Adios manuel

[Jobbo]

most Ferraris are fitted with paddles in large part not because they are " built for pure speed" but because it makes them more docile pottering around town posing and/or more acceptable to the NCG middle aged men that make up a significant portion of their clientele.

You're not wrong - they even gave Nigel Mansell the first of them: Clicky.

[David_Yu]

Ooh, I forgot to add perhaps THE main reason I love manuals: muscle memory.

When you approach a "2nd gear corner" you don't need to look down at the lever or a digital display to know what gear you're in; your muscle memory knows you are in 4th because your hand put it there, in that familiar position that denotes 4th gear.
So you instinctively reach for the lever in the place you remember leaving it, then guide it down to 2nd in one fluid movement, again not having to look at a digital display to confirm which gear has been selected.
Heel and toe to perfection, bury it in 2nd, feel the rear slide around just so, then a dab of oppo and you're away!

I should write for a car magazine...

[Orange Cola]

I don't need to look at the display to ow what gear I'm in when using paddles, is that something people actually struggle with?

[IanF]

It does concern me the amount of effort people have to put in just to drive a car... that sort of shit should be instinctive!

[Orange Cola]

The most rewarding manuals I've driven are the Ford ones. They're bang on the money in the ST's too and they complement the cars so well, they're not the fastest cars or boxes of course but they're a serious amount of fun to drive. I didn't go for the auto option in the Focus ST because it just doesn't suit the nature of the car at all.

[IanF]

Yeah, actually OC, probably a silly question, but are you still enjoying your Mustang? I quite fancy a 4 seat convertible.