Stick Shift Competition

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Bill B
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Stick Shift Competition

Post by Bill B »

Chevrolet in promoting their Sonic is having a contest where you can win some decent prizes by submitting a video of yourself learning to drive a stick shift. Link below:

http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/06/ch ... challenge/
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by theholycow »

That article links to this article about increasing popularity of manual transmissions:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... 8_LTeLC5e5
But the first quarter this year manuals were in 6.5% of new vehicles sold, and that's getting close to double each of the past five years. It's also highest since 7.2% in 2006, according to Edmunds.com.

That high "take rate," as the industry calls it, is even more impressive because just 19% of the 2,360 different models on sale offer manuals, Edmunds.com reports. Five years ago, 29% of the 2,391 available styles did — yet only 2.9% were sold with stick shifts that year, the lowest "take rate" in a decade.
I disagree with their thoughts on fuel economy and performance, but it's still an interesting article.

More interesting bits:
demand for manuals in the redesigned Focus compact is running close to 10%. "We were planning around 4%, 4.5%," says Paul Russell, Focus marketing manager.

In March, Ford even began offering a stick in the high-end Titanium versions of Focus, after having forecast that those higher-income Titanium buyers wanted only automatics.

Dodge marketing manager Richard Cox predicts as many as 20% of new Dart compact sedans will be sold with manuals — split between those who are price-conscious and those who believe a manual is the best way to enjoy the European underpinnings of the Dart. It's based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
And this:
Ford says that one of every four Focus buyers comes from a household with $100,000-plus annual income. The automaker notes that those are people most likely to have traveled overseas, where manuals are much more common, thus to have rented stick-shift cars and liked them enough to want the same in their driveways.
Is it really just lack of exposure? Do we just need to find a way to get people behind the clutch pedal and suddenly there will be a popularity boom for row-your-own?

Finally, they had this list of take rates:
2012 - 6.5%
2011 - 3.8%
2010 - 3.9%
2009 - 4.4%
2008 - 3.7%
2007 - 2.9%
2006 - 7.2%
2005 - 6.7%
2004 - 5.5%
2004 - 5.5%
2003 - 8.2%
2002 - 8.5%
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Squint
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by Squint »

theholycow wrote:More interesting bits:
demand for manuals in the redesigned Focus compact is running close to 10%. "We were planning around 4%, 4.5%," says Paul Russell, Focus marketing manager.

In March, Ford even began offering a stick in the high-end Titanium versions of Focus, after having forecast that those higher-income Titanium buyers wanted only automatics.

Dodge marketing manager Richard Cox predicts as many as 20% of new Dart compact sedans will be sold with manuals — split between those who are price-conscious and those who believe a manual is the best way to enjoy the European underpinnings of the Dart. It's based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
And this:
Ford says that one of every four Focus buyers comes from a household with $100,000-plus annual income. The automaker notes that those are people most likely to have traveled overseas, where manuals are much more common, thus to have rented stick-shift cars and liked them enough to want the same in their driveways.
Is it really just lack of exposure? Do we just need to find a way to get people behind the clutch pedal and suddenly there will be a popularity boom for row-your-own?
That logic seems flawed on Ford's part. I honestly cannot believe it is just exposure that is causing people to buy them. If that was the case, people watching Fast and Furious movies would want to drive manuals. Does exposure help? Sure. But I can't believe that everyone who makes more than $100k travels overseas and consequently buys a manual.

Also, anyone know anything about the new Dart? I haven't seen that much about it.
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by DKaz »

Dart - five trim levels, SE, SXT, RallyE, Limited, and R/T.

The naturally aspirated Tigershark 2.0 producing 160 HP is standard on SE and SXT.
The turbocharged 1.4 MultiAir also producing 160 HP but gobs more torque is optional on SXT and standard on RallyE and Limited.
The R/T comes with their naturally aspirated Tigershark 2.4 MultiAir producing 184 HP.

All trims but the Limited come with 6 speed manuals.
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by Rope-Pusher »

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2012 ... -sales-now

MANUALS MAKE COMEBACK
Hooray! Auto enthusiasts are finally stemming the tide of the automatic transmission. In North America the manual gearbox is clawing its way back from oblivion. According to Edmunds.com vehicles equipped with shift-it-yourself trannies have accounted for 7 percent of sales so far this year. That compares to just 3.9 percent for ALL of 2011.
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by Rope-Pusher »

http://wardsauto.com/vehicles-amp-techn ... ing-market

LADA TO OFFER 1ST AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
In related and somewhat unbelievable news, Russian automaker Lada will offer its first vehicle ever equipped with an automatic transmission. WardsAuto reports the Granta low-cost sedan will go on sale in the country later this year. It gets a four-speed auto from JATCO. Interestingly, Lada has only been building cars since 1970. Today it’s owned by Renault-Nissan, and together these three brands control about 40 percent of the Russian market!
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Image

Hurray! The Amish have jumped the shark!
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by Squint »

Rope-Pusher wrote:Image

Hurray! The Amish have jumped the shark!
Yay! Pictures I don't understand! RP is back.
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by watkins »

I lol'd
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Re: Stick Shift Competition

Post by theholycow »

Squint wrote:Yay! Pictures I don't understand! RP is back.
Word!
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