Anyone thoughts on why Jag went with the automatic only option on the new F type ?

 

Good question. It remains yet to be seen whether a manual will be offered.

I'm not sure if having a manual option would change whether or not I wanted an F-Type, given the tough competition in the $70-100k sports car segment.

 

There are not as many buyers for manual transmissions is the main reason. Is it worth the design effort and having to stand behind the transmission for a long time when only 5-10% would buy it on a small production car? Ferrari and Lamborghini say it's not worth it, and the flappy's are state-of-the-art and are just plain faster.

I too wish they had it as an option (in the XK too). Drove a Lotus Evora today in a standard; looking to be my next car but most likely have to wait until spring.

 

I think maybe it's the discouraging statistics that show that when given a choice, consumers of high-end sports cars choose automatics/PDK type transmissions overwhelmingly over manuals. At some point, the economics for manuals no longer compute.

That, and the reality that the newer boxes are now faster and more accurate than manuals, even when the manuals are in the hands of the best drivers.

 

Back in the day, I converted an XJS-C 5.3 and an XJR-S to manuals, and the improvement was vast. But as commented above, We're past the day of slush boxes, and it's just one of those things that have become practically redundant.
I miss it as well tbh, but you don't hear people saying "I miss double declutching"..

 

One of the jag specialist companies may offer a manual option (at a big price, as you'd expect) if asked. Very very low demand = big price.

 

The 3-speed auto boxes in those cars were dismal, and nothing like the current generation of 8-speed autos. The performance of my XJ-S 5.3 was crippled by the GM400 box, and I'd loved to have seen how it went with a 5-speed manual. But I don't crave a manual conversion for my XKR.

 

As much as I enjoyed a manual in my youth I am now not to concerned about getting one again. I just sold my last (gated) 5 speed 3 pedal car and although I enjoyed it , it's time has pasted. When I did an engine/transmission conversion in my old XJS I went with a 4sp OD auto box which worked well . It seems the technology has gone to multiply clutch paddle shift cars that maybe a hair quicker then some of the new 6 speed auto boxes. I also see that the frequency of clutch replacement has gone up and the cost the same. Only having my XKR for 2 months I am impressed with the transmission both in full auto mode as well as in S mode. As I think I mentioned there is a shop in Mass. that will install a manual in the XK but I don't see a need for it for the casual driver.

 

We all bought Manuals because they used to be faster. Not anymore. If a proper DCT was available on my Evora, I wouldn't have gone with the manual.
The auto tranny on my XK is wonderful. Only niggle is going downhill in lower gears its a bit jumpy as I guess it tries to lock up then unlock when gas is touched. Same as going downhill with cruise on. Is there a remedy??

 

The shop I go to in Brighton has done XJS manual conversion and I think an S Type Manual swap into an XK8. XJS V12 manual sounds appealing with no cat's or emission equipment.

 

I haven't heard anything about an X150 getting a manual tranmission. I have heard it for the pre-2007 XK8/Rs, but not the X150s! Does anyone have confirmation of whether or not it is possible?

The transmission is my biggest gripe with the XKR.

 

For exactly the same reasons, you don't see too many manual chokes anymore either. Or for that matter, hand crank starting.

 

I usually attend the Vintage Car races at Lime Rock Park in Ct. A few years ago in the Donovan Motor cars pit (they race XKE's) there was a late model XKR coupe and it had a 6 peed manual transmission in it. It also had a roll cage in it but it was not there to race. Pretty slick setup.

 

Dang, that's cool! I would love to learn more about that one! It had the AJV8 engine still in it?

 

In the sport mode, the paddle shiters are damn precise IMHO. can't wait to get his car out for a track day to see what this kitty can really do.

 

If you are building a race car, you can just chuck the electronics in the bin and start over with a stand alone engine management system and set it up for a manual. The mechanical bits take some work, but it's reasonably strait forward fabrication if you have the design tools and CNC machines to do it.

If you want to keep all of that integrated functionality like cruise control and an instrument cluster that works, then you need to make an electronic box that pretends to be a ZF transmission. One that passes through the necessary information and spoofs the rest with plausible values to keep the rest of the system happy.

Not impossible, but it means first decoding what the actual transmission is communicating to other systems and then implementing something that looks like that, but isn't. It is time consuming, and therefore expensive.

 

FYI, I emailed Donovan Motor Cars about the X150 manual conversion, and this was their response:

 

The Driven Man's most recent model supported is the '95 XJ-S.

 

The death of the manual gearbox | Autocar

 

I understand the many snooty remarks that the Flappies are Better/Faster/ blah blah blah, but the reality for many is that there is a certain JOY in rowing gears.... It may not be the fastest way to shift, but then, the Jag isnt the fastest car out there, so speed is irrelevant. To me Rowing the gears takes you to that one extra level of passion as you bond with your machine. Not all want it (at 54, I still do), but I am saddened that my love of my Jag is missing that little extra something that makes me smile.... Auston Martin understands this very well...