sdsilverm3

Those of us who own AMG's know that they do not come in a 5-spd manual transmission. Apparently, us AMG owners who have gone through the due diligence process, are misinformed because some guy claims MB of Laguna Niguel told him you could order an AMG car with a stick shift as an $8k option.

Can any of you guys confirm that there is/isn't a manual transmission? Thanks.

e1000

ProjectC55

Never ,ever,ever heard of that in my life time.Then again there is a guy in UAE,that has a SLK55 with an SLR engine straight from AMG.I guess if you have the $$$ anything can be done,this includes having AMG spec build a car for you.

SteveL

With enough money, one can be added. Renntech will do it but I bet it will cost $15K minimum.

blume

manual tranny in most cars is not extra. but, i think mb should reconsider because they are in a totally different market now as compared to previous years. these arent your grandpa's mbs anymore. i am not really sure which i would rather have with my limited experience!

sdsilverm3

Sorry if I wasn't clear but we're talking about walking into the dealership, such as MB of Laguna Niguel, and ordering an AMG car with a manual.

Correct me if I'm wrong but you cannot do that as of right now.

Chappy

Not from the factory, correct.

I read here recently that a modified SLK55 was fitted with a manual transmission and the owner is in South Florida.

(read post #26)

https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/136512-moroso-tonight.html

ClayJ

Neither Mercedes nor AMG nor HWA make a high-power-powertrain manual transmission. Period.

You want to try to find another high-capacity, high-strength manual transmission and clutch, etc. (ala the Porsche G50 transaxle) and shoehorn it into a Mercedes and hook it up and tie it into all of the engine and other electronic control systems? Knock yourself out(!).

But just a warning - neither Mercedes nor AMG nor HWA have, or have been able to. And they've got engineering departments filled with hundreds of engineers, and hundreds of millions of dollars potentially available to develop one...and they haven't, yet.

e1000

I don't believe that ClayJ. I think if AMG/MB wanted to, they could easily put a 5 or 6 speed manual in ANY AMG vehicle.

SteveL

I think it has a lot more to do with "want to do it" than "ability to do it". I think they look at the market as being pretty small for their clientele. It is really most applicable to the small cars, SLK55, C55, and CLK55, less on the E & CLS and very little on the S and CL.

I thiink the only thing we'll see is SMG. I don't think they will ever do a traditional manual. JMHO

Bif powell

From AMGs MNUSA web-site

Why don't AMG cars come with manual transmission?

AMG vehicles are designed to deliver high performance while offering the comfort and everyday usability that Mercedes-Benz customers expect. AMG's transmissions are one element of this strategy. They permit customers to enjoy the convenience of automatic shifting, when required, as well as offering the dynamic attributes of a manual transmission through the Touchshift™ and Speedshift™ technologies and the manual gearshift mode that are being offered on many AMG models. Our research indicates that an overwhelming number of AMG customers would choose an automatic transmission even if manual transmissions were available.


From the beginning, AMG has pioneered the development of high-performance automatic transmissions. Our latest version is a heavily modified, driver-adapted 5-speed automatic.

Known as SpeedShift™, the considerable power of an AMG engine is delivered through a driver-adapted 5-speed combining the convenience of an automatic with the dynamic action and control of a manual transmission.

AMG SpeedShift performs 35% faster, more responsive gear changes, can automatically perform double-downshifts under heavy braking, will hold a specific gear through hard cornering, and automatically selects the optimum gear to ensure maximum acceleration when overtaking others.

A lighter torque converter that locks in all forward gears is another innovative feature of SpeedShift. AMG SpeedShift is currently available on the C32 AMG, SLK32 AMG and the 2003 SL55 AMG, CL55 AMG, and CLK55 AMG Coupe and S55 AMG.

Fingertip manual mode, a Formula 1 style shifting system, is one more feature found on many of AMG's SpeedShift transmissions.

ClayJ

I think that that is what I am trying to say guys- if Mercedes doesn't want to do it, and has the resources to do it - how in the heck is the average Joe (or even someone with my money) going to do it?

They just aren't available.

I do remember that some tuner, MKB, whomever, tried adding a manual tranny to...an E55? maybe? Didn't stay on their website for six months.

MKB, Brabus, Renntech, Carlsson - all I think have a 'strengthening' mod for the 5-speed MBZ auto tranny -- but no manual. If it were easy enough to do for a price, one of them would offer one, wouldn't they?

e1000

Just because a manufacturer dosen't want to do something dosen't mean it's impossible or even that it's very difficult. It all comes down to money. If MB or any of the tuning shops figured out how to do it for a price they could make money AND have enough interest to make it worth it all, it would be done. With that said, now that the C350 is out with 268hp, with modifications, it MAY be able to handle the C55 (still a quite a bit of torque difference). I'm actually suprised that the 6-speed is even offered in the US for the C230/C350.

Chappy

A recent issue of Autoweek spotlighted a manual 6-speed transmission (tremec IIRC) that could handle 1200hp....they nicknamed it "tranzilla"

white_w203

i wonder if the c230 6-speed can handle the AMG hp.....say if i had the money and dropped either a c32 or c55 motor???

e1000

I bet it could if it was beefed up. Gotta remember that the C32/C55 will have almost 90% more power and a similar increase in torque.

mick1

Or you can forget all that and buy a BMW M3 with 6-speed manual.

merc655

uh-oh. did you really just say that?

I joke.

MBNorCal

just wait till mb comes out with their dsg/smg type of transmissions. almost all exotics are clutchless shifters...

mick1

I am sure those kind of transmissions are much faster than the traditional manual transmission but I doubt they would be nearly as fun to drive.

m3_eater

This is a common misunderstanding. In fact, it's NOT manual transmissions that have difficulty handling HP/torque, it's automatic ones. MB (or anyone) can very easily produce a manual tranny that can handle anything they want. They choose not to however, because they are convinced that the future is with high-quality, F1-technology-inspired, multi-gear automatic transmissions with smart computers. I REALLY wish I could purchase a manual transmission, but I bet I'm in a distant minority to most MB buyers.

My_C55

One of the local tuners and I spent a LOT of time looking into this project.

I really feel that if my C55 was a manual I would enjoy it MUCH MUCH more, as it is I'm starting to get bored (i change cars quite often)

The issue of physically bolting the tranny to the engine is NO issue, and w/ the c class its even easier since other models have manuals so interior trip and pedals are readily available.

The issue comes down to 1 problem...Software.

There is no software that will allow the ecu to handle the manual tranny, we've looked into piggy back black boxes to fool the ecu, but in the end the number of variables and saftey inherent saftey issues stopped that line of thought.

Basically unless we can get a modified codestring there isnt a clutch in our future.

ClayJ

The fact of the matter is that they haven't, and they won't.

A manual transmission for an AMG car is an empty fantasy - forget it.

Get over it, come to a point of acceptance, and learn to go with the flow.

The F1-style automatic transmission with driver selectable up- and downshifts is the present - and the future. And among all high-end european manufacturers.

Facts of life. Get real. Stop your damn whining!

sdsilverm3

ClayJ is on the right track. The M5 was released as an SMG only which should say something. AMG is perhaps heading down this same road. Perhaps the train of thought at BMW, and perhaps other euro companies, is that they may add even more gears in the future. Seven gears is already a lot for one to handle if it were in a manual stick shift. The complexity in the shift pattern would increase the risk of someone performing the notorious "money shift".

naadp

I thought the M5 was going to have an available 6-speed manual for the US market only?