Manual transmissions future

Edited my post but whatever , no longer care

 

If manuals are the hot ticket, why are 1/4 mile cars (the fast ones) using old 2 speed power glide automatics ??

(just playing devil's advocate here)

 

Because they are built for 1/4 mile straight line run, not cruising the back roads or aggressively driving on curvy roads.

 

No one likes a smart ass know-it-all ....great answer BTW , I was going to add that when flying 1/4mi. in what, like 3.2 secs. who the hell has time to shift....

 

I don't know it all, but my aunt does call me a smart ass.

Very true, but some do rig a pneumatic shift system from what I understand, faster than a human and very little chance of botching the shift.

 

Yep, from low to drive, then the chute opens...hopefully...

 

The F1 cars were hitting 366kmh / 227 mph on the main straight in the Mexican GP today and they also have to turn left and right , slow and accelerate , 71 laps

 

Don't matter. OZ Don't care.

 

Regarding increased number of gears in Tacoma automatics:

The first gen 4 speed auto and second gen 5 speed auto are equally complex. They both have three planetary gear sets, clutches, and one way clutches, and 4 brakes.

The third gen 6 speed auto is actually less complex having the same three planetary gears sets; but, one less brake, one less clutch, and two fewer one way clutches. Seems like it would be more reliable than the previous two generations' autos in spite of the extra gear(s).

 

GM knows that even if they offered the twins with a V6 4x4 with the manual the majority to the "off roaders" would still buy the Tacoma V6 4x4 with the manual (proven history, better ground clearance, no front chip dam), so for GM there's very little motivation to offer that configuration.

 

How many people that buy the TRD Offroad actually take it off road ? I bet the percentage pretty tiny compared to how many they sell in NA

 

Hard core mountain and rock climbing...very few I'd guess.
Dirt roads, construction sites, camp roads, farm and hunting trails...more than half, maybe even most. Again a guess.

 

Same thing for anyone with an SR5 , Sport or Limited , exactly my point

 

No
Your point was OR buyers who take their truck off road is a small percentage. I disagree under the definition I used.
You made no reference to other models.

 

The point I was making with respect to KyleNowad's post I quoted before you hopped in

 

I take it off road a lot. I've only had to use the locker once to get me unstuck and it was worth EVERY penny I shelled out to get my ass back to safety.

Since a Manual Transmission and a 6-foot bed are now no longer available in the US in a TRD OR package I may look into a TRD sport and just do my own suspension in the future if I was ever to purchase a Gen III.

I'm still all over why you can get a TRD OR AC MT in but not in the US.

 

You're probably correct with the entire TRD OR population, however we are taking about the TRD OR with the manual transmission. In that combination I bet the % is higher than you think. To the OP's original question, at the end of the day all that matters if how many people will buy a Tacoma V6 with a proper manual. I'm fairly confident Toyota wouldn't invest all that $ and time on a new manual transmission (for the V6) to only drop it after one model year. My guess is Toyota might drop the V6 manual in 6-7 as part of the Gen 3 "refresh" or in 9-10 years when the Gen 4 comes out.

 

We're on an enthusiast's site , with a high concentration of offroaders , obviously there will be lots of people here that take their trucks offroad

 

I can beat all of them in:
5" of snow
2" of mud
2" of sand
gravel roads/fire roads
Towing a trailer

Paddle shifting in those cars listed ^^^ offer computer driven clutch and rpms - so the computer does the heavy lifting of pushing in the clutch. Its still a manual transmission. Not to be confused with a manumatic which has a torque converter with a manual select gear shift. 2 totally different animals. One drives like a manual and the other drives like an automatic with driver input. No where near the same.

To the poster that was thinking about getting the manual and is coming from an S4 / WRX, the throw I would say is medium distance. There's soon to be a short shift kit on offer just like the 2nd gen and 1st gen. Count on it.. its not that difficult to build a short shift throw.
The S4 didn't always have a short shift - BMW started putting them in due to owner/tuner input. I've had fast cars with short shift kits added in by my tuner and TBH, this truck doesn't bother me at all in the shift depo. I can sit straight up in my chair, go thru all 6 gears and not have to lean up or do anything but hit the clutch, gas and shift, its very comfortable even in stop n go traffic.
We have a Honda CRV that does have a short shift and I find that car more work to drive in traffic than my Taco ... Taco = WAY MORE FUN. When you head slaps off the head rest hitting the throttle in first gear, you'll get used to it!

Count on it, Thank me later.

 

Wonder why they ditched the manual in the ACLB OR then? That is "the" configuration to have for off pavement.