Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Should the Germans worry?

The press embargo on the new CTS-V was finally lifted. And I have to admit that it looks pretty good. The original CTS left me a bit cold. The exterior styling was ok but the interior was cheap feeling, depressing and cramped. The previous CTS-V had a rushed (not the performance but the packaging) feel to it and somewhat shady reliability.

I've seen quite a few of the new regular CTS models on the road an I like the exterior changes. The interior looks miles ahead but I have not sat in one yet so I cannot attest to "look and feel" which is where the old CTS failed miserably. The biggest problem is the curse that is befalling all performance cars these days and particularly the sports sedan....those damn semi-automatic gearboxes.

Yes, I know they've come along way. Yes, I know that they are faster shift-to-shift than a manual. Yes, I know that they are better for fast launches (debatable). But the problem is one of feel, a traditional manual transmission and clutch just involves the driver so much more in the pleasure of actually driving. Not to mention the simple pleasures of heel-toe downshifts and blipping the throttle to strike fear in the hearts of pedestrians. I hope all of you sissies out there that have never driven anything but an automatic are happy because you are ruining all of my fun now. Wah-wah I need to drive in traffic and a manual makes me tired. Grow a pair.

At least BMW wised up and is offering a PROPER gearbox in the M5 for 2007. Now if someone would just read this and give me $85,000 for my hilarious wittisisms then I could know the pleasure that is the Ultimate Driving Machine.

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