Having sampled some outstanding gearboxes...

Having sampled some outstanding gearboxes of late, Ishan wonders if the days of the manual gearbox are finally coming to an end…

I write this while on my way back from a rather pleasant drive in the lovely locales of Spain. And Spain in January isn’t quite the sun, sand and beaches that people normally associate with the country. What it did have in abundance was tight, twisty mountain roads, freezing temperatures and snow, lots of it in fact – who would have thought!

One of the interesting developments during the drive was getting my hands on a manual gearbox 320d, which, as many of you will know, is a rarity – especially since BMW India refuses to sell us any manual cars, unless you’re buying something from the M division. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to be driving the manual ‘box, since it would allow me to experience the torquey diesel engine in the ideal three-pedal configuration.

Despite the fantastic roads, and the supposedly ideal combination of a rear-wheel drive car with a manual gearbox, my time in the manual car was an underwhelming one. Yes, the gearbox is not a particularly fine one in-and-of-itself, but honestly I’ve driven far worse and grumbling about it wouldn’t be fair. Surprisingly, I had far more fun in the 335i variant of the car, fitted with the 8-speed automatic. Now, to be honest, its not a complete apples-to-apples comparison, given the difference in power outputs and performance of the two engines – but the worrying factor for me was the fact that modern automatic gearboxes are becoming so good that the need for a manual is quickly becoming redundant.

Now, for some time, I’ve been reading pieces by hacks far more experienced than I that read less like articles and more like obituary pieces for manual gearboxes. But, before today, I always thought the threat was exaggerated – and that manuals would survive. However, now I’m beginning to feel that perhaps these more enlightened souls could just be right. Some of the modern automatic gearboxes – particularly the ZF 8-speed and some dual-clutchers – are becoming so good that the car feels more complete with them rather than with a manual.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not growing old and senile – despite my rapidly worsening hair loss – and neither am I surrendering my lifetime membership card to the Luddite enthusiasts of the manual gearbox drivers club, but today’s autos have become so good at second guessing your gear requirements that there is now hardly any reason not to choose them. Not only are they more relaxing to drive in heavy traffic – which is getting worse every day – but their performance when one is in the mood for some excited driving is flawless too. So, I can’t think of many reasons for manuals to stick around, other than the fact that, having being brought up on manuals, I’m used to them and like driving manual cars.

So, if you take out the matter of personal preference, and the fact that is makes me feel more in control of the car, there is no valid argument against a good automatic ‘box. And with more and more autos being introduced across all segments, I can foresee a future where we’ll only get manual gearboxes on a small minority of very focused machines – a reverse of the situation prevailing today then.

And while I would prefer not to witness such a scenario in my lifetime, the fact is that the days of the manual gearbox are numbered. So, if you’re a manual Luddite like me, I would say enjoy the options available today as much as you can, for tomorrow you may not be able to at all.