Re: [PLUG] Survey: who drives a stick shift?

[jazzman@exdomain.org]

On Thu, 4 Oct 2007, Art Alexion wrote:

> I always found automatic "sports cars" a mind-boggling oxymoron, but the
> above really does explain it.

I had to chime in on this one (even though I hardly ever post)...

In 2002 I bought a torch red 98 corvette (used. 58K miles... near perfect 
condition). It's an automatic. So yes, I have an automatic sports car and 
as long as it's not winter it's my daily driver. I baby it, use the best 
gas I can in it, and wouldn't trade it if you paid me. Does the stick vs. 
auto argument make a difference to me at this point? With 350hp and the 
torque to match ready to go and a 0-60 time of somewhere between 4.5 and 
4.8 (depends who you ask...) the answer is a simple "nope".

I didn't buy the car to "look good" or get me attention. I bought it 
because I always liked corvettes and wanted to do it now before I became 
the old guy with the sports car. Plus I think I'd go nuts driving a stick 
in traffic every day. And yes, a few friends laughed at me when I bought 
it, but they stopped laughing long enough to ask to borrow the car so they 
must not have hated it that much.

At close to 3 bucks a gallon (over 4 at it's worst point!) for higher
octane gas, the efficiency of an automatic is welcomed. 5.7 liter v8 and I
still manage 28+ mpg on the highway (seriously).

Does driving an "automatic sports car" make me "less of a man"? In short, 
who cares! ;)

___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group         --        http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion  --   http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug