GS Racing Storm RTR: Ready to run...with surprising specs
GS Racing isn't the first company to release a ready-to-run 1/8-scale buggy, but the new Storm RTR package just might be the best finished. best equipped available today. In addition to a fully painted and trimmed body, a feature-laden chassis and a pull-start engine, the Storm includes JR Racing's XR3 digital-display FM radio gear.. complete with a high-torque "Premium Race" Z550 steering servo. And while it is an almost certain winner as a play buggy, the Storm looks very raceable as well. Since the Storm is "RTR.," finding out just how raceable it is is only a jug of fuel, some AA batteries and a charged glow-starter away.
Kyosho wild Dodge Ram and Baja Beetle QRC trucks
Sometimes you don't realize history has been made-until it repeats_ W1,91- Case in point: the Kyosho QRC Field Beetle, released in 1997. When the Be was introduced th rly five ago, everyone recognized the significance of its Quick Reverse Clutch (QRC) transmission that permitted it to back up under nitro power. That was history. But it wasn't until Traxxas released the T-Maxx that the Field Beetle's other drive-train features could be fully appreciated. Its front and rear gearboxes were suspended beneath the chassis and joined via shafts to a reversing center transmission that was bolted to the top of the chassis but passed through it to meet the drive shafts below-in essence, the same layout as Traxxas uses sc capably on its Maxx trucks. The differences in technica details between the Maxx trucks and Kyosho's QRC machine are myriad, but the broad strokes are the same.
Now Kyosho has released an updated version of the QRC truck chassis that, ironically, takes a page from the Traxxas design book. A disc brake has been added to the formerly brakeless drive train, and an electric starter replaces the Kyosho GSI5R engine's pull-starter. The GS15R itself is another upgrade, as the original Field Beetle included a smaller-displacement GS-liX powerplant. The revised QRC-equipped trucks are offered with Baja Beetle and "Wild" Dodge Ram-style shells, and with Ram-fin Kevin Hetmanski's help, I built and tested both.
Now Kyosho has released an updated version of the QRC truck chassis that, ironically, takes a page from the Traxxas design book. A disc brake has been added to the formerly brakeless drive train, and an electric starter replaces the Kyosho GSI5R engine's pull-starter. The GS15R itself is another upgrade, as the original Field Beetle included a smaller-displacement GS-liX powerplant. The revised QRC-equipped trucks are offered with Baja Beetle and "Wild" Dodge Ram-style shells, and with Ram-fin Kevin Hetmanski's help, I built and tested both.
Megatech Nitro Razor XT
Fast, fully loaded and RTR
It used to be a foregone conclusion that the typical buyer of a ready-to-run nitro car knew only enough about RC to know that he wanted his car nitro-powered and factory-assembled, and since any other technical details would be lost on that buyer, all the more reason to make the kit an inexpensive "stripper" model.
Times change. Today's RTR buyer is more savvy than ever and realizes that there's more to nitro-powered cars than an engine and four wheels. Nowadays ., the typical RTR buyer wants it all: tuned pipe, aluminum shocks, 2-speed tranny-the works. With that in mind, Megatech has released a new version of its nitro Razor, dubbed the Razor XT. In addition to a painted, trimmed and decaled body and installed Hitec radio gear, the XT is brimming with high-end features. The shortlist includes a .16 engine, polished aluminum tuned pipe, threaded aluminum shocks, front and rear swaybars, 2-speed transmission and full bearings. With standard equipment like that, it's clear Megatech believes "RTR" doesn't have to mean "entry level." Now let's fire it up and see whether the Razor XT looks as good on asphalt as it does on paper.
It used to be a foregone conclusion that the typical buyer of a ready-to-run nitro car knew only enough about RC to know that he wanted his car nitro-powered and factory-assembled, and since any other technical details would be lost on that buyer, all the more reason to make the kit an inexpensive "stripper" model.
Times change. Today's RTR buyer is more savvy than ever and realizes that there's more to nitro-powered cars than an engine and four wheels. Nowadays ., the typical RTR buyer wants it all: tuned pipe, aluminum shocks, 2-speed tranny-the works. With that in mind, Megatech has released a new version of its nitro Razor, dubbed the Razor XT. In addition to a painted, trimmed and decaled body and installed Hitec radio gear, the XT is brimming with high-end features. The shortlist includes a .16 engine, polished aluminum tuned pipe, threaded aluminum shocks, front and rear swaybars, 2-speed transmission and full bearings. With standard equipment like that, it's clear Megatech believes "RTR" doesn't have to mean "entry level." Now let's fire it up and see whether the Razor XT looks as good on asphalt as it does on paper.
HPI Nitro RS4 3 type SS
THE ALL-NEW, SHAFT-DRIVEN NITRO RS4 3 DEBUTED AS AN RTR (see the June 2002 issue of RC Car Action for the review), but HPI hasn't forgotten us do-it-yourself types. Whether you like to build your own so you know the job was done right, or you plan to make some mods along the way, or you just like to build, you'll be glad to know that you can now assemble a Nitro 3 from the ground up. You'll also be glad to know that the kit car isn't "just" a Nitro RS4 3; it's a "Type SS," which means you get the new Nitro Star 12R SS engine (good for more than lhp, says HPI), a smooth-flowing, round-port manifold, 2-speed transmission and steel turnbuckles-a combination that adds up to more tunability, more power and more speed. Exactly how much more? Well, that's why we test carsCHASSIS. HPI has been building its nitro cars on 2.5mm purple-anodized chassis for a while now, and the SS is the latest. The chassis sides are radiused for extra strength, and the underside is fully countersunk, as expected. An elaborate molded enclosure for the receiver battery with a separate cover for the receiver itself fills the left side of the chassis, and it's also home to the externally mounted steering and throttle servos. The receiver cover is screwed down, but battery access is gained by removing a single body clip. Two more body clips secure the entire radio-tray assembly, and this makes it easy to remove all the electronics without reaching for a single tool.
DRIVE TRAIN. The Type SS shares its essential shaft-drive parts with the RS4 MT and Super Nitro Rally, so you know they're tough. The front and rear gear diffs each house two spider gears, and their cast metal ring gears are spun by chunky bevel pinions with deeply meshing teeth. The front diff has the additional feature of a stiff spring between the spider gears. The spring forces the gears against the outsides of the diff case, which adds resistance to the diffs action and reduces its tendency to "unload" when a wheel breaks traction. Plastic gearboxes surround the diff and pinion gears to prevent any nasty parking-lot stuff from reaching the parts, and steel dogbones join the diffs to the 2-speed transmission in the chassis' center. Steel 'bones are also used to link the stub axles to the drive train, and all of the parts spin on a combination of rubber-seated and metal-shielded ball bearings.
The Type SS's 2-speed transmission shifts centrifugally via a spring-loaded steel drive dog that engages a hardened drive pin. Two drive-dog springs are included to match the transmission's shift-rpm range to the type of engine being used; since the Type SS includes a high-output race engine, the stiffer of the two springs is used. To further tune the transmission's shift point, spring preload is externally adjustable via a setscrew.
Unpadded steel caliper plates squeeze a single plastic brake disc to slow the Type SS. A fiber disc is available as an option, but HPI makes the most of the stock disc by giving it a thick, 4mm cross-section and molding it of very hard plastic.
SUSPENSION/STEERING. The Nitro RS4 3 borrows its suspension parts from the well-proven RS4 2, which means you get a lower H-arm/upper camber link setup. But instead of using non-adjustable plastic camber links (such as those on the RS4 3 RTR), the Type SS includes steel turnbuckle linkages for fast camber adjustments without disassembly. The steering tie rods are also turnbuckles, so toe-in is just as easy to adjust. In addition to changing camber-link length, there are two inboard and two outboard camber-link positions to choose from for the front end, and two inboard and four outboard locations in the rear. Other suspension geometry changes can be made by swapping included parts; the stock steering hub carriers provide io degrees of caster but can be replaced with 8-- degree parts, and the kit's standard rear uprights, which deliver 2 degrees of rear toe, can be swapped for 1-degree versions.
Plastic-body shocks suspend the car and are filled with "no. 300" shock oil, which is equivalent to 30WT silicone fluid. Only one set of shock pistons is provided, but it's doubtful the Type SS's target buyers will miss the tuning option of extra pistons; I didn't. Purple-anodized collars and plastic eyelets cap the bodies, which do not use internal bladders, and progressive-rate springs do the actual shock-absorbing; clip-on spacers are used to set ride height.
ENGINE AND ACCESSORIES. The Type SS gets its name from its engine-the new Nitro Star 12R SS. Thanks to its blacked-out case and purple-anodized heat-sink head with natural-aluminum accents, the engine is a looker, but it's what's inside that counts. Thanks to porting described as "aggressive," HPI claims the 12R SS unloads more than 1hp when its 2-needle, rotary carburetor is opened. The sleeve is special, too; it's coated with nickel-silicon carbide, an extra-hard material that shouldn't be confused with plain nickel. This new coating is harder than chrome, less hazardous to the environment to produce, and very slippery. It's already popular in full-scale racing applications; you can find nickel-silicon-carbide coatings on the pistons of super cars and racing motorcycles. It's serious stuff. The exhaust system is also a critical part of the power package. The Type SS includes the same composite-plastic, dual-chamber tuned pipe as the RTR Nitro 3, but a free-flowing tubular exhaust manifold replaces the RTR's square-cornered, cast header
DRIVE TRAIN. The Type SS shares its essential shaft-drive parts with the RS4 MT and Super Nitro Rally, so you know they're tough. The front and rear gear diffs each house two spider gears, and their cast metal ring gears are spun by chunky bevel pinions with deeply meshing teeth. The front diff has the additional feature of a stiff spring between the spider gears. The spring forces the gears against the outsides of the diff case, which adds resistance to the diffs action and reduces its tendency to "unload" when a wheel breaks traction. Plastic gearboxes surround the diff and pinion gears to prevent any nasty parking-lot stuff from reaching the parts, and steel dogbones join the diffs to the 2-speed transmission in the chassis' center. Steel 'bones are also used to link the stub axles to the drive train, and all of the parts spin on a combination of rubber-seated and metal-shielded ball bearings.
The Type SS's 2-speed transmission shifts centrifugally via a spring-loaded steel drive dog that engages a hardened drive pin. Two drive-dog springs are included to match the transmission's shift-rpm range to the type of engine being used; since the Type SS includes a high-output race engine, the stiffer of the two springs is used. To further tune the transmission's shift point, spring preload is externally adjustable via a setscrew.
Unpadded steel caliper plates squeeze a single plastic brake disc to slow the Type SS. A fiber disc is available as an option, but HPI makes the most of the stock disc by giving it a thick, 4mm cross-section and molding it of very hard plastic.
SUSPENSION/STEERING. The Nitro RS4 3 borrows its suspension parts from the well-proven RS4 2, which means you get a lower H-arm/upper camber link setup. But instead of using non-adjustable plastic camber links (such as those on the RS4 3 RTR), the Type SS includes steel turnbuckle linkages for fast camber adjustments without disassembly. The steering tie rods are also turnbuckles, so toe-in is just as easy to adjust. In addition to changing camber-link length, there are two inboard and two outboard camber-link positions to choose from for the front end, and two inboard and four outboard locations in the rear. Other suspension geometry changes can be made by swapping included parts; the stock steering hub carriers provide io degrees of caster but can be replaced with 8-- degree parts, and the kit's standard rear uprights, which deliver 2 degrees of rear toe, can be swapped for 1-degree versions.
Plastic-body shocks suspend the car and are filled with "no. 300" shock oil, which is equivalent to 30WT silicone fluid. Only one set of shock pistons is provided, but it's doubtful the Type SS's target buyers will miss the tuning option of extra pistons; I didn't. Purple-anodized collars and plastic eyelets cap the bodies, which do not use internal bladders, and progressive-rate springs do the actual shock-absorbing; clip-on spacers are used to set ride height.
ENGINE AND ACCESSORIES. The Type SS gets its name from its engine-the new Nitro Star 12R SS. Thanks to its blacked-out case and purple-anodized heat-sink head with natural-aluminum accents, the engine is a looker, but it's what's inside that counts. Thanks to porting described as "aggressive," HPI claims the 12R SS unloads more than 1hp when its 2-needle, rotary carburetor is opened. The sleeve is special, too; it's coated with nickel-silicon carbide, an extra-hard material that shouldn't be confused with plain nickel. This new coating is harder than chrome, less hazardous to the environment to produce, and very slippery. It's already popular in full-scale racing applications; you can find nickel-silicon-carbide coatings on the pistons of super cars and racing motorcycles. It's serious stuff. The exhaust system is also a critical part of the power package. The Type SS includes the same composite-plastic, dual-chamber tuned pipe as the RTR Nitro 3, but a free-flowing tubular exhaust manifold replaces the RTR's square-cornered, cast header
Feel of the Road - owners of manual transmission cars
Those who buy the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster with a five-speed transmission will drop more than $40,000 for the privilege.
Driving a manual transmission car has always been an interactive experience, what with one hand on the wheel, the other on the stick, and both feet alternating between the clutch and gas pedals. But increasing traffic congestion and the popularity of automatic transmissions have made operating a manual gearbox relatively rare. Today, only 17 percent of U.S. adults own a car equipped with a standard transmission, and automakers increasingly regard the fans of stick shifts as a niche market - "hard-core driving enthusiasts," in the words of Art Garner, public relations manager for Honda.
But something more demographically fundamental is at work as well. Whereas cost-conscious Americans used to buy stick shifts lured by lower price tags and cheaper gas mileage, today's owners tend to be affluent, married, and college-educated men over 45 years old, who are drawn to the old-fashioned way of heel-and-toe downshifting. Consumer research shows that driving a stick shift reflects a preoccupation with authenticity and the unrefined (like coarse bread and hemp clothes) that provides its own cachet in our plastic, materialistic age.
Manual transmission owners are more likely than average Americans to do their own financial planning, engage in solo leisure pursuits (such as backpacking, jogging, and skiing), and cook from scratch. Supermarket surveys indicate that they'd rather buy products that require more effort to serve: whole-bean coffee rather than instant brands; pita over sliced white bread; high-maintenance Brie cheese instead of an easy-to-cut slab of Velveeta. The owners of manual transmission cars tend to make their own bread and pasta. "These people don't look at a car as an appliance but as something that engages them in the act of driving," says Joe Lawrence, BMW's product and price planning manager for North America. "There is some subtle signaling to others that says, 'I would rather drive the car than have the car drive me.'" It wasn't always this way. After the arrival of automatic Hydramatic and Dynaflow transmissions in the 1940s, stick shifts became the passion of two smaller consumer segments: Adults who couldn't afford the fancier automatics, and young people who thought popping the clutch at the start of a squealing takeoff was a desired benefit of car ownership. These younger motorists were more influenced by the desire to emulate the drivers of British sports cars, who'd moved from three speeds on the column to four or five speeds on the floor. The image of the owner of a manual transmission car changed from staid family man to gutsy loner who appreciated howling along isolated roads while downshifting the engine in a blast of exhaust.
But as urban roads became congested, more and more drivers chose the comfort and convenience of automatic transmissions. Nowadays, in paved-over America, there are fewer lonely roads, and the car owners who used to grind their gears have grown up to appreciate the no-fuss comfort of sport-utility vehicles with soft suspensions and cushy rides. Today's consumers who've turned to manual transmissions want to add an aspect of entertainment to their driving. As Baby Boomers reach their 50s, some are purchasing stick shifts as a nostalgic consumption experience, hoping to relive memories of their first, cheap, manual gearboxes - and willing to pay for it. Those who buy the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster with a five-speed transmission will drop more than $40,000 for the privilege.
As shown in the attached map, based on consumer behavior in the nation's 211 media markets, the highest concentration of manual transmission owners are found in Boomer-filled metros like Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C., as well as college towns such as Madison, Wisconsin; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Lafayette, Indiana. Western states also boast a greater share of stick-shifters thanks to the recent influx of educated and mobile Americans who've moved there in search of higher paying jobs in new industries. "It's an intelligence thing," notes Lawrence, a former product manager for BMW's 3 series. "A manual driver out on a date may prompt someone to say, 'Wow, this is a cultured guy.'"
A disproportionate number of such motorists also live in the North due to weather conditions: Stick shifts provide increased traction on icy roads. By contrast, fewer are found in the rural South because of the confluence of mild temperatures, lower education levels, and relatively modest incomes that depress purchase rates for all cars. And manual transmission owners are almost as scarce in coastal cities like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, which are home to recent immigrants who perhaps lack the money and driving permits necessary for car ownership.
Of course, the owners of manual transmission cars spend their time doing more than driving their vehicles from home to office. These motorists exhibit relatively low rates for publications such as Soap Opera Weekly, that deal with a sedentary activity like watching television, or for acting as armchair athletes who read magazines like Sport. As for music on the radio, their tastes are eclectic: Classical, golden oldies, and modern rock are all enjoyed at relatively high rates. No doubt Toyota paid attention to the market's preference for modern rock when it scored its "I'm Too Sexy" spot for its Camry brand, juxtaposing a hip motorist's dream driving experience with the more usual, mundane reality. The audio features a breathy male singer whispering over the grinding of gears and a funky alternative rock beat: "I'm too sexy ... I'm too sexy for the car wash ... I'm too sexy for the grocery store ... I'm too sexy for the dry cleaners
Driving a manual transmission car has always been an interactive experience, what with one hand on the wheel, the other on the stick, and both feet alternating between the clutch and gas pedals. But increasing traffic congestion and the popularity of automatic transmissions have made operating a manual gearbox relatively rare. Today, only 17 percent of U.S. adults own a car equipped with a standard transmission, and automakers increasingly regard the fans of stick shifts as a niche market - "hard-core driving enthusiasts," in the words of Art Garner, public relations manager for Honda.
But something more demographically fundamental is at work as well. Whereas cost-conscious Americans used to buy stick shifts lured by lower price tags and cheaper gas mileage, today's owners tend to be affluent, married, and college-educated men over 45 years old, who are drawn to the old-fashioned way of heel-and-toe downshifting. Consumer research shows that driving a stick shift reflects a preoccupation with authenticity and the unrefined (like coarse bread and hemp clothes) that provides its own cachet in our plastic, materialistic age.
Manual transmission owners are more likely than average Americans to do their own financial planning, engage in solo leisure pursuits (such as backpacking, jogging, and skiing), and cook from scratch. Supermarket surveys indicate that they'd rather buy products that require more effort to serve: whole-bean coffee rather than instant brands; pita over sliced white bread; high-maintenance Brie cheese instead of an easy-to-cut slab of Velveeta. The owners of manual transmission cars tend to make their own bread and pasta. "These people don't look at a car as an appliance but as something that engages them in the act of driving," says Joe Lawrence, BMW's product and price planning manager for North America. "There is some subtle signaling to others that says, 'I would rather drive the car than have the car drive me.'" It wasn't always this way. After the arrival of automatic Hydramatic and Dynaflow transmissions in the 1940s, stick shifts became the passion of two smaller consumer segments: Adults who couldn't afford the fancier automatics, and young people who thought popping the clutch at the start of a squealing takeoff was a desired benefit of car ownership. These younger motorists were more influenced by the desire to emulate the drivers of British sports cars, who'd moved from three speeds on the column to four or five speeds on the floor. The image of the owner of a manual transmission car changed from staid family man to gutsy loner who appreciated howling along isolated roads while downshifting the engine in a blast of exhaust.
But as urban roads became congested, more and more drivers chose the comfort and convenience of automatic transmissions. Nowadays, in paved-over America, there are fewer lonely roads, and the car owners who used to grind their gears have grown up to appreciate the no-fuss comfort of sport-utility vehicles with soft suspensions and cushy rides. Today's consumers who've turned to manual transmissions want to add an aspect of entertainment to their driving. As Baby Boomers reach their 50s, some are purchasing stick shifts as a nostalgic consumption experience, hoping to relive memories of their first, cheap, manual gearboxes - and willing to pay for it. Those who buy the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster with a five-speed transmission will drop more than $40,000 for the privilege.
As shown in the attached map, based on consumer behavior in the nation's 211 media markets, the highest concentration of manual transmission owners are found in Boomer-filled metros like Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C., as well as college towns such as Madison, Wisconsin; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Lafayette, Indiana. Western states also boast a greater share of stick-shifters thanks to the recent influx of educated and mobile Americans who've moved there in search of higher paying jobs in new industries. "It's an intelligence thing," notes Lawrence, a former product manager for BMW's 3 series. "A manual driver out on a date may prompt someone to say, 'Wow, this is a cultured guy.'"
A disproportionate number of such motorists also live in the North due to weather conditions: Stick shifts provide increased traction on icy roads. By contrast, fewer are found in the rural South because of the confluence of mild temperatures, lower education levels, and relatively modest incomes that depress purchase rates for all cars. And manual transmission owners are almost as scarce in coastal cities like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, which are home to recent immigrants who perhaps lack the money and driving permits necessary for car ownership.
Of course, the owners of manual transmission cars spend their time doing more than driving their vehicles from home to office. These motorists exhibit relatively low rates for publications such as Soap Opera Weekly, that deal with a sedentary activity like watching television, or for acting as armchair athletes who read magazines like Sport. As for music on the radio, their tastes are eclectic: Classical, golden oldies, and modern rock are all enjoyed at relatively high rates. No doubt Toyota paid attention to the market's preference for modern rock when it scored its "I'm Too Sexy" spot for its Camry brand, juxtaposing a hip motorist's dream driving experience with the more usual, mundane reality. The audio features a breathy male singer whispering over the grinding of gears and a funky alternative rock beat: "I'm too sexy ... I'm too sexy for the car wash ... I'm too sexy for the grocery store ... I'm too sexy for the dry cleaners
Feel of the Road
Motorists who drive a stick-shift car are purists at heart. Driving a manual transmission car has always been an interactive experience, what with one hand on the wheel, the other on the stick, and both feet alternating between the clutch and gas pedals. But increasing traffic congestion and the popularity of automatic transmissions have made operating a manual gearbox relatively rare. Today, only 17 percent of U.S. adults own a car equipped with a standard transmission, and automakers increasingly regard the fans of stick shifts as a niche market - "hard-core driving enthusiasts," in the words of Art Garner, public relations manager for Honda.
But something more demographically fundamental is at work as well. Whereas cost-conscious Americans used to buy stick shifts lured by lower price tags and cheaper gas mileage, today's owners tend to be affluent, married, and college-educated men over 45 years old, who are drawn to the old-fashioned way of heel-and-toe downshifting. Consumer research shows that driving a stick shift reflects a preoccupation with authenticity and the unrefined (like coarse bread and hemp clothes) that provides its own cachet in our plastic, materialistic age.
Manual transmission owners are more likely than average Americans to do their own financial planning, engage in solo leisure pursuits (such as backpacking, jogging, and skiing), and cook from scratch. Supermarket surveys indicate that they'd rather buy products that require more effort to serve: whole-bean coffee rather than instant brands; pita over sliced white bread; high-maintenance Brie cheese instead of an easy-to-cut slab of Velveeta. The owners of manual transmission cars tend to make their own bread and pasta. "These people don't look at a car as an appliance but as something that engages them in the act of driving," says Joe Lawrence, BMW's product and price planning manager for North America. "There is some subtle signaling to others that says, `I would rather drive the car than have the car drive me.'" It wasn't always this way. After the arrival of automatic Hydramatic and Dynaflow transmissions in the 1940s, stick shifts became the passion of two smaller consumer segments: Adults who couldn't afford the fancier automatics, and young people who thought popping the clutch at the start of a squealing takeoff was a desired benefit of car ownership. These younger motorists were more influenced by the desire to emulate the drivers of British sports cars, who'd moved from three speeds on the column to four or five speeds on the floor. The image of the owner of a manual transmission car changed from staid family man to gutsy loner who appreciated howling along isolated roads while downshifting the engine in a blast of exhaust.
But as urban roads became congested, more and more drivers chose the comfort and convenience of automatic transmissions. Nowadays, in paved-over America, there are fewer lonely roads, and the car owners who used to grind their gears have grown up to appreciate the no-fuss comfort of sport-utility vehicles with soft suspensions and cushy rides. Today's consumers who've turned to manual transmissions want to add an aspect of entertainment to their driving. As Baby Boomers reach their 50s, some are purchasing stick shifts as a nostalgic consumption experience, hoping to relive memories of their first, cheap, manual gearboxes - and willing to pay for it. Those who buy the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster with a five-speed transmission will drop more than $40,000 for the privilege.
As shown in the attached map, based on consumer behavior in the nation's 211 media markets, the highest concentration of manual transmission owners are found in Boomer-filled metros like Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C., as well as college towns such as Madison, Wisconsin; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Lafayette, Indiana. Western states also boast a greater share of stick-shifters thanks to the recent influx of educated and mobile Americans who've moved there in search of higher paying jobs in new industries. "It's an intelligence thing," notes Lawrence, a former product manager for BMW's 3 series. "A manual driver out on a date may prompt someone to say, `Wow, this is a cultured guy.'"
A disproportionate number of such motorists also live in the North due to weather conditions: Stick shifts provide increased traction on icy roads. By contrast, fewer are found in the rural South because of the confluence of mild temperatures, lower education levels, and relatively modest incomes that depress purchase rates for all cars. And manual transmission owners are almost as scarce in coastal cities like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, which are home to recent immigrants who perhaps lack the money and driving permits necessary for car ownership.
Of course, the owners of manual transmission cars spend their time doing more than driving their vehicles from home to office. These motorists exhibit relatively low rates for publications such as Soap Opera Weekly, that deal with a sedentary activity like watching television, or for acting as armchair athletes who read magazines like Sport. As for music on the radio, their tastes are eclectic: Classical, golden oldies, and modern rock are all enjoyed at relatively high rates. No doubt Toyota paid attention to the market's preference for modern rock when it scored its "I'm Too Sexy" spot for its Camry brand, juxtaposing a hip motorist's dream driving experience with the more usual, mundane reality. The audio features a breathy male singer whispering over the grinding of gears and a funky alternative rock beat: "I'm too sexy . . . I'm too sexy for the car wash . . . I'm too sexy for the grocery store . . . I'm too sexy for the dry cleaners
But something more demographically fundamental is at work as well. Whereas cost-conscious Americans used to buy stick shifts lured by lower price tags and cheaper gas mileage, today's owners tend to be affluent, married, and college-educated men over 45 years old, who are drawn to the old-fashioned way of heel-and-toe downshifting. Consumer research shows that driving a stick shift reflects a preoccupation with authenticity and the unrefined (like coarse bread and hemp clothes) that provides its own cachet in our plastic, materialistic age.
Manual transmission owners are more likely than average Americans to do their own financial planning, engage in solo leisure pursuits (such as backpacking, jogging, and skiing), and cook from scratch. Supermarket surveys indicate that they'd rather buy products that require more effort to serve: whole-bean coffee rather than instant brands; pita over sliced white bread; high-maintenance Brie cheese instead of an easy-to-cut slab of Velveeta. The owners of manual transmission cars tend to make their own bread and pasta. "These people don't look at a car as an appliance but as something that engages them in the act of driving," says Joe Lawrence, BMW's product and price planning manager for North America. "There is some subtle signaling to others that says, `I would rather drive the car than have the car drive me.'" It wasn't always this way. After the arrival of automatic Hydramatic and Dynaflow transmissions in the 1940s, stick shifts became the passion of two smaller consumer segments: Adults who couldn't afford the fancier automatics, and young people who thought popping the clutch at the start of a squealing takeoff was a desired benefit of car ownership. These younger motorists were more influenced by the desire to emulate the drivers of British sports cars, who'd moved from three speeds on the column to four or five speeds on the floor. The image of the owner of a manual transmission car changed from staid family man to gutsy loner who appreciated howling along isolated roads while downshifting the engine in a blast of exhaust.
But as urban roads became congested, more and more drivers chose the comfort and convenience of automatic transmissions. Nowadays, in paved-over America, there are fewer lonely roads, and the car owners who used to grind their gears have grown up to appreciate the no-fuss comfort of sport-utility vehicles with soft suspensions and cushy rides. Today's consumers who've turned to manual transmissions want to add an aspect of entertainment to their driving. As Baby Boomers reach their 50s, some are purchasing stick shifts as a nostalgic consumption experience, hoping to relive memories of their first, cheap, manual gearboxes - and willing to pay for it. Those who buy the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster with a five-speed transmission will drop more than $40,000 for the privilege.
As shown in the attached map, based on consumer behavior in the nation's 211 media markets, the highest concentration of manual transmission owners are found in Boomer-filled metros like Boston, Denver, and Washington, D.C., as well as college towns such as Madison, Wisconsin; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Lafayette, Indiana. Western states also boast a greater share of stick-shifters thanks to the recent influx of educated and mobile Americans who've moved there in search of higher paying jobs in new industries. "It's an intelligence thing," notes Lawrence, a former product manager for BMW's 3 series. "A manual driver out on a date may prompt someone to say, `Wow, this is a cultured guy.'"
A disproportionate number of such motorists also live in the North due to weather conditions: Stick shifts provide increased traction on icy roads. By contrast, fewer are found in the rural South because of the confluence of mild temperatures, lower education levels, and relatively modest incomes that depress purchase rates for all cars. And manual transmission owners are almost as scarce in coastal cities like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, which are home to recent immigrants who perhaps lack the money and driving permits necessary for car ownership.
Of course, the owners of manual transmission cars spend their time doing more than driving their vehicles from home to office. These motorists exhibit relatively low rates for publications such as Soap Opera Weekly, that deal with a sedentary activity like watching television, or for acting as armchair athletes who read magazines like Sport. As for music on the radio, their tastes are eclectic: Classical, golden oldies, and modern rock are all enjoyed at relatively high rates. No doubt Toyota paid attention to the market's preference for modern rock when it scored its "I'm Too Sexy" spot for its Camry brand, juxtaposing a hip motorist's dream driving experience with the more usual, mundane reality. The audio features a breathy male singer whispering over the grinding of gears and a funky alternative rock beat: "I'm too sexy . . . I'm too sexy for the car wash . . . I'm too sexy for the grocery store . . . I'm too sexy for the dry cleaners
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