AMG: automatic or standard (manual)
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Joined: Apr 2015
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From: the USA
2004 Mercedes CLK55 AMG
AMG: automatic or standard (manual)
I really like driving standard (in US parlance: stick shift) cars. My MB is auto, unfortunately. How many standard shift AMG cars does MB import to the USA per year? I am trying to assess my possibility of driving standard AMG (in the future).
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2006 E55, 2012 GLK350 & 1992 190e sportline
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Joined: Jun 2015
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From: South Africa
2004 CLK55 AMG W209
I would see this as both a safety feature as well as convenience for the driver. Merc fitted auto boxes so people driving the AMG's wouldn't easily damage the box on the car like you would with quick/snap changing on any regular manual box car. Believe me, if you broke it, you gona pay a pretty $ for repairs or replacement.
I heard a salvage yard owner for Mercs here in my area fitted the manual box off the wagon mercs of the 2002 up model. Apparently he had a lot of difficulty getting it to work and eventually sold the car. Wouldn't see the reason of need for a manual box on a luxury car
I heard a salvage yard owner for Mercs here in my area fitted the manual box off the wagon mercs of the 2002 up model. Apparently he had a lot of difficulty getting it to work and eventually sold the car. Wouldn't see the reason of need for a manual box on a luxury car
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From: Florida
2002 CLK 55 AMG cabriolet Eurocharged
Top loader 4 speed or a munci m-21/22 (Rock Crusher) was top cog. Borg Warner started tooling for ford in 1965 and again in 1982, The 5 speed was born.
Doug Nash started building drag gear boxes as well. It is truly fun to control your limitations but fun and computers with 400hp + start a deregulation issue, Automatic transmissions are the way to go in the street.
Benz never registered a EPA legal manual gearbox car.
The computers are fast and right on top of what we want for making some serious noise plus leaving a cloud of other cars at the light.
to build a true racing machine I might think otherwise.
Cheers, Gator
Doug Nash started building drag gear boxes as well. It is truly fun to control your limitations but fun and computers with 400hp + start a deregulation issue, Automatic transmissions are the way to go in the street.
Benz never registered a EPA legal manual gearbox car.
The computers are fast and right on top of what we want for making some serious noise plus leaving a cloud of other cars at the light.
to build a true racing machine I might think otherwise.
Cheers, Gator
Last edited by GatorMB; Sep 28, 2015 at 07:43 PM.
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From: Downingtown, PA
none... for now
Some of you guys hurt my heart.
A good driver was faster then 95% of 90's and even many 00's auto gearboxes, AMG included. It wasn't untill things like the current wave of dual clutches, ZF8 speed, or GM's 8 speed came about that auto's unquestionably dominated. There's no 2 ways about it, AMG was foolish for not offering a manual early on. The LT1, LS1, and hemi all have power curves fairly similar to the m113, no reason MB couldn't have mated a T56 to them and adjusted the diff gearing accordingly. Now that the trans, engine, and suspension are all tied together on cars, I can sort of understand it.
For a drag car? Shove a C6, powerglide, or DCT behind it. A street car? A good manual trans just keeps you more involved. It's a real hard pill to swallow if I go C/CLK55, I'll own another auto for 5+ years, especially when my other option is a 400hp/400lb-ft 6 speed car...
A good driver was faster then 95% of 90's and even many 00's auto gearboxes, AMG included. It wasn't untill things like the current wave of dual clutches, ZF8 speed, or GM's 8 speed came about that auto's unquestionably dominated. There's no 2 ways about it, AMG was foolish for not offering a manual early on. The LT1, LS1, and hemi all have power curves fairly similar to the m113, no reason MB couldn't have mated a T56 to them and adjusted the diff gearing accordingly. Now that the trans, engine, and suspension are all tied together on cars, I can sort of understand it.
For a drag car? Shove a C6, powerglide, or DCT behind it. A street car? A good manual trans just keeps you more involved. It's a real hard pill to swallow if I go C/CLK55, I'll own another auto for 5+ years, especially when my other option is a 400hp/400lb-ft 6 speed car...
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2002 CLK 55 AMG cabriolet Eurocharged
If you have ever done any bracket Drag Racing in the 70's - early 80's. the standard transmission was hard to beat.
Shift kits firmed the shifts lag up a bit and B & M Transmission felt confident enough to manufacture custom torque converters and Clutch drive adapter kits for US cars.
The kit utilized a custom input shaft that used a manual transmission input shaft for the AT and was driven by Manual transmission clutch. This launched the car at any desired RPM and snap manual shift points from the automatic transmission modified valve body.
Once the computers came into the transmission The standard transmission became an underdog in real time performance figures.
I agree with you and thousands of Porsche folks. Controlling your own car with a clutch makes driving a performance vehicle more desirable.
Shift kits firmed the shifts lag up a bit and B & M Transmission felt confident enough to manufacture custom torque converters and Clutch drive adapter kits for US cars.
The kit utilized a custom input shaft that used a manual transmission input shaft for the AT and was driven by Manual transmission clutch. This launched the car at any desired RPM and snap manual shift points from the automatic transmission modified valve body.
Once the computers came into the transmission The standard transmission became an underdog in real time performance figures.
I agree with you and thousands of Porsche folks. Controlling your own car with a clutch makes driving a performance vehicle more desirable.
