Read The Full Article On: Wired
As anyone who cares about stick shifts knows, not many people care about stick shifts anymore. As recently as 2006, nearly half of the models sold in America were offered with a manual transmission. Now, that number is below 20 percent and falling. Americans bought 17.2 million cars last year—just 2 percent of them rolled off the lot with a third pedal.
This is understandable. In recent decades, automatic transmissions haven’t just made driving less of an effort, they’ve caught up with manuals in terms of performance and fuel efficiency. And it’s expensive for automakers to develop two variants of a vehicle, especially if one will attract just a few buyers. So even companies known for sporty cars are giving up on sticks. The new BMW M5 no longer offers a manual option. Neither will the mid-engine C8 Chevrolet Corvette. Ferrari and Lamborghini gave up on manuals earlier this decade.
Read The Full Article On: Wired