It's sad, but I think it's the beginning of the end for the manual tranny. I have spent countless hours trying to teach my brother in-law how to drive a manual transmission. He's incapable and will not buy a car unless it's auto or dct. (he's Chinese go figure.) Most young people that are training to get their drivers license do it in an automatic car. I think it's over for old school guys like us. 5 years from now maybe you'll see a manual offered as an expensive option. The people have spoken and the manufacturers are listening. The people who are passionate and devoted don't mean ****. They are in the business of selling cars. I love my Viper and every time I fire it up I smile, I don't kid myself though, no one sitting in the board room gives a ****. JD
I disagree completely. Auto manufacturers push what's best for them and if a DCT makes their race car offering faster in testing then that's it. If GT3 Porsche is faster with DCT and they stop offering a manual then all the buyers who have loved the manual in their past GT3's are just as happy to switch to whatevers fastest. That's really all racers, wannabe racers and racer posers care about. And those buyers seem awfully willing to give up anything else Porsche decides to take away, like the preferred feel of hydraulic steering. They line up and accept whatever because its the newest, fastest and greatest GT3 ever. It's hugely expensive, performs great and strokes their egos in the same way the 911 Turbo S strokes those into 0-60 and 1/4 mile stats. In the strange Porsche world they even get away with hanging an engine out the rear behind the axle. Thank goodness for electronic stability and traction control systems that can manage that poor design. But Porsche does recognize that there are enthusiast drivers who choose the manual over anything computer controlled for the most engaging driving experience possible, and they offer the manual on other 911's and other models.
Viper's mission is road racing and they've managed to stay at the top with a manual. I suspect they may need a quicker tranny at some point, and perhaps AWD as well to get the power down. But I don't see Dodge abandoning the manual for those wanting the most envolving driving experience in a Viper anymore than I can see Porsche preserving it the GT3. Many buyers choose a Viper for very different reasons than they do other models that happen to come with a DCT, and while I hope Dodge will offer one for those who would like one, the manual is very much here to stay on a Viper and many other performance cars I think. I'd expect to see a resurgence in the stick's popularity, and some brands re-introduce it. Jaguar is working on a manual for the F-Type after decades of auto only, and I'd have kept my XKR had it had one. I tried paddle shifting but felt robbed of a rewarding element of performance driving and traded it for the Viper. Others have found the same. Some buyers have chosen an Aston over Jaguar to get a stick in a similarly elegant car.
My kids grew up with sports cars with sticks and heaps of performance, and they love the manual gearbox for the unique driving experience that separates those from their everyday boring rides. They also like that they actually have to focus more on driving, and they like that too. The manual is here to stay, and having it will help some cars feel that much more special for those that want a bit of relief from the everyday auto.
