Why didn't Lexus make a manual version of the F?

7038 Views 27 Replies 16 Participants Last post by FBTO, Apr 18, 2009

FBTO

Discussion Starter · Apr 12, 2009

Why oh why?? I am having thoughts of selling it now for an M3, only because of the manual. If I can get confirmation that a 2010 F will have manual, I will wait for it...but I am dying...I really want manual. I thought I would live without it...

Maybe it is just me. I guess we will see after I put on my summer tires this week. Maybe the 19's will sort me out. Maybe my track day at the end of the month will help shake these crazy thoughts from my head!!!

Am I the only one feeling this way??

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

A03

· #2 · Apr 12, 2009

Maybe Your feeling the Blue? Maybe Lot of drivers are afraid of manual cars?
Seriously though I think manual vs Paddle shifted cars has debate from drivers that has preference one over the other..
So who knows why Lexus chose Auto Mated manual..

micaISF

· #3 · Apr 12, 2009

FBTO said:
Why oh why?? I am having thoughts of selling it now for an M3, only because of the manual. If I can get confirmation that a 2010 F will have manual, I will wait for it...but I am dying...I really want manual. I thought I would live without it...

Maybe it is just me. I guess we will see after I put on my summer tires this week. Maybe the 19's will sort me out. Maybe my track day at the end of the month will help shake these crazy thoughts from my head!!!

Am I the only one feeling this way??

you are not alone. i am sure some potential ISF buyers bought M3 just for the manual. i would love to have the manual tranny too, but my F is my family car and reliability and safety are important, so i opted for the F. o/w, i would have picked the M3.

Jeff Taylor

· #4 · Apr 12, 2009

I hope they do make a manual for the '10 model year but I kind of doubt it. I think most people are happy with the automated manuals so that seems the way that things are going. I imagine that sadly the days of manuals are numbered.

I suspect Lexus choose the automatic since they don't really have any other manual transmission cars in the US with that kind of power. I'm not sure they do anywhere in the world so it would have been much more expensive to offer a manual. I'm sure the business case for the F was somewhat marginal so adding a manual may have not made sense.

I seriously considered a M3 for the manual transmission, but pretty much everything else went in the IS-F's favor in my mind. I also was worried I would really regret having a manual during my daily commute with all of the stop and go traffic on the freeway.

That and my wife would never be able to drive it. She tried to learn on my WRX, but that ended up being a spectacular failure. So I could never drive my WRX with her in it so the only time I got to drive it was to work and back, which isn't as much fun.

Good luck with your decision.

Jeff
08 Smoky Granite Mica IS-F

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alexzxlex

· #5 · Apr 12, 2009

I for one was always a hardcore manual driver, a purist if I may say. However, it is a proven fact that the auto shifts faster, just look at F1 gearboxes!! As for the lexus F with a manual. Odds are zero. I personally love the F trans. I drive in manual anytime the pace steps up & find it great on track also. The time has come to embrace the modern semiauto paddle boxes we are given by the manufactures, Ferrari Et Al....

drdoug75

· #6 · Apr 12, 2009

Simply put the auto gear box is faster and better. The number of manual transmission vehicles has plummeted over the last ten years. In fact, most auto makers just can't make money on them. The manual gearbox is going to become a thing of the past. Not enough demand = .....

Of course, I love the paddle shifters and gearbox on the F. I wish they had done the same in the Z06!

eddy663

· #7 · Apr 12, 2009

Here's my two cents:They hsould make a manual clutch in case somthing goes wrong with the tourque converter(3 transmission modes instead of two). Other than that auto-manuals rule!

FBTO

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 13, 2009

I know the paddle shifts faster, but that is not what I am talking about. It is that engagement with the car. It is playing with clutch, and slaming it up and down gears. I took the IS 250 manual as my loaner once, and had a blast, even though I was slow. If there was a manual F, I would be in heaven!

isflojo

· #9 · Apr 13, 2009

Aren't you the one who was challenged by an M3 owner/friend? What ever happened to that event? Is this longing for a manual tranny a result of a lost race (hopefully not)? Whatever it is, the auto gear box is still faster than the manual...

FBTO

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 13, 2009

isflojo said:
Aren't you the one who was challenged by an M3 owner/friend? What ever happened to that event? Is this longing for a manual tranny a result of a lost race (hopefully not)? Whatever it is, the auto gear box is still faster than the manual...

yes that is me and the race has not happened yet. May 9th is the drag race. Manual would probably make me slower.

isflojo

· #11 · Apr 13, 2009

Master the auto gear box's potential. You have less than a month before the race and we're all counting on you. The pressure's on my friend!

FBTO

Discussion Starter · #12 · Apr 13, 2009

isflojo said:
Master the auto gear box's potential. You have less than a month before the race and we're all counting on you. The pressure's on my friend!

Trying to, but can't get past 3rd without break all the speed limits!!

A03

· #13 · Apr 13, 2009 (Edited)

FBTO said:
Trying to, but can't get past 3rd without break all the speed limits!!

You'll do fine..Within owning the F for the year already I've raced all types of cars..
1.Corvette '06 (Not Z06 nor ZR1)
2.Pontiac GTO 6.0
3.Wrx Sti(No Comment)
4.CL55 AMG (Monster)
5.C63 AMG (Monster)
6.Civic Si (No Comment)

Sad thing is that I've mastered maybe .75-80% on paddle shiftering yet I'm doing better than fine on these cars..

Also Good driver knows not to solely just on power but on his/her skill..
Driver becomes car and car becomes the driver!!

crazee

· #14 · Apr 13, 2009

If people want a manual tranny on their F, one good suggestion is to don't be cheap and throw out some extra money you have and convert it from auto to manual with clutch and all. End of discussion. There will not be a manual F version in 2010.

ISFChamp

· #15 · Apr 13, 2009

I think that for reliability reasons, Lexus will not produce a manual trans for the IS-F.

alexzxlex

· #16 · Apr 13, 2009

FBTO said:
Trying to, but can't get past 3rd without break all the speed limits!!

Wait wait, I am confused. You are practicing for a drag race but worry about speedlimits??? Am I on the right Train here?Again staying with topic & thread, it semms you are missing a clutch not a manual box. You can shift your heart out if you like with the F. I for one as I have stated earlier on shift both up & down the gears, thats why they engineered in the "ThrottleBlip". This is particularly usefull during roadcours driving FBTO.. Again we are all counting on you to make us proud... Got IT? Now go practice launches & leave it in auto for the drags. You should win this unless you a hamfoot/hand which I dont think you are.

FBTO

Discussion Starter · #17 · Apr 13, 2009

I need to get my 19's on...these winter tires just leave black marks everywhere!!

I need to practise the M/Sport mode more.

Ok, I see the light...I am a convert to the F tranny.... F the M3!

The weather up here is a bit cold also, so I can't get enough heat into my tires....hopefully it will warm up soon...

Summers coming this week!!! Can't wait!

Molson

· #18 · Apr 14, 2009

I too very much doubt Lexus will release a manual gear box.

They borrowed our A/T (as far as the basics of it) from the LS460 to keep costs down. Toyota/Lexus uses economies of scale like crazy and that allows our price to be lower on the ISF than it could be.

Even consider that our 5.0L is shared with the LS600h.

Unless Toyota/Lexus has a manual gear box in the closet near ready for our engine I doubt they would spend the money on developing one for our car. Consider that they would have to subsequently raise the MSRP on both variants (auto and manual) to pay for the additional development costs which could push them out of the market they are targetting.

If the rumour of the LF-A using the same ISF transmission, again modified for its purposes, is true, then I would think the manual is not likely to be available for the ISF in any foreseeable future

drdoug75

· #19 · Apr 14, 2009

I think this is kind of funny. One of the reasons I purchased the F is because of its awesome automatic transmission! I have always hated the fact that cars like the viper and zo6 only come in manual. I get the somewhat more engaging experience but seriously a manual is a pain to drive in any city. I for one am happy for lexus making this choice and hope others follow their lead!

FBTO

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 15, 2009

Does anyone notice a big jerking feeling going from 1st to 2nd in M/sport mode on hard acceleration?

Does exist from 2nd on.

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