Yuri

The sequential may be better for going fast, and I won't deny its status as a technological marvel, but I would still prefer a traditional manual transmission.
Since I've bought my Jag, I really miss commuting in a manual-equipped car.

There's just something about rowing through the gears that makes my day.
Now of course an clutchless sequential is very different from the autostick setup my Jag has, but I've driven some of the best sequentials currently on the market delivering cars to photoshoots, and while impressive, I quickly grew bored of them and ended up leaving them in full auto.

While driving the new M5 with SMG, I was snicking through the gears, and the only thing I could think was "wow, this has quick gear changes, but it would be more fun to drive with a 6-speed manual."

As the manual transmission dies out in the US, there are those of us who feel almost romantic about them. Anyone can drive an SMG, but being able to drive a stick is a learned skill. This is why most other countries have seperate licensing tests for auto and manual transmissions. (SMG's are grouped with the auto test if you're wondering.)


I'm not missing the big picture. Sure, Sequentials are better at what they do than manuals.
In comparison, almost every motorcycle is better than a Harley Davidson, but that doesn't keep people who know this from buying Harleys.
So I'm going to take the fun of working the clutch and shifting my own gears over the microseconds of shift time a sequential would save me.
Why? I find it more fun. And I'm not the only one.

__________________