Auto-Tranny for Lazy Cheese Burgers?!?

[cemaykan]

350-hp Lotus Evora SC coming in 2011 - Autoblog

"Before that happens, however, the kids in Hethel will be adding something not seen in a Lotus for many years -- an automatic transmission -- specifically for Americans too lazy to shift"

This is a shame...lazy cheese burgers!

I really would hate to see, lotus give up on its core to gain more market share...

[LARRY]

Just another reason to buy Lotus Elise/Exige now.

EVERY sports car will be automatic/paddles very soon.

Yuck.

[DeanG]

They need to appeal to the shiftless Ferrari & Lambo owners

[Bavarian Motorist]

If it helps sales, I'm all for it. I'm confident Lotus will adhere to their vision and always offer manual transmissions, so we needn't worry. Automatics are a PROVEN way to sell sports cars to poseurs and the like. Why turn customers away? Even Spyker is caving in and offering automatics.


I can just see it now. In 4 years, the most commonly asked question will be, "Is it possible to change out the automatic for a manual? - I found a REALLY GOOD DEAL on an Evora but it's an automatic...Can I swap it out??"

[akandok]

Well the M5 was supposed to come only in SMG.. but after many complaints they made the manual option

[[mojo]]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

If it helps sales, I'm all for it. I'm confident Lotus will adhere to their vision and always offer manual transmissions, so we needn't worry. Automatics are a PROVEN way to sell sports cars to poseurs and the like. Why turn customers away? Even Spyker is caving in and offering automatics.


I can just see it now. In 4 years, the most commonly asked question will be, "Is it possible to change out the automatic for a manual? - I found a REALLY GOOD DEAL on an Evora but it's an automatic...Can I swap it out??"

mmm, yeah I agree. From what I've heard Lotus could use higher sales, and it's not like it'll "hurt" Lotus's image to offer an automatic - if anything it'll broaden their image.

"I found a REALLY GOOD DEAL on an Evora but it's an automatic...Can I swap it out??" It'll happen....It'll happen...

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by akandok

Well the M5 was supposed to come only in SMG.. but after many complaints they made the manual option

Yeah, and that was a fail. Can't even turn off the TC with it, and I read the gear set is from the E39 M5, which is obviously not ideal for the V10. Epic fail

[Green Ghost]

Mmmmmmm, Cheese Burgers, I think I will go get one in a bit.

[[mojo]]

Does anyone have any pictures of the Evora in any colors other than Silver, Dark Blue and Teal? (I don't know what the actual names of the colors are)...

[dreggsagg]

In my opinion nowadays there is nothing better than a direct-shift gearbox
Even the new Audis and Porsches have it so far. The best example is the new Artega (Artega - Inspiration in Bewegung | startseite), its only available with DSG. There you have shifting-times of some milliseconds. Almost no human being is able to get such shifting times with a normal (stock) gearbox.

btw: The Artega weighs much less than the Evora and seems to have almost the same concept (middle enginge, about 300hp, lightweight, ...)



sorry for my bad english, i'm only a german student

[MickOpalak]

Originally Posted by [mojo]

Does anyone have any pictures of the Evora in any colors other than Silver, Dark Blue and Teal? (I don't know what the actual names of the colors are)...

[steuspeed]

How can you drive a stick when you have to talk on your cell phone?

[JohnnyQuest]

Originally Posted by cemaykan

350-hp Lotus Evora SC coming in 2011 - Autoblog

"Before that happens, however, the kids in Hethel will be adding something not seen in a Lotus for many years -- an automatic transmission -- specifically for Americans too lazy to shift"

This is a shame...lazy cheese burgers!

I really would hate to see, lotus give up on its core to gain more market share...

If/when manuals are not longer available, I will never buy a another new car. I think they will be available for a long time. I expect that eventually, an auto will be standard and some cars will offer them as options for several $1,000. I could live with that.

Originally Posted by [mojo]

Does anyone have any pictures of the Evora in any colors other than Silver, Dark Blue and Teal? (I don't know what the actual names of the colors are)...

I forget where I stole this picture from. Sorry to the victum.

[kestrel74]

The way it was explained at LOG28 was that many countries around the world issue licences with the stipulation that the driver can only drive an automatic transmission. It's a seperate licence to drive a manual trans.

[Westrock]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

I can just see it now. In 4 years, the most commonly asked question will be, "Is it possible to change out the automatic for a manual? - I found a REALLY GOOD DEAL on an Evora but it's an automatic...Can I swap it out??"

Sounds similar to the NSX scene

[JohnnyQuest]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

I can just see it now. In 4 years, the most commonly asked question will be, "Is it possible to change out the automatic for a manual? - I found a REALLY GOOD DEAL on an Evora but it's an automatic...Can I swap it out??"

From 1977 to 1986 I drove Triumphs. From 1986 to 2007 I drove Alfas. In 2003 I sold my GTV6 that I drove for 17 years. (I never should have sold that car, but I could no longer live without a comvertible so I sold it and got the Z4.)

In 1995 I was going to trade my wife's 10 year old CRX (far less reliable than the GTV6) for a new Alfa Spider. Since Alfa pulled out then, the only other car on the planet that I liked was the 164LS. There were only 1,000 sold in the US, and of them, only about 350 with manuals. I found many good deals on automatics and looked into converting one to a manual. I decided that was a bad idea. I ended up paying (shouldn't admit this) at least $7,000 more to get the car I wanted with the manual. I kept the car 12 years so the pain of the extra money dissapated, and manuals held their value longer.

Hopefully there are enough other crazy people out there to keep the demand for manuals alive for ever.

Hey Steuspeed, I love your car. I have not seen even one GTV6 on the road in the 6 years since I sold mine. I still think that was one of the best cars ever made. I still fondly look at the picture of mine in my garage ever day. Maybe some day I'll own another.

[x_macbeth]

Originally Posted by steuspeed

How can you drive a stick when you have to talk on your cell phone?

phone in your left hand, wheel on your right

the art of letting go of the wheel, shifting, and catching it

[DeanG]

Phone in left hand cheeseburger in right hand, steer with knees.

Alternatively, texting on blackberry, steer with knees.

Don't you guys know anything?

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by JohnnyQuest

From 1977 to 1986 I drove Triumphs. From 1986 to 2007 I drove Alfas. In 2003 I sold my GTV6 that I drove for 17 years. (I never should have sold that car, but I could no longer live without a comvertible so I sold it and got the Z4.)

In 1995 I was going to trade my wife's 10 year old CRX (far less reliable than the GTV6) for a new Alfa Spider. Since Alfa pulled out then, the only other car on the planet that I liked was the 164LS. There were only 1,000 sold in the US, and of them, only about 350 with manuals. I found many good deals on automatics and looked into converting one to a manual. I decided that was a bad idea. I ended up paying (shouldn't admit this) at least $7,000 more to get the car I wanted with the manual. I kept the car 12 years so the pain of the extra money dissapated, and manuals held their value longer.

Hopefully there are enough other crazy people out there to keep the demand for manuals alive for ever.

Hey Steuspeed, I love your car. I have not seen even one GTV6 on the road in the 6 years since I sold mine. I still think that was one of the best cars ever made. I still fondly look at the picture of mine in my garage ever day. Maybe some day I'll own another.

You must be an exception to the general rule. I've seen it in BMW world where young kids (obviously you are not a young kid) or people on budgets commonly buy E36s, E46s and the like. They buy the automatics because they are cheaper, then suddenly realize they want manuals and want to try to swap it out only to realize it isn't financially viable.

Do it right the 1st time around like you did and you should have no problem

[JohnnyQuest]

Speaking of Cheesburgers.....