Random Thoughts.....What Are You Thinking?

My GRC auto-blips also, which I have mixed feelings on.

It was really fun at first, just downshifting and automatically having the revs match up without messing with it was really fun. It's accurate 100% of the time, which is helpful considering how weird that car revs compared to other sticks I've had.

OTOH it feels like it robs some of the manual-ness out of it and, even though I can turn it off, I'm hesitant to do so. The motor has a weird feel to it and a lot of people are burning up their clutches at <20k miles and Toyota is refusing to warranty them, so I figure leaving it on might be a safer bet.

The gearing in the Porsches I've had over the years is a lot more enjoyable to drive IMO, but *** they are getting expensive to maintain.

The standards used to be more fuel efficiency back then since you could stay in a gear before a hill or a shift to predict what would be needed when an auto would just rev up unnecessarily based on current needs that second etc

But now its the opposite and computer accuracy with shifting has made the automatics more fuel efficient than caveman lizard brains, so no worries there.

New autos are faster, too. Used to be times would be quicker with the manual, but new autos (like PDK) put down better times than manuals will, they can shift faster than any person could.

I've only driven one PDK car and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to buy one. Personally for me, the newer a car gets the further it gets from something I actually enjoy driving.

Plus almost all new luxury cars let you gear shift freely anyway while in automatic for fun with the + and - options in drive, so minimal losses there

Even my electric has the little + and - buttons on the wheel for fun manual shifting silliness

It's part of the reason I love bikes so much. Even though most have a quick shifter now days, you can always use the clutch and do it yourself and it feels amazing to do it like that.

Most quick shifters on bikes work better going up not down anyway, manual down shifts are usually smoother, except on race bikes at >10k RPM but those aren't meant for the street.

haven't had a license in a long time but I loved the manual drive on my Ford Ranger growing up. definitely changes the whole driving experience for the better.

The only thing I drove from like age 15-25 was a Chevy equivalent of that called a 1991 Chevy S10. They were both fun little trucks.

Or should I say the far superior version of that Found On Road Dead vehicle

At the expensive end sure.

For what Joe Sixpack could afford the muscle car era still cannot be beat. I have a story ....

Have you drive those electrics yet Catwho?

I bet that base model tesla 3 versus a base model same price generic muscle car would probably get smoked for off the line speed, it's not just the expensive luxuries

Most electrics smoke gas cars. Its that full torque at liftoff thing. Steamers did that too way back when. But quicker =/= faster.