The State of The Manual Transmission in 2023

·1 hr 16 min·5 clips

Manuals fit entry-level cars, long-mileage buyers, and naturally aspirated engines, not every performance car.

Ted starts by welcoming everyone back. He is there with Nick and Josh, and the first stretch covers car modification, manual transmissions, where those transmissions belong, and a few stories about guys and ego problems that have been bothering the car scene. The trio also talks about money. They mention skipping a week because all of them have been busy with day jobs, and Ted says the show does not make money yet, even though the March numbers are moving up with just under 5,000 views on the 22nd and 415 hours already logged for the month. That growth matters to them. Ted thanks the people who watch and listen, including the small loyal base that seems to show up for nearly every video, every podcast, and the rest of what they make. Then the manual case opens up. The hosts say manuals were still the preferred option for a lot of applications, and they use that point to explain why current factory offerings like the Integra, the manual Supra, and the new Z feel like part of a wider swing rather than a novelty. The market angle follows. They connect that swing to interest from their own generation and from Gen Z, then note that some people in their generation are now in a position to buy, which helps explain why automakers would respond to take rates and the research behind them. Porsche comes up too. The discussion treats Porsche as another brand reading the same room, where people say they want manuals and the companies are willing to build them when the numbers point that way. Doug's video about Ferrari enters next. The hosts bring up the argument that Ferrari should put a manual into a super exclusive car, maybe one that costs around 600,000 dollars, because a handful of buyers would line up for it no matter how little they planned to drive it. Collector math keeps winning. They point to the manual Ferrari 599 trading around 600,000 to 700,000 dollars while an automatic one sits at about a third of that, then say the same collector logic shows up in plenty of other Ferraris and even a lot of Porsche models. The Civic example lands better. Even a 20-year-old Civic can bring a premium if it has a stick, though the gap is much smaller, closer to 4,000 for the automatic and 6,000 for the manual rather than the kind of spread seen on the exotics. The end stays casual. The show circles back to channel clips, shorts, maybe full episodes on YouTube, and the idea of posting little podcast snippets before everyone signs off and says they will see listeners next week.

As heard by us

A casual car talk that moves from manuals and modifications to prices, collector appeal, and car-scene ego.

This episode keeps its footing in car talk, with Ted, Nick, and Josh moving through car modification, manual transmissions, and the ego problems often noticed in car scenes.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want the manual debate with a side of car-scene side-eye.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from AVE Automotive Podcast