The cars and bikes thread!

[Raza]

Like countless other manual, more visceral, connected ways we used to interact with our cars that have been made automatic or power assisted, it's being replaced in most vehicles with automatics or dual clutch sequentials. Manuals used to be better for performance and fuel economy, now there are other ways to deliver power that are better. As I mentioned above, I think big trucks are still maintaining a clutch pedal. I am not familiar with any tech there, so they may be moving to automatics, like buses, trash trucks, etc did many years ago? Are there automatic systems to switch between the gear ratios on the axles?

As far as the Corvette "no longer being a Corvette", if that's your opinion, I'm sure it's valid to you. You weren't in the market for one, it seems like yelling at clouds.

I think the C8 is a nice evolution of the brand and it should show it's taillights to much more expensive sports cars, which was always the point.

For the record, I was considering a Corvette, but now that it's automatic-only, I'd much rather buy a C7 (kind of hoping they take a hit because of the C8, wouldn't mind a bargain). Like I said, this car is set to be a winner--but it's not a Corvette to me.

[Raza]

I've heard single or dual clutch sequential transmissions referred to as automated manuals, since there was a clutch, the transmission guts resembled a traditional manual, and in many there was some level of interaction to make them operate properly (a la BMW's original SMG in my E60 M5). Most car people I know make a distinction between an automatic utilizing fluid/torque converter vs other automated shifting transmissions. Keep in mind that many automakers refer to their sequential or dual clutch transmissions as automatics to make them simpler for the car buying public to understand.

Single ACTs were described as "automated manuals" when they first came out, which is, of course, an oxymoron. Nobody looks at a door that opens and closes on its own and says "that's an automated version of a manually operated door", they say "that's an automatic door". Once you automate something, it becomes automatic. And automated manual, therefore is an automatic. Calling something semiautomatic may be colorful marketing language, but the "semi" is superfluous; maybe it meant something in 2003, when Tiptronic transmissions weren't commonplace, but now if you sit someone in a car with a 7 speed DCT and a car with a 7AT Tiptronic and have him drive them, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two in 99.9% of driving situations. I own and drive regularly a car with a DCT and it's easy to forget that it's "a manual" compared to a torque converter automatic. Behind the wheel, if you put it in D, it acts just like a conventional automatic. Put it in manual mode and it acts a lot like a conventional automatic in manual mode, including upshifting if you get too close to redline.

If it acts automatically, it is an automatic.

[Seriously]

If it acts automatically, it is an automatic.

Unless it's a DCT gearbox, in which case its an automated manual

[Raza]

Unless it's a DCT gearbox, in which case its an automated manual

An automated anything is automatic.

[Seriously]

[Raza]

[happyscrappyheropup]

Single ACTs were described as "automated manuals" when they first came out, which is, of course, an oxymoron. Nobody looks at a door that opens and closes on its own and says "that's an automated version of a manually operated door", they say "that's an automatic door". Once you automate something, it becomes automatic. And automated manual, therefore is an automatic. Calling something semiautomatic may be colorful marketing language, but the "semi" is superfluous; maybe it meant something in 2003, when Tiptronic transmissions weren't commonplace, but now if you sit someone in a car with a 7 speed DCT and a car with a 7AT Tiptronic and have him drive them, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two in 99.9% of driving situations. I own and drive regularly a car with a DCT and it's easy to forget that it's "a manual" compared to a torque converter automatic. Behind the wheel, if you put it in D, it acts just like a conventional automatic. Put it in manual mode and it acts a lot like a conventional automatic in manual mode, including upshifting if you get too close to redline.

If it acts automatically, it is an automatic.

If a transmission does not shift on it's own, is it a manual or automatic transmission?

[happyscrappyheropup]

For the record, I was considering a Corvette, but now that it's automatic-only, I'd much rather buy a C7 (kind of hoping they take a hit because of the C8, wouldn't mind a bargain). Like I said, this car is set to be a winner--but it's not a Corvette to me.

They've already taken a hit. 2019s have been on sale all year. You can get a new GS hardtop and cab for mid 50s. Z06s are on sale, too.

[Raza]

They've already taken a hit. 2019s have been on sale all year. You can get a new GS hardtop and cab for mid 50s. Z06s are on sale, too.

Wow. C7s should be cheap by the time I'm ready to replace my Z4.

[Raza]

If a transmission does not shift on it's own, is it a manual or automatic transmission?

If it cannot shift on its own, it's likely a manual. There have been transmissions, like the Sportomatic, which required manual shifting, but were still referred to as automatics.