What if it had a Manual 6 speed
05-25-2017, 01:42 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
What if it had a Manual 6 speed
I remember the first and second generation Legend hand manual gear boxes. I did drive a 2G legend coupe with a manual and that car was pretty fun to drive. The last car to have a manual from Acura is the SH TL's from 10'-14'. I was reading online of a review on the RLX and TLX, that if it would have a manual how much more fun of a drive the car would be. I wouldn't mind having a 6speed RLX, not that Acura would do it but it would be nice.
05-25-2017, 05:32 PM
#2
Three Wheelin'
I could see an optional manual transmission IF Acura came out with a coupe version of the RLX, but a flagship sedan is always going to have some form of automatic transmission. That said, the DCT in the Sport Hybrid shifted with the paddle shifters is a LOT of fun and likely produces faster acceleration and much faster shifts than a manual transmission ever would.
By the way, I drove a '95 Legend Coupe 6-speed for 10 years and it was a great car and a lot of fun. Now that I'm getting older, I don't miss the manual at all and find the Sport Mode button and the paddle shifters more than adequate to scratch my occasional "racers itch".
It is quite possible that we witness the death of the manual transmission in the coming decades as DCT and other transmission technologies advance making auto transmissions that provide amazing performance while also arguably making vehicles safer with less room for driver error.
By the way, I drove a '95 Legend Coupe 6-speed for 10 years and it was a great car and a lot of fun. Now that I'm getting older, I don't miss the manual at all and find the Sport Mode button and the paddle shifters more than adequate to scratch my occasional "racers itch".
It is quite possible that we witness the death of the manual transmission in the coming decades as DCT and other transmission technologies advance making auto transmissions that provide amazing performance while also arguably making vehicles safer with less room for driver error.
Last edited by hondamore; 05-25-2017 at 05:42 PM.
05-25-2017, 06:09 PM
#3
My weekend fun car is a BMW 330Ci ZHP convertible with 6 speed manual transmission. I love driving it on short trips around town as it mentally takes me back to the formative driving days of my long ago youth. Like Hondamore, after a while I get tired of shifting gears and dealing with the cognitive load.
05-25-2017, 07:01 PM
#4
i wonder if you can even do manual with the Hybrid. Too much logic tied to the transmission
Have older BMW convert with 5 speed - still fun to drive, but not in stop and go traffic
Have older BMW convert with 5 speed - still fun to drive, but not in stop and go traffic
05-25-2017, 07:08 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
These are probably at the head of the list of the reasons why manuals fell out of favor here in the US. Years ago in many cars, especially foreign ones, you had an option. Don't see it much anymore. Getakey has a good pondering point with the logic. I would imagine that logic for a manual tranny in a hybrid would be nuts, it at all possible.
05-25-2017, 08:03 PM
#6
Honda had manual transmissions in their hybrid 1999-2006 Insight, 2001-2005 Civic and 2010-2016 Honda CRZ models.
05-25-2017, 08:28 PM
#7
but those did not have independent EVs that run independent of the clutch.
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05-26-2017, 08:31 AM
#8
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We've got to the point that a DCT will be quicker and more efficient than any manual transmission and, perhaps more importantly, we've got to the point where a manual transmission in a Sport Hybrid would complicate the programming immeasurably.
Even if they had a manual that would be appropriate to the powertrain, it would mean that a Sport Hybrid with a manual would not be capable anywhere near the same maneuvers and capabilities of the DCT.
And it would probably also mean no ACC in the car.
Remember that the 4G TL 6-6 SH-AWD that we all loved could only be had as a Technology Package, not Advance Package. :-)
Even if they had a manual that would be appropriate to the powertrain, it would mean that a Sport Hybrid with a manual would not be capable anywhere near the same maneuvers and capabilities of the DCT.
And it would probably also mean no ACC in the car.
Remember that the 4G TL 6-6 SH-AWD that we all loved could only be had as a Technology Package, not Advance Package. :-)
05-26-2017, 09:02 AM
#9
Racer
Thread Starter
I wouldn't want a manual 6spd in a Sport Hybrid, in a PWS I would enjoy it. A DCT does shift quicker then a manual, but I am mainly talking about the enjoyment of having a manual and being able to shift into gears when I feel like it and not when the car tells me when I should shift. Mainly the driving experience, I just to daily drive with a twin disc clutch in D.C. traffic so I am one of those weird people that doesn't mind having a manual in heavy traffic.
05-26-2017, 10:46 AM
#10
Three Wheelin'
I think the driving experience is changing and that is what will lead to the demise of the manual transmission. Some of the examples:
1. Safety has more of a role in automotive design than ever before and giving the driver one less job to do and one less thing to think about by NOT having to manually shift gears will always be considered safer.
2. Fuel economy benefits of manual transmissions over the less-efficient torque converter automatics have been nullified by DCT technology and now it could be argued that the DCT will produce better fuel economy because it can be programmed to always be in the optimal gear for maximum gas mileage.
3. Performance benefits of the manual transmission over less efficient torque converter automatics have been reversed with smart DCT transmissions providing lightning quick shifts and maximizing performance.
4. If or when our society accepts and embraces driverless cars, obviously manual transmissions will be obsolete.
5. This is just the old man in me talking, but "the joy of driving" seems to have changed since I was young. All the guys that I know got a drivers license on their 16th birthday and then bought a car soon after- as soon as they could afford one - just so they could enjoy driving. If 10 of my friends and I went out to a baseball tournament, we often took 11 cars to get there, just because EVERYONE wanted to drive. Today, I have a nephew in his 30's who just bought his first car because he HAD to because his job required him to travel and taking the subway or riding a bike were no longer possible. The next generation of drivers seem to prefer ordering up a driver on their phone to experiencing the joy of driving themselves. Insurance and parking expenses along with fuel and maintenance costs have led to an entirely different attitude toward driving. As a result, the excitement of pressing in the clutch and turning the key and driving around JUST for the fun of driving seems to be a thing of the past. Too bad, it is something I will always remember fondly and something I still do today, only using a push button and paddle shifters instead.
Just my two cents.
1. Safety has more of a role in automotive design than ever before and giving the driver one less job to do and one less thing to think about by NOT having to manually shift gears will always be considered safer.
2. Fuel economy benefits of manual transmissions over the less-efficient torque converter automatics have been nullified by DCT technology and now it could be argued that the DCT will produce better fuel economy because it can be programmed to always be in the optimal gear for maximum gas mileage.
3. Performance benefits of the manual transmission over less efficient torque converter automatics have been reversed with smart DCT transmissions providing lightning quick shifts and maximizing performance.
4. If or when our society accepts and embraces driverless cars, obviously manual transmissions will be obsolete.
5. This is just the old man in me talking, but "the joy of driving" seems to have changed since I was young. All the guys that I know got a drivers license on their 16th birthday and then bought a car soon after- as soon as they could afford one - just so they could enjoy driving. If 10 of my friends and I went out to a baseball tournament, we often took 11 cars to get there, just because EVERYONE wanted to drive. Today, I have a nephew in his 30's who just bought his first car because he HAD to because his job required him to travel and taking the subway or riding a bike were no longer possible. The next generation of drivers seem to prefer ordering up a driver on their phone to experiencing the joy of driving themselves. Insurance and parking expenses along with fuel and maintenance costs have led to an entirely different attitude toward driving. As a result, the excitement of pressing in the clutch and turning the key and driving around JUST for the fun of driving seems to be a thing of the past. Too bad, it is something I will always remember fondly and something I still do today, only using a push button and paddle shifters instead.
Just my two cents.
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05-26-2017, 10:57 AM
#11
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05-26-2017, 11:03 AM
#12
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The one thing DCTs and other transmissions of their ilk will never get right is the fun to drive factor. No amount of engineering in the world will bring back the feeling of an H pattern and three pedals under the dash, errr, unless you want to engineer a DCT with three pedals and an H pattern. :p
In my case, they'll have to pry my cold dead hands from around the gear lever of my last three pedal car.
In my case, they'll have to pry my cold dead hands from around the gear lever of my last three pedal car.
05-26-2017, 11:12 AM
#13
I think the driving experience is changing and that is what will lead to the demise of the manual transmission. Some of the examples:
1. Safety has more of a role in automotive design than ever before and giving the driver one less job to do and one less thing to think about by NOT having to manually shift gears will always be considered safer.
2. Fuel economy benefits of manual transmissions over the less-efficient torque converter automatics have been nullified by DCT technology and now it could be argued that the DCT will produce better fuel economy because it can be programmed to always be in the optimal gear for maximum gas mileage.
3. Performance benefits of the manual transmission over less efficient torque converter automatics have been reversed with smart DCT transmissions providing lightning quick shifts and maximizing performance.
4. If or when our society accepts and embraces driverless cars, obviously manual transmissions will be obsolete.
5. This is just the old man in me talking, but "the joy of driving" seems to have changed since I was young. All the guys that I know got a drivers license on their 16th birthday and then bought a car soon after- as soon as they could afford one - just so they could enjoy driving. If 10 of my friends and I went out to a baseball tournament, we often took 11 cars to get there, just because EVERYONE wanted to drive. Today, I have a nephew in his 30's who just bought his first car because he HAD to because his job required him to travel and taking the subway or riding a bike were no longer possible. The next generation of drivers seem to prefer ordering up a driver on their phone to experiencing the joy of driving themselves. Insurance and parking expenses along with fuel and maintenance costs have led to an entirely different attitude toward driving. As a result, the excitement of pressing in the clutch and turning the key and driving around JUST for the fun of driving seems to be a thing of the past. Too bad, it is something I will always remember fondly and something I still do today, only using a push button and paddle shifters instead.
Just my two cents.
1. Safety has more of a role in automotive design than ever before and giving the driver one less job to do and one less thing to think about by NOT having to manually shift gears will always be considered safer.
2. Fuel economy benefits of manual transmissions over the less-efficient torque converter automatics have been nullified by DCT technology and now it could be argued that the DCT will produce better fuel economy because it can be programmed to always be in the optimal gear for maximum gas mileage.
3. Performance benefits of the manual transmission over less efficient torque converter automatics have been reversed with smart DCT transmissions providing lightning quick shifts and maximizing performance.
4. If or when our society accepts and embraces driverless cars, obviously manual transmissions will be obsolete.
5. This is just the old man in me talking, but "the joy of driving" seems to have changed since I was young. All the guys that I know got a drivers license on their 16th birthday and then bought a car soon after- as soon as they could afford one - just so they could enjoy driving. If 10 of my friends and I went out to a baseball tournament, we often took 11 cars to get there, just because EVERYONE wanted to drive. Today, I have a nephew in his 30's who just bought his first car because he HAD to because his job required him to travel and taking the subway or riding a bike were no longer possible. The next generation of drivers seem to prefer ordering up a driver on their phone to experiencing the joy of driving themselves. Insurance and parking expenses along with fuel and maintenance costs have led to an entirely different attitude toward driving. As a result, the excitement of pressing in the clutch and turning the key and driving around JUST for the fun of driving seems to be a thing of the past. Too bad, it is something I will always remember fondly and something I still do today, only using a push button and paddle shifters instead.
Just my two cents.
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05-26-2017, 11:27 AM
#14
Three Wheelin'
I got sidetracked by a trip down memory lane and forgot to add to my earlier post...
6. The trend away from fossil fuels and toward electric cars will result in fewer and fewer manual transmissions.
6. The trend away from fossil fuels and toward electric cars will result in fewer and fewer manual transmissions.
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05-26-2017, 10:09 PM
#15
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05-26-2017, 11:06 PM
#16
05-27-2017, 07:05 PM
#17
Drifting
6MT = world's best anti-theft device!
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05-29-2017, 07:56 AM
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Think about it.
It's not talked about very often but there are surprising differences in the 4G 6-6, right down to the suspension bushings.
It's a very nice car, and I remember it sometimes even today.
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06-02-2017, 08:04 AM
#21
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4G TL 6-6 SH-AWD Technology Package is a big, big leap forward.
Think about it.
It's not talked about very often but there are surprising differences in the 4G 6-6, right down to the suspension bushings.
It's a very nice car, and I remember it sometimes even today.
Think about it.
It's not talked about very often but there are surprising differences in the 4G 6-6, right down to the suspension bushings.
It's a very nice car, and I remember it sometimes even today.
06-05-2017, 04:20 PM
#22
Drifting
^^ The 4G's looks to me at the time were not appalling but not exactly fluid either, but I've come to appreciate it over the years. But the driving experience --- yikes. I was considering a 3G leftover TLS until I drove the 4G SH-AWD. No comparison. I bought my 4G immediately after the test drive.
06-05-2017, 08:16 PM
#23
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^^ The 4G's looks to me at the time were not appalling but not exactly fluid either, but I've come to appreciate it over the years. But the driving experience --- yikes. I was considering a 3G leftover TLS until I drove the 4G SH-AWD. No comparison. I bought my 4G immediately after the test drive.
06-06-2017, 07:00 AM
#24
SHAWD solves all of that
if the 4G werent so ugly, I would love to have SHAWD
been thinking of buying a used RL with SHAWD for about $1-3k and swapping in the '11-'14 TL's 6MT...then turbo that mother-sucker.
400-600 ALL WHEEL DRIVE HORSEPOWER with a slick shifting transmission
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06-06-2017, 07:43 AM
#25
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Converting a big car like that to 6 MT is probably more daunting than you expect.
Ichishima did it but we never heard much about it.
His Legend SH-AWD that he drove on road courses was an automatic at the time the videos were made.
Ichishima did it but we never heard much about it.
His Legend SH-AWD that he drove on road courses was an automatic at the time the videos were made.
06-06-2017, 08:01 AM
#26
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06-06-2017, 08:14 AM
#27
Racer
Thread Starter
yeah, we get super fucked up torque steer and we understeer in the corners.
SHAWD solves all of that
if the 4G werent so ugly, I would love to have SHAWD
been thinking of buying a used RL with SHAWD for about $1-3k and swapping in the '11-'14 TL's 6MT...then turbo that mother-sucker.
400-600 ALL WHEEL DRIVE HORSEPOWER with a slick shifting transmission
SHAWD solves all of that
if the 4G werent so ugly, I would love to have SHAWD
been thinking of buying a used RL with SHAWD for about $1-3k and swapping in the '11-'14 TL's 6MT...then turbo that mother-sucker.
400-600 ALL WHEEL DRIVE HORSEPOWER with a slick shifting transmission
06-07-2017, 05:58 PM
#28
Drifting
Yes, I sure did. I test drove a number of '08 TLSs with 6MT. Very nice cars, very strong engines, and would have bought one if I could have found the right color. But the SH-AWD on the 4G really ups the ante over the already excellent TLS.