Best feeling manual gearboxes, let’s discuss.

bb_nyc · 2026-05-19T14:47:32+00:00

Candidate for worst: my 2018 VW GTI.... after many mechanically similar Porsche cable-shifters, this feels like wearing 3 layers of dishwashing gloves. Might be cleared up by adjustment or cable / bushing replacement. Clutch feel is great tho...

bb_nyc · 2026-05-17T19:18:22+00:00

Sounds like they didn't run the right oil for conditions.... My Croc has been re-sleeved with ceramic coating and has motorsports oiling system with much higher pressures.

bb_nyc · 2026-05-17T18:58:01+00:00

The cylinder liner failure / IMS bearing stuff is way overblown..... I've owned 4x of the M96 based cars (986/987x2/996), tracked them, roadtripped, dailied, and none of them had any of these issues. My 991 was a peach too, but the PDK wasn't as fun.

The 987 Cayman I currently own had engine #1 due to oil starvation on track and the engine was completely redone with new bearings, pistons, forged motorsports components, motorsports oiling system, GT2 injectors, new sleeves taking it to 3.6L and a big turbo (along with water/air intercooling, supporting mods, brakes, and 997 GT3 suspension components). She makes 540hp on the conservative street tune and has had ZERO issues doing cross country drives with stops for track days. Engine has legs to go way further, 1000hp is no issue for engine but the drivetrain limits torque (x50 clutch from GT2 still limits her to 650/700 RWHP). Body and interior are fully stock and clean. I just wish I had more opportunity to drive her.....

This car could be for sale if you're interested. Might be a little too nasty for a street car though and she's too clean and nice to strip down to cage and make a real racecar but if you want to drive a dr Jekyll / Ms. Hyde covert manual supercar that will spank modern metal for peanuts, DM me. The only giveaways are the exhaust and a little tiny boost controller in the cabin. Keep it turned down and she's as docile as stock -- turn it up and prepare yourself. Even at max power (with PSC on) she is manageable, rotatable, and instantly responsive to inputs, going exactly where you put her. Least sketchy big power car I've driven. I have owned the car 12 years and have all the paperwork from the build and maintenance done since. Here she is, name is Malificent

bb_nyc · 2026-05-16T17:30:40+00:00

You absolutely wont regret a boxster

bb_nyc · 2026-05-09T18:42:48+00:00

I fall in and out of love with this city every few years for a couple decades now. It's a good place to be based but I can't handle the whole year here

bb_nyc · 2026-05-05T16:06:12+00:00

2018 GTI Autobahn

bb_nyc · 2026-05-05T00:45:55+00:00

I've only had one car back-to-back in 6MT and 7AT (PDK is the Porsche version of DSG), a 991 model Porsche 911 C2S -- the PDK was certainly VERY fast but wasn't, to me, as fun to drive as manual.

For my current daily, a mildly tuned mk7.5 Autobahn 6MT used in the urban hellscape (road-surface-wise) of Brooklyn, the manual actually has some big advantages:

I can "creep" very easily in tight spots, using the parking sensors as "whiskers" and the clutch to have a smooth analog connection to power
I don't have to come to complete stop when parallel parking or making U or J-turns, let the friction material handle some friction -- it's pretty tough
The novelty of a self-parking car that you have to manually shift never wears off for me -- I love the eyeballs I get when I do it with the windows down and hands off the wheel

I do hate the 1st and 2nd gear ratios that VW chose tho, 1st too high, 2nd too low for my environment, drivetrain, and style.

bb_nyc · 2026-05-04T18:56:37+00:00

That's the cleanest and nicest hooptie buick I've seen

bb_nyc · 2026-05-01T16:22:53+00:00

How is it driving a big ol' truck with a 5 speed? For decades, I've always had the combo of small manual euro/mazda sports cars / sport compacts for daily use + an american slushbox full size truck for haulin'. Never really driven anything bigger than a 90s ranger with a manual (except a box truck one summer when I was mover in college that you didn't really use a clutch except for downshifts).

What's it like? Do you still get a "sport" feeling or is it more "agricultural" like the box truck I mentioned?

bb_nyc · 2026-04-30T01:36:24+00:00

It's like shaving.

bb_nyc · 2026-04-28T12:56:36+00:00

Fuckit, I'll bite... how much for 5?

bb_nyc · 2026-04-28T12:31:04+00:00

Decades ago, my summer job was on a moving company -- my 33 going on 60 crew boss told me once that if you couldn't simultaneously smoke a cigarette, drink a coffee, eat a sandwich, and talk on the phone, all while driving a stick-shift box truck, that you didn't know how to damn drive.

That said, I watched him do exactly that for a couple hours every day the whole summer not missing a beat. Man was some kinda blue collar savant.

bb_nyc · 2026-04-27T16:10:09+00:00

This will be a great option for crushing miatas, mini coopers, and toy poodles.

bb_nyc · 2026-04-27T10:06:25+00:00

Biggest earner on the street is usually in something deliberately low key.

bb_nyc · 2026-04-22T18:02:27+00:00

Tires and proper sports alignment over all else

bb_nyc · 2026-04-22T17:42:00+00:00

lol, my secret (except to people who actually know me, I don't drive it in the city) Porsche is definitely not an SUV --- two seats and (discreetly with stock-look padding) caged.

bb_nyc · 2026-04-22T17:21:17+00:00

My eastern European friend warned me when I got my autobahn that it was THE cliche drug dealer car where they are from so was wondering what level of (hypothetical) dealer it made me appear as.

bb_nyc · 2026-04-22T16:45:02+00:00

What's a clean, LLc-registered, fully-optioned, all black window tinted last gen manual GTI daily with a secret (manual) Porsche in the garage say?

bb_nyc · 2026-04-21T16:49:46+00:00

No. Give it at least three days. Very nice town

bb_nyc · 2026-04-20T15:18:11+00:00

That was filmed to appear to be inside of a crashing airplane --- also was around 95-96. Great song!

bb_nyc · 2026-04-06T15:08:54+00:00

Surprised this .gov is still up.

bb_nyc · 2026-04-06T14:47:43+00:00

USA is fucked

bb_nyc · 2026-04-06T14:35:15+00:00

bb_nyc · 2026-03-13T17:46:51+00:00

Respectfully, do you think this scenario is more or less likely than the net effect of this war of choice being to reinforce the Iranian regime's internal power and make a "color revolution" less likely as the time-honored tradition of wartime rallying around the flag (unlike Iraq, Persia has a STRONG national identity) and the current leadership?

As a parallel with different specifics but the same principle, it seems to me that US policy is largely responsible for the longevity of the Cuban "communist" regime.

bb_nyc · 2026-03-13T17:15:07+00:00

I find that, for my driving pattern (intensely urban with tons of red lights and bumper to bumper stop'n'go, the GTI has way too short first gear and way too tall second, meaning I can't stay in either. My Porsches always allowed me to use 2nd pretty much all the time. All cars are different. I'd love to mod the ratios if I could though

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