It seems like a big loss to give up the convenience of the auto just because you want to shift with a true stick shift instead of via paddles.

I wonder if dealerships will even carry the manual, or if its a custom order only product.

 

Have you ever owned a "performance" vehicle with a manual transmission?

 

If you have to ask that question, it would be difficult for you to understand. For some of us, the joy of a perfect manual shift, and heel and toe shifting to blip the throttle seeking a perfect rev match, is a quest one never tires of. Even if you know as a human you can never be as precise or as fast as a computer, it's a pursuit that gives you great satisfaction. The vast majority of people NEVER learn how to drive a manual well. It takes a lot of work, and you have to practice hard at it. If you're a lazy driver, you'll never be good at it.

I think there will be a pretty good demand for them. I was at my dealer today getting my first oil change, and the sales manager was giddy. He remembered me lamenting the lack of a manual when I was debating the purchase and asked if I wanted to place my order now. He said they would be ordering a number of them for dealer stock because he's had numerous potential customers express interest and lost sales because it wasn't available. Because of the type of car the F-Type is, it will sell well and increase sales to boot. There are a many manual die-hards still out there, and the F-Type is just the type of car they're looking for.

For the same reasons, Porsche and Corvette are committed to offering 3-pedaled cars for years to come because they know they'd lose many sales if they gave it up.

 

Oh, I forgot. The joy of driving for the true enthusiast is not measured in terms of "convenience."

 

Agreed. It is definitely a "if you have to ask you won't understand situation." A well executed heel to toe downshift under hard braking going into a corner is a satisfying accomplishment akin to a nice shot at the golf course or whatever you do. Flipping a paddle simply can't match it. Kind of like watching someone in your foursome make that shot. Good for them, but not personally satisfying. It is not about being faster, it is about the joy and skill of driving, antiquated though it may be. This was what I needed to convince me to get an f-type.

 

If you track your car or drive it infrequently, I can see the desire for a manual. If it's your daily driver and you want a manual, especially in a congested city like where I am - you're doing it to be different for being differents sake. Why on Earth would you want to sit in hour long traffic, bumper to bumper, with a manual?

 

Many novelists and screenwriters write using manual typewriters.

It's an experiential thing.

 

Because, when you become good at, it's 2nd nature, and you never even think about it as it becomes "automatic" even if you're crawling on a grid-locked freeway in stop and go traffic.

The F-Type is my first automatic performance car, and my 25 plus previous ones have all been manual daily drivers in big-city traffic. Because it is such 2nd nature to me, I NEVER drive the F-Type in automatic mode. The gear shift lever is always pushed to the left, dynamic is always switched on, and I'm working the paddles. It's the only way I care to drive.

 

I can say the same about mt XKR. I always blip it into 1st coming to a stop!

Are you planning on buying the manual 2016 model?

 

Same here! I think I may wait until 2017 at the earliest to see if the V6S get's bumped up a bit in output, but I will have an F-Type manual at some point.

Thanks for asking.

 

Preference thing. Sailboat (manual) vs speedboat (autos). I have no problems with people preferring sailboats. What I hate is people who think you can't have fun with speedboats. If you think autos are not exciting, you're not driving hard/fast enough!

 

I never said an auto couldn't be exciting. It is with the ZF in the F-Type. I like it very much, but I prefer driving a manual.

If you read the OP, this thread wasn't about what is better. It was about why anyone would prefer a manual. I tried to answer that question based upon my experience and preference.

 

sorry, wasn't saying anybody here was guilty of that...just I've been on enough forums (especially the porsche ones) where some "purist" are so adamant that you must drive manuals to really appreciate/enjoy/etc. a car. It really is just about different experiences. Some people like the quiet wind sailing them across the ocean, others want a speedboat...different experiences, different preference. You give up some convenience and performance, you gain some connection and control...some see it as integral to the driving experience, some think it's how fast you can go from 0-60 or 1/4 mile or a lap...different POVs...

 

Agreed, and it was the adamant ones who wouldn't consider the F-Type because of that. JLR made a very smart marketing decision in my view.

 

I'd be interested in test driving one.

 

Interesting (for Base V6):

0-60: 5.1 secs auto vs 5.5 secs manual
CO2 emissions: 199g/km auto vs 234g/km manual
Urban MPG: 24.1 auto vs 20.9 manual

So manual is slower, pollutes more and consumes significantly more fuel.

Time was a manual was more fuel efficient!

 

Those numbers are bad. The auto tranny (zf) is one of the best in the world. What brand of manual tranny did they use?

 

The manual is ZF also I believe.

 

8 speed auto vs. 6 speed manual would be my guess as to why auto is rated better for fuel economy.

 

I think more than anything, these numbers illustrate that computers are far more efficient and reliable shifters than humans, and coupled with 8 speeds vs. 6, the computer can operate the drivetrain more efficiently.

Any rational, semi-intelligent, manual die-hard will concede that today's state-of-the-art automatics are better on every quantitative performance dimension, but that's not the point. They don't care because they simply enjoy the manual experience.