John Fitzpatrick, marketing manager for the Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, believes the manual transmission is on the verge of extinction – and that video games are to blame.
He says over 50 % of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s that will roll off the assembly line will be equipped with the six-speed autobox, reflecting a marked change in consumer preferences.
He still believes old-school fans will opt for the manual transmission, which will distort stats during the first few months of the car’s availability.
That means that if you’re one of those guys or gals who believes that a 580-hp, RWD car needs to be manual, you’re now part of the minority.
According to Fitzpatrick, two factors are responsible for this shift.
First, as drivers get older they don’t want to have to operate a third pedal. Second, younger buyers who grew up playing video games don’t understand the idea (true or not) that automatic sports cars simply don’t have as much credibility.
You can see why GM chose to include shifter paddles in the ZL1…
GM says 70 % of Camaro SS buyers and 65 % of Corvette buyers (base model) pooh-pooh the third pedal.
In the US, 89 % of 2010 models were delivered with an automatic transmission, a 5.7 % increase over 10 years.
Source: Wards Auto
He says over 50 % of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s that will roll off the assembly line will be equipped with the six-speed autobox, reflecting a marked change in consumer preferences.
He still believes old-school fans will opt for the manual transmission, which will distort stats during the first few months of the car’s availability.
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| Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (Photo: General Motors) |
That means that if you’re one of those guys or gals who believes that a 580-hp, RWD car needs to be manual, you’re now part of the minority.
According to Fitzpatrick, two factors are responsible for this shift.
First, as drivers get older they don’t want to have to operate a third pedal. Second, younger buyers who grew up playing video games don’t understand the idea (true or not) that automatic sports cars simply don’t have as much credibility.
You can see why GM chose to include shifter paddles in the ZL1…
GM says 70 % of Camaro SS buyers and 65 % of Corvette buyers (base model) pooh-pooh the third pedal.
In the US, 89 % of 2010 models were delivered with an automatic transmission, a 5.7 % increase over 10 years.
Source: Wards Auto