty ladies tell me I'm a bad *** so it has to be true.

 

Not at all. I just wanna know why there is so much backlash towards automatics

 

I think just because they are kind of lame and take the fun out of driving hard (for those who do drive hard and track occasionally). And because historically autos are slower than manual transmission equipped cars. Autos have come a long way though.

It's all personal preference.

 

For me is it part of the enjoyment and being connected with the car and the road. I do not get the same sense with an automatic. Even when using paddle shifters.

 

The backlash towards automatics comes about because a lot of people feel that a sports car with an auto is just a status symbol. I feel that way too for the most part, but i won't bash anyone for it. Just because you don't plan on tracking the car doesn't make any difference. Do you still go out and tear up the twisties? Is it just A to B transportation to you? I know that there are a lot of people out there that think it's a waste to own a sports car if you aren't driving it as it was intended. Having an auto in a sports car is along the same lines. Just like when people get **** for buying the v6 version of a mustang or a camaro, regular impreza vs. wrx/sti, lancer vs. evo, 2wd vs 4wd truck, etc. It's everywhere. There's purists, posers, and everything in between all through modern car culture.

I get picked on all the time for my torque-less, underpowered, rotary car by my M-car and P-car owning friends. It's all in good fun and the all know my car can hold it's own everywhere but in a straight line. They'd laugh at me more if i was bothered by it.

Take a deep breathe and stop caring what other people think. Use you auto sports car to get the groceries and drop the kids off at school. Embarrass the bullies in your next spirited, twisty road drive.

 

^In fairness a lot of the new sports cars are designed with an automatic transmission.

 

Yeah, soon traditional manual transmissions will be gone completely thanks to lazy asses. So many people look at manual transmission as such a hassle because they can't talk, text, drink coffee and shift at the same time. My 8 is my therapy, when I drive, I drive, nothing else.

 

These days top line race cars (F1, Indycar) are essentially automatic, with paddle shifters and the driver not using the clutch except maybe for starting. Automatics have the advantage of one less task for the driver. Ralph DePalma took a shot at it by having his nephew ride with him and shift gears. In the 1930s preselector gearboxes got partway to automatics. Do I need to mention Jim Hall again?

Since there'a a lot of Walter Mitty in driving a sports car on the street, having an auto with paddle shifters lets one imagine they're Sebastien Vettel or Alex Yoong.

So it opens the pleasure of sports cars to those without the competence and coordination to shift gears. Who but Ayn Rand could object to that?

Ken

 

The newer automatics shift faster then we can and do not miss shifts so there is some validity to making the switch. For me though I would rather be a touch slower with a manual then having one of the new automatics. Also the expense of repairing one of the new automatics is very expensive.

 

But what about in Europe? Don't they primarily drive manual or am I hearing things?

 

Humm No, you may not have a gear lever to shift, but gears are still being selected. You don't have that in an automatic trans. You still remain involved in in the driving experience with these transmissions.

 

not that i could buy one but i love the 458 and think its the sexiest car ever built. hell i like the gtr alot too but it bothers me that you cant get a stick in them. more exotics are going this way and it makes me sad

 

True, paddle shifts have come a long way in the past few years and manufacturers have figured out that in the 0-60 wars they have to use the paddles in order to stay on top. The 911 is the prime example...if there was ever a traditionalist car that shouldn't have an auto tranny this is the one...and yet there it is, paddles where there should be 3 pedals and a stick. Personally I am very old school and think all real sports cars should have a manual and I have driven a number of paddle cars and find them very boring....its just like going to the track and driving a go kart...fun but not nearly as fun as it could be. Society is becoming more and more lazy and with traffic congestion and bumper to bumper traffic taking over cities many people just can't be bothered to drive anything but an auto. I have yet to own an auto transmission car in 30 some years of car ownership and my other hobbies are shifting sportbikes and bicycles so shifting is fun for me.

 

Most of the world really. There are far more auto cars offered and bought in NA than anywhere else.

My South American in-laws had to wait weeks when they ordered and auto in their citroen.

 

I wouldnt mind à dubble clutch (like pdk, dsg) auto in My track day rx-8. Really only time i enjoy the 6 speed MT is on the road not on the track.

And yes i can stift perfect but an fast robot auto is better and faster.

Sadly the auto in the rx-8 isent any good.

 

Yes I still use my car to tear up the twisties. It would be completely pointless to own a sports car like this to just drive to work and back. I also don't care what people think cause I'm gonna keep driving my automatics no matter what.

 

Says who? Sure it might not shift on a dime but the lag is hardly noticable. Have you driven some of the other cars out there that have them? After you have driven those cars you will say that the RX-8's is pretty good. I do agree that a DSG is pretty sweet. I drove a VW R32 with the DSG and it is pretty sick. Too bad I didn't like the looks of the car.