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I personally don’t own and have never owned a manual car, but it was one of my goals to own a manual 370Z. However, with the cease in production in 370’s, this goal will no longer be practical. And I dislike the look of the new Z, so I wouldn’t own one.

I learned how to drive manual around the same time I was learning how to drive in general. It’s one of the skills I’m proud of – knowing how to drive manual – but I haven’t driven manual recently to know how well I am at it now.

This article caught my eye because I do enjoy looking at and learning about cars, and I enjoyed driving manual when I was first learning.

I love a manual transmission. I love the feeling that I am operating my car, not just driving it.

I like manual transmission cars, not only because they’re fun to drive, but they hone true to being a car enthusiast and appreciating cars and their owners. I would pay more attention to a modded Japanese car than a fancy Porsche or Mustang because adding mods to an older car means the owner physically worked on the car, did research into what parts to get, spent time, sweat, and probably tears to work on their car. This may not be true for some modded car owners, but that’s what it means to me. Not only is a car your possession, but it’s a project. Maybe it’s the Fast and Furious franchise that got me into cars or Gran Torino that made me understood the true meaning of a classic car vs. a fancy blinged out car, but whatever started my adoration of cars, I appreciate it, and it’s also one of the things I’m proud of. I may not know a whole lot, but I can generally hold up a conversation when it comes to cars. Being out of tune with pop culture and social media does bring its limits about what’s new in the car world, but I hear about it eventually from other people.

I am very judgmental when it comes to cars. Part of it being that I’m a quiet person in general, or maybe I’ve just heard so many bad straightpiped or awful exhausts/mufflers on cars. It’s rare for me to hear a car that doesn’t sound like a lawnmower, so when it does happen, I will definitely turn my head to find the source. I frequently will stare at a car that I think is nice, or turn my head to follow it, even if I’m walking or talking to someone. I miss having more car enthusiast friends so that I can talk and learn about cars from them.

“If I’m staring at something, it’s probably a car and not another girl/guy”

The few times I will ever double-take is with a car.

It saddens me to realize that manual transmission is fading out of existence to make way for more energy-efficient cars, paddle shifting, and more convenient options like autopilot. It’s not just manual transmission that’s fading, it’s the reason why cars are so fascinating to me. You’re not just driving when you’re in a manual transmission, you’re operating the car itself, you’re getting the tactile and physical feedback from your car, you can feel the gears, the clutch, the shifter. You are so much more in tune with a car when it’s a stick shift rather than an automatic.

Anyone who says electric cars are better at track and racing – sit down because you don’t understand why people track in the first place. Tracks aren’t just for seeing how well you can drive and how fast you can drive. It’s also to test your car. It’s more of a test of your car than you as a driver. And what’s the point of tracking an electric car? You can’t mod it. It’s all stock. Where’s the joy in that? Electric vehicles may be faster because they have instantaneous torque, but you didn’t cause that. You just bought it. Imagine how proud you would feel if you bought a car and also managed to add 20 horsepower to the car with your hands and parts. With time, effort, and labor. That means so much more than just buying a fast car.

Despite my disdain for electric vehicles, I would only be willing to go as far as purchasing a hybrid vehicle because it reduces gas use and pollution. But it would be very difficult to try to convince me to buy an all-electric vehicle unless it was my only option.

I just don’t like electric vehicles. You don’t feel the physical feedback. You get instant torque, but there’s a deeper, underlying, mechanic feel that you miss. You tap on the gas and you’re off. With a manual, you need a few more steps before you can get that car in motion and just getting to first gear requires balancing the clutch & gas which produces that tactile feedback. You know when you’re operating your car correctly in a manual transmission, and therefore getting a better understanding of it.

Electric vehicles provide a smoother ride and are more luxurious, but it’s like riding in a spaceship (or whatever I imagine it to be like). You have almost no physical feedback. Electric vehicles are also now replacing their buttons with touch screens, which to me, is so much more difficult to try to push when you’re not looking. Buttons provide a tactile feel and shape, and you can know what button you’re pressing by its location and shape. Touchscreens? Good luck. We can hardly use our phones and drive without getting into accidents, imagine a touchscreen in your car. You want to change the air flow of your AC while driving? Good luck. You might turn on the heater, turn up the volume, and turn your headlights on instead if you’re trying to focus on the road rather than the screen. With buttons and dials, I know exactly where my AC dial is, what it feels like, and how it’s different from the air flow knob. And I can change all of these settings WHILE driving with my eyes on the road. How wild. It’s as if instead of prioritizing safety, we’re just exacerbating the rate of accidents. And for what? A pretty car? A nice Subie WRX will always be a prettier car than a Mustang, Corvette, or Tesla to me. I am not a fan of Teslas. Each time I’ve almost been merged into or hit by a car while walking, IT WAS ALWAYS A TESLA. You have so many safety features people, use them! Imbeciles.

I will always appreciate a manual WRX or 370Z that I can audibly hear shift gears correctly more than any stupidly-silent electric vehicle. Ugh. Maybe one day I’ll still be able to own a manual 370. Like how freaking beautiful is that 370 in the featured photo?! Ughhh.