[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/manual-transmission-is-dying\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/manual-transmission-is-dying\/","headline":"Manual Transmission Is Dying, Quickly…","name":"Manual Transmission Is Dying, Quickly…","description":"Manual transmission is becoming less popular each year Automatic cars are invading our roads and pushing out the old humble manual transmission and quickly making it obsolete. The days of enjoying 3 pedals and a gear knob are limited. If you\u2019re one of the many motorists that drive a manual car, chances are you\u2019re already surrounded by family members, friends and colleagues that all drive automatic cars. So just how endangered is the \u201cstick shift\u201d setup? Automatic car count has […]","datePublished":"2019-03-11","dateModified":"2019-03-14","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Manual-Transmission-Is-Dying-Quickly-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Manual-Transmission-Is-Dying-Quickly-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/manual-transmission-is-dying\/","about":["BLOG","Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":709,"keywords":["Automatic Transmission","Manual Transmission","new cars"],"articleBody":"Manual transmission is becoming less popular each yearAutomatic cars are invading our roads andpushing out the old humble manual transmission and quickly making it obsolete.The days of enjoying 3 pedals and a gear knob are limited. If you\u2019re one of themany motorists that drive a manual car, chances are you\u2019re already surroundedby family members, friends and colleagues that all drive automatic cars. Sojust how endangered is the \u201cstick shift\u201d setup? Automatic car count has increased by more than double in the UKIn 2012, 506,720 automatic cars wereregistered but in 2017, the amount of new automatic cars being registered morethan doubled to 1,016,516. In 2012, automatic cars made up just 24.8% of totalcar registrations which sounds about right – roughly 1 in 4 cars beingautomatic. However, in 2017 that percentage has shot up to 37.7%. If we assume this pattern continues, automatic cars will be outselling manual cars before the end of 2024, just 5 years away! Another thing to consider is the small, butgrowing, market of electric cars. Teslas have become fairly popular and other,less luxurious offerings such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe can often bespotted out in the wild. Obviously, these cars have no gears and are thereforeautomatic and as the electric car industry grows and they become more popular,they will also contribute to the death of the manual transmission. If the government sees through their promiseof ending the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040,and the alternative is electric cars, then there won\u2019t really be a choicebetween manual and automatic anymore anyway. Manufacturers are making less manual cars than everCar manufacturers have noticed the increase indemand for automatic transmissions and some have even stopped offering italtogether on certain models. Even more surprising is that these cars can beregarded as true enthusiasts cars and it\u2019s car enthusiasts that are often themost passionate and strict about driving manual cars. Cars such as the Porsche911 GT3 and Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo no longer offer manual transmissions,both of which would otherwise be bought by enthusiasts that love manualtransmission. Luxury supercar brands such as Ferrari and Lamborghini don\u2019t even offer manual transmissions anymore. Other manufacturers such as McLaren, Porsche and Maserati are also making it hard to buy manual in recent years, which is understandable as most of their customers aren\u2019t demanding it. As for more ordinary cars, luxury saloons andSUVs are mostly bought with automatic transmission as well. When it comes toMercedes, Audi, Jaguar and BMW, most of their cars on the road are automatictransmission. If you drive a Mercedes E Class or BMW X6 and it\u2019s manualtransmission, you\u2019re part of a very niche group of people. Here\u2019s what Tobias Moers, Head of AMG had tosay:\u201cI\u2019m a bit of a traditionalist at heart andcan understand why people wish the involvement of a manual gearbox, but theautomatic gearboxes give us so many more options technically. They can copewith the increasing power and torque demands we put on them and, on therational side, they\u2019re more efficient than manuals. The paddles are also morepractical when you\u2019re really pushing and the system is more relaxing to usewhen you aren\u2019t. There are just fewer compromises.\u201dWhy are automatic transmissions becoming more popular?With so many supercars and luxury cars mainlyoffering automatics, it could be suggested that automatic transmissions have acertain \u201cluxury\u201d reputation, therefore making them more desirable and more of abragging point for owners. Furthermore, the old sayings that proclaimedautomatics are less fuel efficient, unreliable and sluggish are simply nolonger true. Modern cars can now offer 8-speed automatics with lightning-fastgear changes, making them not only ultra-fuel-efficient, but also veryresponsive and quick. They\u2019ve also become very reliable, as most modern carshave. Especially when compared to cars made 30 or 40 years ago. The disadvantages to owning an automatic carare slowly disappearing, and with that, manual sales are slowly, but surely,diminishing. If you still drive a manual, tell us if you believe for it to be asuperior transmission, and if you do, tell us why! "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Manual Transmission Is Dying, Quickly…","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/manual-transmission-is-dying\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]