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Old 04-24-2019, 08:09 AM   #31
Josh (PA)
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You'd think these prices, the disparity in used car values for sports cars with true manuals vs DCTs along with the story re: the 430 Scud we were all drooling about would make it clear to companies that there is a niche - but viable market for manual transmission cars where customers will pay a premium to get it. It needs to be a 'sporty' model with a decent engine, not the cheap-o alternative with a wheezy 4 cyl. I am really surprised Ferarri doesn't offer manuals as a +$20k option for their customers that want them. I guess when you can sell every car you make and have a waiting list of customers who cares.

Maybe this will be the next Dinan style semi-mass market tuning business.
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Old 04-24-2019, 08:42 AM   #32
John V
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Most manufacturers are not set up to deal with niche markets, and it's not profitable to cater to those few people anyway.
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Old 04-24-2019, 08:44 AM   #33
FC
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It does get more difficult over time. Soon enough there wont even be a spot to physically fit the gear shift without having to yank out some crucial i-Drive thing. Also, everything seems to be more and more tied to the automatic transmission in terms of traction control, e-diffs, and a boat load of driving automation. Maybe you can yank it all out and go back to the 90's in terms of driving tech, but that may be too large a penalty for some to take.
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Old 04-24-2019, 09:29 AM   #34
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I Also, everything seems to be more and more tied to the automatic transmission in terms of traction control, e-diffs, and a boat load of driving automation.
Excellent point. The only thing we'll have left with a manual is the Miata.
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Old 04-24-2019, 10:11 AM   #35
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People are fucking weird. I don't get the appeal at all.

For 6 Grand, sure. For 30 Grand? What are these people smoking?


Decent automatic versions go for around 12k, so maybe 15k for this but yeah 30 is crazy. That kind of goes for all the cars they sell- they seem to charge roughly double. This one makes even less sense though because an e91 will never be collectible.
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Old 04-24-2019, 11:56 AM   #36
Nick M3
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The answer is simple: What else can you get for $30k that is comparable to an E91?

Stick, wagon, RWD.

The car literally doesn’t exist. So, given that, is it really a big deal to spend an extra $10k to get the car you want, vs. spending $60-80k (!) to get the equivalent newer car? (That isn’t even equivalent.)

The automatic is cheap because it’s fundamentally not special. The stick is.
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Old 04-24-2019, 12:25 PM   #37
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supply/demand
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Old 04-24-2019, 12:29 PM   #38
John V
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The answer is simple: What else can you get for $30k that is comparable to an E91?

Stick, wagon, RWD.

The car literally doesn’t exist. So, given that, is it really a big deal to spend an extra $10k to get the car you want, vs. spending $60-80k (!) to get the equivalent newer car? (That isn’t even equivalent.)

The automatic is cheap because it’s fundamentally not special. The stick is.
I'll grant you there are very few vehicles which align with the E91's particular feature set of being a slow, floaty, numb, wagon with a dated interior and ten-year-old infotainment system. And a manual transmission.

The fact that people desire that particular feature set and are willing to pay $30 large for it is astonishing.
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Old 04-24-2019, 12:34 PM   #39
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The fact that people desire that particular feature set and are willing to pay $30 large for it is astonishing.
To each their own, but yeah, I can't imagine pushing aside enough logic in favor of emotion to justify the $30K.
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Old 04-24-2019, 12:52 PM   #40
Nick M3
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I'll grant you there are very few vehicles which align with the E91's particular feature set of being a slow, floaty, numb, wagon with a dated interior and ten-year-old infotainment system. And a manual transmission.

The fact that people desire that particular feature set and are willing to pay $30 large for it is astonishing.
Yeah, but we are only talking about maybe a couple dozen still extant cars (based on mileage and condition). It’s a tiny market.

Also, you say “very few,” but I challenge you to find *one* extant new car that you can buy today that is actually comparable and sold in this country.
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