What is the best manual transmission you have ever driven? I don't know why always go back to the S2000.
Sure wasn't the 1980 Chevy Chevette that I learned on. After that? I could drive pretty much anything with a stick. Once I changed the trans oil on my old 1987 928 S4? It was probably the smoothest & most predictable manual trans I've used. Never missed a gear & shifted slick as snot.
Miata and then a BoxsterS is close 2nd. The shifter on current Golf R is not very good, even after adding an SSK and upgrading the shift bushings.
+1 on S2000 and Miata. I’d add slightly modded 996/997 (Cup shifter/solid bushings/fresh engine mounts/gear oil). I have not driven 991 R or .2 GT3. I’m partial to certain Ferrari gated shifters, too; but a different experience than the above. Just for comparison, the other end of spectrum may consist of notch/vague 914, 70s/80s VW.
I've driven the 360 and the 430 in a manual. How does it differ from the 550? I see a lot of responses for the 550...
250 Lusso GT It’s the complete classic package. Quirky. Noisy. Awkward. Wonderful. Wih that engine and clutch and the rawness it’s completely unlike anything today. When want to understand how cars used to have “soul”, if you drive one you’ll understand what we have lost.
The most fun was the '72 Ghibli SS I romped about in. What a freaking Italian muscle car. The "best" though, I'd second Dale up there @Texas Forever on the 550. Click-clack GONNNNEEEEEEEE
and i forgot the best of them all is my current drive. lotus elise. perfect mechanical feel, light clutch, short and solid throws.
surprising before the elise, I had Porsche gt3 w stock short throw 6sp that gets such great reviews and I thought it sucked. heavy clutch, always hit the gates on upshift. lotus is perfect for me. maybe its different than exige 240? cant imagine a better one. so mechanical in feel...
Lotus has cables--they can be adjusted and tweaked but still have a bit of slop. On the Datsun roadster the tranny lever stuck right into a solid piece of metal on top of the output shaft portion of the trans.
A 360 manual is one of my favorites - much nicer than a Maranello. A Maranello's throws are slightly too long, whereas a 360 is just about perfect.
Took the S2000 out for andrive on twisty mountain roads, the manual transmission is amzing, better than my old NSX, way better then my old E30 M3 and sadly better than my F355.