[Michael1]

Originally Posted by RazM

Why would a REAL man want to constantly hold a shaft in their hand while driving?

Just face it, manual gearboxes are going out and getting replaced with paddle shifters, and the stigma of requiring to learn a manual to be a "man" is long dead. Have fun replacing your clutch every x# of miles.

In Europe, manuals account for 85% of new vehicle sales, and it is projected that percentage will remain at that level for many years into the future. I think it's a bit premature to declare the manual dead, anymore than the sythesizer made musical instruments dead.

Also if you know how to drive a manual, you don't need to replace clutches. I've never had to replace one. The clutch packs in my automatics I've had, well, that's a different story.

Michael