Peak ’80s geek-chic down to its four-eyed grin, the 1984 Ford Mustang SVO rocked a 2.3-liter turbo, a bi-plane spoiler and instantly identifiable full-face machined wheels. The rebirth of a turbo-four Mustang 31 years later was a spiritual resurrection, right down to the fabled 2.3-liter displacement. With a standard six-speed manual and an expressive color palette framed by hues of green, blue and orange, the 310-horsepower Mustang EcoBoost is a compelling package that needs just one dash of spice to bring the SVO aesthetic back to life: a decent set of wheels.
The base Mustang’s standard-issue silver flangeless five-spoke wheels are par for the segment, with a conventional (read: forgettable) design. But as Tire Rack’s configurator shows, $650 buys a set of bright white Motegi Racing MR139 rally wheels that makes the entire chassis pop, transforming the modern Mustang’s silhouette into a Group A rally homologation special.
Sparco’s wheels are manufactured by O.Z., marking a low-cost way to equip Italian rally cred. The $680 set of 17-inch Sparco Terra wheels comes with a blue sticker kit that seems to hold up well during daily use, if Instagram is to be trusted. The Sparco logo color-keys well with Ford’s Velocity Blue paint — it’s not the look you’d expect to see on a Mustang, and that’s absolutely the point.
Be warned: Tire Rack’s mobile-friendly configurator is a super-fun timesuck, allowing you to thumb through your car’s OE color palette and try on different kicks. White wheels look good on everything, but there’s something forbidden and delicious about seasoning America’s performance icon with European flavor — an effect that still works three decades after the Mustang SVO gave us the idea.
At the V-Series Blackwing reveal last night, Cadillac’s fastest pairing shed their race-inspired camouflage and showed their true lines to the world. After an evening of reflection, six particular endearments set up the CT4-V and CT5-V for the perfect launch.
A five-digit serialized VIN plate represents the model (8 = CT5-V Blackwing), the transmission (6 = manual transmission) and the number vehicle built (001 = first vehicle built).
The first manuals will be auctioned off for charity.
Though early adopters can reserve one of the first 250 cars with a refundable $1000 deposit, GM is saving the very first manual VINs for a higher cause. The reservation site states that “GM intends to auction the first manual transmission VINs for the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing and donate the proceeds to a worthy cause.” Keep an eye on the high-profile auctions this summer, just in case.
668 horsepower. In a sedan.
Not a crossover. Not a truck. As Cadillac makes the necessary transformation to an electric vehicle brand, the Blackwing is a 200-mph last hurrah for both petrol-powered motive and the classic sedan silhouette.
Screaming supercharger or turbo spool?
You pick. Big brother CT5-V sports the classic supercharger whine pioneered by the CTS-V, while the new-school CT4-V relies on sophisticated twin-turbos and a compact V6 engine architecture. Both are bound to provide visceral engagement through two distinct formulas of sound and feel.
AKG audio always bumps.
We haven’t had a chance to sit in the CT4-V Blackwing yet, but we’ve had a lot of experience with Harman premium audio systems in the past. Harman’s bespoke systems are fine-tuned by career audiologists in Farmington, Michigan, and the end quality is always amazing. AKG earbuds are some of our favorites, so we’re interested to spin our Detroit playlist in the Blackwing series when they hit the street.
Easter eggs will keep this car fresh for years.
Cadillac designers refer to their iconic intersecting rectangle livery as “the Mondrian pattern”, named after the famed Dutch painter who used stark black lines to divide panels of color. Cadillac’s interpretation can be found throughout the car, from the 3D-printed shift knob trim to the car’s aero-sculpted undertray. Designers teased in the launch video that they hid nods to Cadillac history throughout the vehicle, and owners will likely continue to discover these secret surprises years down the road.
The price.
German supersedans, none of which can be fitted with a manual in the US now, tend to look dated as soon as the newest successor debuts. But the Cadillac CTS-V series has aged more than gracefully, with the final CTS-V wagon still attracting admiration some six years after the end of production. Fast Cadillacs have a staying power that the German brands just don’t, and with a starting price tens of thousands of dollars below the competition, the Blackwing series represents a victory for car culture at large — especially with a standard six-speed manual transmission.
Have you ever been a victim of the false-manual listing scheme? We all know how it goes. First, you find the perfect car for sale, of course, listed as a manual. Then you start going through the photos only to be disappointed, thereโs no clutch pedal to be found. Youโve been duped! What if there was a magical place that not only lists cars correctly as manual or automatic, but also tells you what kind of manual is in the car? That place is Japan, and they really know how to classify their manuals in all shapes and forms. Hereโs how they do it.
What weโre talking about specifically is the Japanese dealer auction network. You know, where those grainy photos of crazy JDM machines in white photo booths come from. The beauty of this system is that each auction house has a standardized sheet explaining everything about the cars, including their transmission. They look like this:
Thereโs a lot there, but this is TMGPS so weโre just here to talk about the gearbox. That section highlighted in red is where the gearbox is listed. It says “F4,” any guesses what that stands for? Pretty straightforward: โ4โ is the amount of gears, and โFโ stands for Floor. So itโs basically saying โfour on the floor.โ Once you learn the system, youโll be scoping out the best manuals that Japan has to offer. Hereโs the legend below:
F – Floor C – Column I – Integrated (Dash) D – Dash P – Dash MT – Manual Transmission 1-7 – The amount of gears there are
Example: C4 = Four-speed manual with a column shifter
While it’s not a perfect system, and there are some inconsistencies among the different auction houses, this is much better than calling a Tiptronic a manual. You may also see cars listed as โMTโ or just โ5,โ but if it has the number, you can be assured itโs a manual.
Semi trucks and commercial vehicles get a bit odd. Their transmissions may be listed as “Pro-Shift,” a semi-automated manual, or other odd figurations like “6×2.” Weโll have to touch on that in another article as there’s a ton of diversity among commercial trucks. Praise the manuals of all shapes and forms!
One of the best things weโve discovered with this knowledge is the fact that column shifters were offered up until the early 2000s on some Nissan and Toyota commercial trucks. We wonder if any manufacturer is brave enough to bring those back…
We all know that the manual transmission is becoming more and more endangered, and with that, variations of the manual are also dwindling at alarming rates. If youโre looking for a specific way to row, you can search the Japanese auctions at sites like http://www.daveyjapan.com to get your obscure shifting on. You can also find a shirt with your favorite manual shift pattern at our store, so check it out and share your shift pattern with the world!
@DownTheDori takes pictures of weird and interesting cars found on the streets of Japan. Follow @downthedori on Instagram to see what’s happening on the streets of Japan.
Cadillac surprised the blogosphere in January by revealing that the upcoming race-bred CT5-V can be optioned with a third pedal. Now, the American luxury icon is revealing the rest of the story behind the CT4-V and CT5-V in a livestreamed introduction every manual transmission enthusiast must see.
Building a bona-fide muscle sedan and boldly equipping it with a real manual transmission makes a case for Cadillac’s uniqueness in a market saturated with crossovers pretending to be coupes. Though the brand is fast headed to an all-electric lineup, the V-Series Blackwing models give enthusiasts one last chance to enjoy the command of three pedals.
Sign up for the live reveal with one click by heading to Cadillac’s Twitter post, and show GM that manual transmission enthusiasts will show up when manufacturers show up for us!
The Honda N-One keeps its retro styling intact, but itโs all-new under the sheetmetal. The most exciting part of this refresh is the turbocharged RS trim, featuring a six-speed manual transmission!
In case youโre unfamiliar, Hondaโs N line includes four retro-themed models: the N-One, N-Box, N-Van, and N-Wagon. The โNโ stands for โNippon,โ which is actually how you say Japan in Japanese. All models feature retro styling inspired by the Honda N-360 hatchback from way back in 1967. Think of them as a new take on Nissanโs Pike Cars of the early 90s. Japan just canโt get enough of these neo-retro cars.ย
If the N-One isn’t your thing, then get yourself an original N360 like this and clean it up!
Despite the retro styling, the N-One hatchback can be optioned with the latest tech features from Honda, and is one of the first kei cars to feature LED daytime running lamps. Additional options include in-car navigation, full-automatic air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, Honda Sensing parking aids and more. At just 3.4 meters (~11.2ft) long, it really packs a ton of features in a small package.
The new N-One hatchback will be available in three grades; Original, Premium Tourer, and RS. The sporty RS trim features a 64hp turbo engine, up from 57 hp in the regular version. This is mated to a refined version of the S660 roadsterโs six-speed manual transmission. To further the Honda lineage, an S2000-inspired leather-wrapped shift knob is also included in the package. Power is delivered to the front wheels, adding to the already impressive lineage of fun FWD cars from Honda. All of that comes together to make a nice little hot hatch with just enough sporty touches to keep you smiling from town to touge.
Although kei cars are unlikely to find themselves in other markets, weโre glad to know that tiny hot hatches are still well and alive in the JDM world. If youโre lucky enough to be in Japan, then take advantage of Hondaโs amazing offerings like this and the S660 Roadster. We love to see a company keeping sporty manual cars alive, and we look forward to more great drivers’ cars from Honda in the next decade.
@DownTheDori takes pictures of weird and interesting cars found on the streets of Japan. Follow @downthedori on Instagram to see what’s happening on the streets of Japan.
Itโs hard to believe that the new Suzuki Jimny has already been on the market for over two years, but it still hasnโt traversed the entire globe yet. The Indian joint venture Maruti-Suzuki is playing a key role in spreading Jimny joy across the globe, and yes, that includes three-pedal joy as well!
Maruti Suzuki has now begun manufacturing the Suzuki Jimny at their factory in India. Oddly enough, the new Jimny has not been released on the Indian market yet. Despite that, itโs being exported from India to foreign markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. The first shipment is headed for Latin America, and there should be some manual transmissions on that boat.
The Jimny has enjoyed positive reviews from journalists across the globe, even from some North American journalists who long for the Suzuki Samuraiโs successor to come back. It won the World Urban Car award in 2019, as announced at the New York International Auto Show that year. For those who havenโt seen it, the new Jimny is a refreshingly simple and capable off-roader. In Japan, the Jimny is offered with a kei-class 660cc 3cylinder engine, as it has been for over 30 years. There is also the Jimny Sierra, with a 1.5L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine. The larger engine is the only option for export models being produced in India. Both engines are available with automatic and manual transmissions.
Despite dwindling sales for manual transmissions globally, takeup is still quite high in many countries that the new Jimny is being exported to. We applaud Maruti-Suzuki for providing the world with simple, capable, and engaging driving experiences into the 2020โs. You can read more about Jimny production at Maruti-Suzuki’s Website.
@DownTheDori takes pictures of weird and interesting cars found on the streets of Japan. Follow @downthedori on Instagram to see what’s happening on the streets of Japan.
Our friends at GTPlanet have a 20-year history of helping racers get the most out of Gran Turismo. Their latest tip is a five-minute survey from Mazda, where gamers answer questions about their real-life motorsports interests in exchange for some in-game cheddar. The survey is the perfect place to vocalize support for the manual-gearbox Mazdas still offered on these shores, and the virtual cash is enough to buy one example of each roadgoing Mazda in the game.
300,000 Gran Turismo Sport credits won’t quite buy you the sultry RX-VISION GT3 concept in the post header, but you can buy a manual diesel Demio in every color.
No radio. No wheel covers. No bumper paint. No A/C โ a hard sell under the year-round South Texas sun. At just over $10,500, this 1996 Toyota Tercel had no tachometer, either, but it had something no other US-market car offered at any price: a four-speed manual transmission.
The fifth-generation Tercel landed on American shores in 1995. Rounded in front to match the Camry of the day, the sharp, flat-cut rear decklid added a sporty edge to otherwise simple transportation. DX-trim models in period-correct hues of teal and green come to mind, but the base-grade two-door was the only Tercel of the era missing its fifth ratio. Unexpectedly punchy in its class, the 1.5-liter 5E-FE four-cylinder churned out 94 horsepower, put to pavement in the base cars by a C141 four-speed stick.
In 1997, the base Tercel was replaced by a better-equipped CE trim level, thus marking the demise of the last four-speed manual for sale in the United States. Two years later, the Tercel would disappear from America altogether.
With only 143,498 miles on the clock, this tough-as-nails Tercel might seem too young for the crusher โ until you walk around back. Is this custom ute conversion the necessity of genius or an affront to what should have been a rolling tribute to the legendary four-on-the-floor? Let us know in the comments.
Car critics around the world call the rally-bred Yaris GR “the best Toyota we’ve ever driven” and “a single superlative.” Gran Turismo developer Kazunori Yamauchi, an industry influencer and racecar driver in his own right, offers us what other journalists can’t: a chance to get behind the wheel.
It's been a while since I've seen a car exciting as this. New update coming this week.
Gran Turismo Sport offers a free update tonight at 10 PM PST, introducing the Yaris GR RZ in a dedicated spec race series hosted at the fictional Sardegna windfarm circuit. Expect four production colors: red, black and two shades of white. Keep an eye out for the historic “turbo” logotype on the engine cover, as well as an exquisitely detailed interior with a manual transmission in the center console.
Toyota USA continues to be coy: the official Toyota GR Yaris microsite insists this heralded homologation special isn’t destined for our shores, but implores handraisers to register their interest in an American-market “hot hatch to call its own.” Rumors suggest America’s quick Toyota will be a five-door Corolla equipped with the Yaris GR’s three-cylinder turbo. Translating the Yaris’s exaggerated rear box fenders and pint-sized three-door charm into a larger form-factor will be a difficult challenge, but as long as a manual transmission makes the cut, consider us on board.
“Give me the most French, most manual transmission car you have.”
We skipped any pleasantries. He rose out of his seat.
“Citroรซn C3. It’s hard to find a manual these days, even in Europe. It’s not a manual, but it’s French. It has eight kilometers on it and the Airbump. Don’t test the airbags. Have fun.”
At the Hertz counter in Zurich, I grasped my first set of French keys.
Mustang. Range Rover. Mazda CX-5. Space after space of familiar visage in the garage. I smiled, thinking of how rental car counter agents the world over wield such power with the click of a mouse.
I clicked the fob. I heard a beep. And then I saw a beam.
After steeping for a moment, I popped the door to climb inside. I surveyed the red dash bezel, traced the cloth seat cushion with a finger and inhaled the new car scent. I took my helm and studied the chrome chevrons on the key.
Arrested in my steps, it finally hit me: yes, Iโm actually in Europe. Iโm actually going to visit Peugeot. And for the next thousand kilometers, this is actually my car.
Into the ignition. A little too much switch torque, and then — a lurch!
Evidently, European safety regulations donโt mandate a clutch pedal interlock to start a car. I glanced downward, and there it was: a palm-filling square knob imprinted with a shift pattern. Hertz Guy was wrong: this C3 was a stick.
Truthfully, any pint-sized high-style compact car from a marque unavailable in the US would have charmed me from the start. But as I settled in by knocking the knob left and right from neutral, every legend about Europe being the mecca of workaday hot hatches proved true.
As Iโve traveled the world to trace the history of cars, Iโve always been struck by the cultural sameness across continents. Behind the wheel of the C3, industry-standard ergonomics made it all the easier to adapt to new traffic signs captioned in a foreign language dotting roads as narrow as they were smooth. Merging onto the motorway, not yet aware of Switzerlandโs ubiquitous and vicious speed cameras, the rhythm of gear changes became a familiar bridge to learning both the car and a new set of rules for the road. As it turned out, being genuinely connected to the car through the transmission tamped down the geographic unfamiliarity. It didnโt matter I was in a foreign land and didnโt speak the language. Through a mechanical handshake, I knew I had a partner in this car.
On we went, bravely into the middle lane and soon the left. Immediately, I noticed sharp throttle response at tip-in, all too rare in an era of lazy or efficiency-focused throttle-by-wire calibration. When an engine sharply reacts to your shoe, the satisfaction of a gear change increases all the more. I marveled that Citroรซn engineers somehow still understood this elemental automotive truth, all but forgotten in the automatic CUVs teeming across the US.
Darting out of tunnels into sharp exits, I noticed that the C3 was still kitted with all the modern active safety conveniences: blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning and automatic braking debunk the idea that a manual must be analog. The navitainment system offered clear and easy setup, with nothing particularly remarkable or offensive about the touch panel graphic interface. Fonts from the gauge cluster to the head unit were modern, clear and coordinated across the cabin a feat that even the latest Toyotas have yet to achieve. No longer simply avant-garde or whimsical, the C3 exhibits the importance placed upon technology in a modern Citroรซn modern design brief.
Technology, of course, is hardly a differentiator behind the wheel. Buyers expect seamless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and for the most part, all OEMs deliver this. Design, too, is an area where most modern OEMs have elevated their craft. The true differentiator in the 2020s is the level of engagement of the drive.
Leaning into the throttle as the highway opened up, this was my epiphany. As automakers shift their R&D resources away from vehicle dynamics to focus on autopilot systems, vehicles built to engage the driver will truly stand apart.
The C3 is a gem.
Its glint comes from the 1.2-liter turbo engine under the hood. Leaning into the throttle at lower RPM, I lamented the lack of turbo whine, but still smiled: somewhere between a growl and a grunt lay the song of the C3, a surprisingly angry bassline echoing a taxed-but-eager inline-six.
The two-hour commute to Peugeotโs Sochaux museum and factory thus became a game: find an empty stretch, scan the road for cops, heel-toe downshift with a giddy giggle and boot out a response from the mad little three-cylinder. You canโt play this game with most American subcompacts. In fact, in modern American nameplate showrooms, you canโt find a subcompact car at all.
Nor is it easy to find a neutral visage on a modern dealer lot. Among a sea of aggressive angry fascias, the C3โs stately neutrality seemed a coy dismissal of its peers. I reversed into a shady parking spot, noted the satisfying actuation and latching of the hatch and took a last look back, lamenting that PSAโs best work would never see our shores. Quelle tragรฉdie.
Months later, a surprise merger with FCA may mean that Peugeot and Citroรซn platforms have a path to North America after all. Several questions arise: Will a Citroรซn with a Chrysler badge lose its European appeal? More vital: Will PSA realize that bringing manual transmission models to the United States is a fast path to differentiation in a highly competitive market? As PSA and FCA plan Peugeotโs re-entry into the US, manual transmission fans have one last chance to shape the automotive landscape for those who still care to drive.
TMGPS JOURNAL 
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