We found a video that immediately put a smile on our faces. While it might not be breaking news to automotive enthusiasts, the topic is a valid one nonetheless because in the near future, this particular type of car enthusiast might just disappear altogether. Over the last two years, the crew over at Gears and Gasoline have answered the questions that everyday car enthusiasts might have. The video above follows Devin Herndon as he drives his manual-trans 2013 Ford Focus ST across town to pick up a mysterious package.
Something as simple as a stick shift might be the special sauce you need to make something great. — Gears and Gasoline
The video points out that as of August of 2013, only about 3.9 percent of new cars sold for the year had manual transmissions. Fast forward to present day and we are starting to see the growing popularity of enthusiasts opting for the automatic transmissions, like the 10-speed in the latest Mustang, which combines split-second shifts with improved fuel economy.
So the discussion remains. Is the manual transmission still relevant in 2018? Gears and Gasoline does a great job discussing this topic and shows us that sometimes faster lap times and fuel efficiency are not always what enthusiasts want in their next daily driver. And Devlin breaks down why manually shifting through the gears of his Ford Focus ST is still so much fun.
What made us smile is that many of our fellow car scribes still drive manuals daily. While we can’t argue that the advancements in technology may eventually make the manual almost obsolete, for now, we like the fact that the Save The Manuals campaign is alive and well in 2018. Is a manual trans your weapon of choice or have you been swayed by those fancy, new automatics? Let us know what you think in the comments below.