It didn't register until after I'd read the invitation to drive the new Buick Regal GS and closed the email, that the fine print at the bottom of the message read "the cars for this event are only available with MANUAL transmissions".
I'm not sure which is more disturbing – the fact that a stick shift-equipped press vehicle is noteworthy enough to make special mention of, or that those attending needed advance warning to ensure they were capable of driving one.
This isn't a cross-section of the general population we're talking about, but a specialized segment of people who make their living driving cars. And yet, I do remember an occasion when a journalist rode along as a passenger during one portion of the event, because he couldn't drive a stick shift.
I've had manufacturers’ fleet managers hand me keys while asking "it's a manual, are you okay with that?" only to explain (at my puzzled expression) that they'd had journalists refuse the car upon learning that it had a stick.
Unless it's a sports car, we've become conditioned to expect that it will be an automatic as a matter of course. Recently, I booked time in Chevrolet's Cruze Eco during a hectic week. Settling in behind the wheel, I inserted the key, only to find that the engine wouldn't turn over. It slowly dawned on me that there were three pedals, and a bona-fide six-speed shifter. A nice little gearbox that added an extra touch to an already decent car.
It's a sign of the times that most drivers, other than enthusiasts, don't know how to drive a manual car. The majority of vehicles sold here as daily drivers are equipped with automatic transmissions and many aren't available with a manual gearbox even as an option. Our daily commutes consist of so much more than just transportation, for many people, the car has become a mobile office space, hooked-up, linked-in and bristling with gadgetry.
I happen to be one of those that believe when behind the wheel, your first priority is driving the damn car. So, while I embrace new technology and own a Crackberry – under no circumstances do I use it while driving. The idea of texting behind the wheel makes me see red – I've dodged enough oblivious idiots who've drifted into my lane while staring intently at their crotches. It's unlikely those drivers would be able to manage fiddling with their smart phones if they also had to shift their own gears.
Unfortunately, automatic transmissions free up some drivers to commit a wealth of sins.
Having said that, I will readily admit that there are several automatics on the market, particularly in some of the premium German marques, that are simply brilliant. The seven-speed, dual-clutch PDK gearbox in the Porsche 911 Turbo S comes to mind. Mercedes-Benz's AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission rips through gear changes like a Gatling gun.
Unfortunately, most automatic transmissions can't make that same claim. There's a reason the word "slushbox" was added to the lexicon.
Many enthusiast types (including journos) make loud honking noises of derision towards anything equipped with less than three pedals. Balls and false bravado – Michael Schumacher himself couldn't row through gears better than Porsche's PDK setup.
There are exceptions to every rule; I've driven six-speeds with distastefully rubbery shifters or clutches so grabby that driving them becomes a chore.
I'd very recently driven the Buick Regal CXL Turbo automatic and pronounced it an excellent cruiser, perfect for a road trip.
The more potent Regal GS is far more lively – thanks in no small part to a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission that makes driving it fun. Upon its launch, the GS is (drum roll please) only available with the manual transmission, although a six-speed automatic will be available next year.
Even so, GM still estimates that the sales of each will probably be 50/50. That's 50% fewer people texting while driving.
I like those odds.
I'm not sure which is more disturbing – the fact that a stick shift-equipped press vehicle is noteworthy enough to make special mention of, or that those attending needed advance warning to ensure they were capable of driving one.
| |
| Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com |
This isn't a cross-section of the general population we're talking about, but a specialized segment of people who make their living driving cars. And yet, I do remember an occasion when a journalist rode along as a passenger during one portion of the event, because he couldn't drive a stick shift.
I've had manufacturers’ fleet managers hand me keys while asking "it's a manual, are you okay with that?" only to explain (at my puzzled expression) that they'd had journalists refuse the car upon learning that it had a stick.
Unless it's a sports car, we've become conditioned to expect that it will be an automatic as a matter of course. Recently, I booked time in Chevrolet's Cruze Eco during a hectic week. Settling in behind the wheel, I inserted the key, only to find that the engine wouldn't turn over. It slowly dawned on me that there were three pedals, and a bona-fide six-speed shifter. A nice little gearbox that added an extra touch to an already decent car.
It's a sign of the times that most drivers, other than enthusiasts, don't know how to drive a manual car. The majority of vehicles sold here as daily drivers are equipped with automatic transmissions and many aren't available with a manual gearbox even as an option. Our daily commutes consist of so much more than just transportation, for many people, the car has become a mobile office space, hooked-up, linked-in and bristling with gadgetry.
I happen to be one of those that believe when behind the wheel, your first priority is driving the damn car. So, while I embrace new technology and own a Crackberry – under no circumstances do I use it while driving. The idea of texting behind the wheel makes me see red – I've dodged enough oblivious idiots who've drifted into my lane while staring intently at their crotches. It's unlikely those drivers would be able to manage fiddling with their smart phones if they also had to shift their own gears.
Unfortunately, automatic transmissions free up some drivers to commit a wealth of sins.
Having said that, I will readily admit that there are several automatics on the market, particularly in some of the premium German marques, that are simply brilliant. The seven-speed, dual-clutch PDK gearbox in the Porsche 911 Turbo S comes to mind. Mercedes-Benz's AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission rips through gear changes like a Gatling gun.
Unfortunately, most automatic transmissions can't make that same claim. There's a reason the word "slushbox" was added to the lexicon.
Many enthusiast types (including journos) make loud honking noises of derision towards anything equipped with less than three pedals. Balls and false bravado – Michael Schumacher himself couldn't row through gears better than Porsche's PDK setup.
| |
| 2012 Buick Regal GS (Photo: Lesley-Wimbush/Auto123.com) |
There are exceptions to every rule; I've driven six-speeds with distastefully rubbery shifters or clutches so grabby that driving them becomes a chore.
I'd very recently driven the Buick Regal CXL Turbo automatic and pronounced it an excellent cruiser, perfect for a road trip.
The more potent Regal GS is far more lively – thanks in no small part to a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission that makes driving it fun. Upon its launch, the GS is (drum roll please) only available with the manual transmission, although a six-speed automatic will be available next year.
Even so, GM still estimates that the sales of each will probably be 50/50. That's 50% fewer people texting while driving.
I like those odds.