What is the Best Manual Transmission Car you have ever driven or owned???

I learned to drive a 1963 Ford with 3 on the tree and over the years I have driven a lot of manuals transmission from the 63 Ford to a 1986 SVO with a Hurst shifter, many Toyota pickups and including a 1978 Ford CTL9000 and a few different carsat the track as an instuctor.
The best is still my 2002 S2000 or my 2008 S2000CR

 

Just how many badass vehicles do you own? Looks like a lot from your signature.

 

1979 Turbo Mustang 5spd.
I blew up two turbos and fryed a clutch but dammmnnn... FAST!

 

Driven was a 2001 Corvette ZO6
Owned was a 2000 Civic Si

 

Over the years a few I wish I had back, 1969 Mustang Convertible I restored, 1986 SVO, a couple of Triumph TR6 one I restored and then 8 Toyota pickups 87 Turbo, the red one to the left, a 05 GX470 lift and armor and a 2000 double cab supercharger, a couple of S2000 I tracked. Today I only have my 2020 Tacoma for off road travel and a beautiful 2012 SLK350

 

Quite fond of my current 9-5. It has a great manual and it is very balanced to drive! I can now see why people like the turbo + manual combo.

 

That is probably a blast to drive with the 2.3 Turbo. Does it have all the good early 2000s turbo noises too?

 

Yes sir it does! It makes a lovely WHOOSH when I step on the gas.

 

2004 Vette for sure. So satisfying with an MGW shifter and all that power. Very mechanical feel, no lag.

 

My '87 MR2 had a surprisingly nice feel for a cable shifter. I would sometimes shift without letting off the gas. Just tap the clutch and jam it in the next gear.

The 2-3 could just be shoved straight in without having to try to guide it at all. However, I once accidentally went from 3 back to 2, instead of 4, while racing a friend on the freeway. That scared the shit out of me! But, everything held up.

I was impressed, since the transmission was light enough to pick up with one hand. But, it finally quit on me one day in the middle of an intersection making a left. Luckily, the car was a feather. So, I jumped out, garbbed the door with one hand and the wheel with the other and got it out of the way.

I still miss that car!

Picture from the web, as any pictures I have are trapped in an old computer. I can assure you mine was not this shiny!



Best transmission overall was a Tremec T56 Magnum in my buddy's LS swapped Sonoma (S10). That thing is tons of fun!

 

S2000. Proud owner of 5.

 

i had a 2007 corolla that i put an aftermarket short shifter in and metal shift linkage bushings. that thing was awesome. felt like a go kart with a gated shifter.

 

Porsche 928S

 

I had a fairly rare 1991 2.5L 5-cylinder Acura Vigor. I still think it was one the best looking sedans at the time. The engine was north-south hooked to the manual transmission that had both the input and output shafts pointing forward for the front-wheel drive. I always thought it had a smooth clutch and shifted with ease. I loved the gearing ratios with the weird growl of the torquey straight 5. I owned that from 1991 to 2010 when I bought my Tacoma. It had 275K miles. I only sold it because the blower motor was going out. I think it's the worst blower motor replacement on the planet. Checkout Eric the Car Guy's videos. This convinced me to sell instead of replace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StNJ7Gz1NPc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga2DS5Q6IH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doP9z6l9T4c

 

I’ll play..
In descending order of best to less best manuals.
Owned:
1)’11 ZL1 coupe
2)’12 G37S Sedan
3)’07 MAZDASPEED6
4)’22 Tacoma DCSB TRD-OR
5)’10 Ford Figo TDCi hatch (had this when I spent some time in India)

Driven:
1)’18 GT350 (tremec six speed was amazing, the FPC Voodoo was icing) (I wish I had bought one new)
2)’09 Z06 (I think the LS7 is causing me to remember it up higher on this list)
3)’13 Boss 302 (track key)
4)’05 S2000
5)’15 (I think) 987 GT4
6)’12 911 S cabriolet
7)’17 Z06 (7mt but never got it past 3rd)

I’ve driven plenty more, these are the memorable ones