My distaste for autos is largely because they have taken over the automotive world and the experience of rowing your own gears is getting harder and harder to find.
When it comes to drag racing, the advantages of automatics are significant. Quicker, less abusive on the rest of the drivetrain, more reliable, etc. No doubts nor arguments from me there.
My personal view is also shaped by this growing realization…almost nobody on this forum has a built up, hotrodded Abody that would even come close to the stock performance electric cars that have been on the road for the past half a decade or so. Keep in mind that what constitutes “quick” acceleration is 100% relative. Just looking back to the 1990s, a sub 6 second 0-60 was respectable. 13s in the quarter was legitimately quick. Now, these numbers are within reach of a Hybrid RAV4 soccer mom mobile, they would be humiliated by a base model bar of soap Tesla Model 3 or Y or whatever they call their lower end cars.
So if the primary advantage of an automatic is picking up a couple of tenths in the quarter mile and maybe getting beat by a Tesla by 15 car lengths rather than 20, the driver engagement and fun of a manual transmission becomes MUCH more important. That’s something that an electric absolutely cannot replicate.
My 904 does pretty well. With the outgoing motor, I had it shifting in just the RPM, the shift kit (Transgo TF2) helped it to chirp between WOT shifts satisfyingly. The ratios were acceptable even if there were too few. It has been a good experience. Also, my pops daily drives a Scatpack Challenger with the ZF 8spd and he will throw the keys at me any time I ask. Good lord that thing snaps off shifts in a thrilling way. It’s admittedly awesome. Not sure what other autos would change my mind…
