The death of the stick shift is almost here.

[P52Ranch]

Not only has Ferrari announced a "manual" option due to demand. (The manual costs something like $200k more and will be limited to 1500 cars.
But so has Koenigsegg

Both cars have a third pedal and both can be driven either as automatics or in manual mode. Both limit the manual gear selection to Six forward gears even though the transmission actually has 8 (Ferrari) or 9 (Koenigsegg) gears.

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[BlueFordBronco]

This thread needs photos!

Don't forget a manual can also be a theft deterrent...

Nice Elise! I had one for 15 years (an '05), just sold it in April. Have a Toyota FJ that I bought in Sept 2006, 6MT, about to sell it because I just got my '26 Badlands with 7MT (had to order it).

 

[BlueFordBronco]

Significant overlap. Both shrinking in overall numbers. How old do we think the average “grew up driving a stick” person is 65? 70?

Taught both of my boys to drive stick, their first cars were both manuals, they're 28 and 33 now, younger one driving a Toyota Tacoma 6MT now.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Taught both of my boys to drive stick, their first cars were both manuals, they're 28 and 33 now, younger one driving a Toyota Tacoma 6MT now.

Right. They exist. It’s a bell curve. There’s also some 90 year-olds out there.

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

Gen Z is apparently doing their part to keep the manual alive for now. While a lot of Boomer enthusiasts are aging out of driving them, an enthusiastic minority of Gen Z is helping to take up the slack. There are numerous articles out there highlighting this. Some have suggested it is social-media driven and, in part, a rejection of automation in the age of AI.

 

[UncleBrad]

Gen Z is apparently doing their part to keep the manual alive for now. While a lot of Boomer enthusiasts are aging out of driving them, an enthusiastic minority of Gen Z is helping to take up the slack. There are numerous articles out there highlighting this. Some have suggested it is social-media driven and, in part, a rejection of automation in the age of AI.

That's a good point. YouTube is full of videos quoting studies where Gen Z are snapping up and driving older vehicles, and are already outpacing boomers in driving them.

 

[Lotus Dave]

Nice Elise! I had one for 15 years (an '05), just sold it in April. Have a Toyota FJ that I bought in Sept 2006, 6MT, about to sell it because I just got my '26 Badlands with 7MT (had to order it).

Were you a member of NOVA Lotus? Pretty active group for so few in the area... I'm currently repairing my A/C in prep for a September Lotus gathering and track day in Salt Lake City.

 

[BlueFordBronco]

Were you a member of NOVA Lotus? Pretty active group for so few in the area... I'm currently repairing my A/C in prep for a September Lotus gathering and track day in Salt Lake City.

I was not a member (I'm in central Virginia). Have fun on the track day, I used to run mine at VIR, that's a haul to get to SLC.

 

[Fastring]

I recently bouggt my 2022 bronco, manual from a handa dealer. They were trying to take it across the street to get gas and had to have me drive it over as NO ONE at the dealer at that time knew how to drive a stick. Wow.

I am the 4th owner at 5.8k miles for this orphan bronco, I wonder if it was do to the manual? Folks like the idea of it but not actually shifting with their phone hand.

 

[CarmeloS]

I wanna stick shift, plenty of classic cars without all the computers to get. Who needs new?

 

[tock13]

Funny reading posts about the younger generation not wanting manuals. I am old AF and have driven manuals all my life. I have a ‘94 Toyota pickup in my garage with a manual and 320k miles I put on it. It’s my dump runner, last vehicle I will ever buy with a manual. I absolutely LOVE my auto Bronco….and it’s 4 doors. I never think “oh snap! let’s go drive the pickup cuz it’s manual” not just the young uns…there’s some old people out there too that don’t give 2 shits about manuals.

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