Automotive

Why are there so few 7 speed manuals?

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  • May 15th, 2016 12:44 pm
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Deal Expert
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Mar 1, 2008
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Toronto, Ontario

Why are there so few 7 speed manuals?

Aside from the fact that manuals are far and few in the North American market, and possibly China, why are there so few cars with 7 speed manual transmissions? The new Corvette and Porsche sports cars have a 7 speed manual transmission and every enthusiast seems to love them.

We have up to 9 speed and soon, 10 speed automatic transmissions. I expect more gears with manuals..
21 replies
Deal Expert
Jan 15, 2006
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Richmond Hill
Are you looking at this as a fuel savings standpoint? Because the 7th gear in manual cars is exactly just for that, it's an overdrive gear. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't want to be rowing gears like I'm training for the Olympics with a car equipped with more than 7 gears.

Lastly once you have that many gears it isn't as simple as rowing to the next gear, it will require a shift ring like semi's. So no, not in a performance car LOL
Deal Fanatic
Sep 6, 2007
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EP32k2 wrote: Are you looking at this as a fuel savings standpoint? Because the 7th gear in manual cars is exactly just for that, it's an overdrive gear. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't want to be rowing gears like I'm training for the Olympics with a car equipped with more than 7 gears.

Lastly once you have that many gears it isn't as simple as rowing to the next gear, it will require a shift ring like semi's. So no, not in a performance car LOL
This.

Also:

Image
Sr. Member
Mar 19, 2003
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If you drive a manual, you will know how complex it is to design a gearbox with 7 gears and precautions of miss-shifting. This accompanied with a low demand in new manual cars...
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Jan 7, 2007
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7 gears is too much to shift while driving in traffic.
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Apr 17, 2015
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Toronto, ON
Id assume its due to development costs; The only place you would see a 7 speed manual would be in a high end sports car, and with those more and more of them are shifting to dct's.

Its not worth the costs to make one, for the slight fuel efficeny gains that you'll make in a vehicle that no cares about fuel costs.
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Apr 7, 2007
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sandikosh wrote: 7 gears is too much to shift while driving in traffic.
I mean, well if you're in traffic, you probably not getting anywhere beyond first or second.
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Jan 15, 2006
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H8TR wrote: I mean, well if you're in traffic, you probably not getting anywhere beyond first or second.
Save your breath. You're talking to a corolla driver.
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The H pattern on some 6 speed manuals are similar to that in the meme showed above. Reverse is by itself at the far right or far left. Why not put 7th there as well? Lock out 7th so that you can't engage 7th unless 5th or 6th is engaged so you don't have to worry about mis-shifting.
EP32k2 wrote: Are you looking at this as a fuel savings standpoint? Because the 7th gear in manual cars is exactly just for that, it's an overdrive gear. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't want to be rowing gears like I'm training for the Olympics with a car equipped with more than 7 gears.

Lastly once you have that many gears it isn't as simple as rowing to the next gear, it will require a shift ring like semi's. So no, not in a performance car LOL
sundin4prez wrote: Id assume its due to development costs; The only place you would see a 7 speed manual would be in a high end sports car, and with those more and more of them are shifting to dct's.

Its not worth the costs to make one, for the slight fuel efficeny gains that you'll make in a vehicle that no cares about fuel costs.
Both fuel economy and acceleration point of view. With a 7 speed automatic, the gear ratios are more spread apart, allowing for a wider range of ratio. This should help both acceleration and fuel economy. Same could be said for manuals and have 5th or 6th as 1:1 instead of 4th. Of course, the 0 to 100Km/H should be done ideally in the first two gears in order to minimize time lost due to shifting, but even in every day driving for example, having that shorter ratio should help in merging onto the highway without having to drop a gear.

Well Corvette has the H pattern down right. I've never driven a 7 speed Corvette myself but the reviews I read said you don't have to worry about mis-shifting because they're spaced fairly well and reverse is locked out just like every other manual car.
Deal Addict
Jan 20, 2014
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Ottawa
6 gears are perfect for our current speed limits.
Deal Addict
Jul 7, 2007
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I rarely use 5 anyways, just skip from 3-6 or 4-6.
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May 30, 2012
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EP32k2 wrote: Save your breath. You're talking to a corolla driver.
So? Could be a Manual Corolla
Deal Expert
Jan 15, 2006
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iownyou wrote: So? Could be a Manual Corolla
Yeah ok. I have a better chance at finding a unicorn :facepalm:

You really should change your handle, it doesn't suit you at all.
Deal Fanatic
Sep 21, 2004
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Too many shifts. Mrs Stock's car is actually slower than the lower powered version in 0-60mph because of the extra gear shift in the 6sp Vs the 5sp.

For her car, the first 2 gears are over so quickly it'd be silly to shorten the gears anymore.

As mentioned before, only good for super cars with their 320+km/h speed ranges.
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iownyou wrote: So? Could be a Manual Corolla
Save your breath. You're talking to an ignorant Corolla hater.
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Oct 6, 2010
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Same reason it took so long to go from 4 speed to 5, and then 5 to 6. The 3 speed wasn't a long standing product. I highly do not see any value to 7, except on high end sport cars.
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Aug 10, 2015
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Just buy the Corvette. You won't regret it.
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Feb 6, 2011
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Too much shifting, makes it hard to text while driving
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