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Originally Posted by pete c
Why in the hell do manufacturers continue to put such short ODs in the top gears of MTs? That accent has a much taller top gear than my '09 MT Sonata. Some new cars have a higher mpg number for the autos and I am certain it is because the autos top cog is much higher than the manual. Give me a proper OD for 75 mph cruising. I am perfectly capable of downshifting on hills.
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That's my biggest gripe. I've said it before, but my TSX has a close-ratio gearbox. It's a fabulous gearbox, except 6th gear is pointless. In a racing scenario, I would never find a straight long enough to use 6th. The track would have to have a 3 mile long straight for me to top out 5th gear, and finally require me to shift to 6th. In normal driving situations, I can climb very steep grades that most every car would downshift to maintain speed, but I can leave the TSX in 6th and exceed the speed limit. So, the gear isn't good for racing, and it isn't good for cruising (fuel economy).
Quote:
Originally Posted by pete c
Yes, it is undeniable that a modern high performance manual auto will get you around a track quicker, but, for those of us not actually on a racetrack, it is not about that. It is about the challenge of smoothly driving such a car quickly. Any moron can click a paddle, but a proper heel and toe downshift is a learned skill.
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This is why Formula 1 has banned so many technologies. They had to balance the art of driving fast with the science of technology to make the sport interesting to people. Driver skill can easily be overshadowed by implementing technology such as computer controlled suspension, traction control, active steering, etc.
Ayrton Senna was finding much faster ways to go around the racetrack than his competitors, but when F1 briefly had computer controlled suspension, his massive lead fell, and everyone was finding the fast way to get around the track.
Ultimately, technology will get so good that a driver cannot come close to matching an autonomous vehicle. I would be fascinated to see a race involving driver-less cars that implemented the best technology has to offer, but I'm in the minority here. People love a champion, and they need a hero to cheer on. It's difficult to have the same excitement for a computer program as you would have for a person.