Wednesday 9th November 2011

Audi S4 and S5 ditch manual option for Europe...

...but US gets to keep it. Grrr, etc etc...

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First it was the M5 and now Audi's playing the same game: it's dropping a manual gearbox option from its European line-up (and yes, that does mean Blighty) but keeping a three-pedal option for US customers.

According to the Audi focused folks at fourtitude.com, the six-speed gearbox is no longer available in some online configurators for Europe, which presumably means that we'll be stuck with the seven-speed S Tronic DSG as the only gearbox option when Audi refreshes its S4 and S5 for the 2012 model year. Which does seem a bit of a shame.

Not that we're saying that the S Tronic is a bad transmission, of course, merely that it would be nice to still have the choice...

Audi 's US product planning boss Barry Hoch confirmed the news in an e-mail to Fourtitude:

"They (Europe) lose the manual. We keep the manual! 100% confirmed, although I don't know what other markets also get to keep it. I don't want to fear for my life when I leave the office. The manual transmission enthusiasts are... umm... passionate individuals. Save the Manuals!"

Perhaps we should start a similar campaign on this side of the Pond...

 

[Fetchez la vache]

Presumably the sales figures give some indication as to why this is? Did it with the M5?

[robinessex]

So, the Yanks get a manual, when 99.9999999999% don't know how to use one!! Amazing logic.

[ukaskew]

robinessex said:

So, the Yanks get a manual, when 99.9999999999% don't know how to use one!! Amazing logic.

There will be logic involved, and they will have numbers to back this up. Even though it may be 0.01% of Americans, that will presumably still massively outnumber those who want a manual across Europe.

[goron59]

Does this mean my RS4 will increase in value now that everyone really wants a manual?

[goron59]

ukaskew said:

robinessex said:

So, the Yanks get a manual, when 99.9999999999% don't know how to use one!! Amazing logic.

There will be logic involved, and they will have numbers to back this up. Even though it may be 0.01% of Americans, that will presumably still massively outnumber those who want a manual across Europe.

0.01% of Americans of driving age would number about 15-20,000... maybe the market or S4 and S5 is about that size in the US?

0.0000000001% would be effectively zero of course

[zaphod42]

Emissions? Euro IV, etc...

Auto emissions limits, are, I believe, different from manual boxes.

[Cupramax]

This totally down to emissions. The manual boxed cars were over the 225g limit so would be in the highest tax band and more to buy...

[BMWill]

I must be missing something... I thought Americans were the ones who loved autoboxes, whereas Europeans had a thing for manuals??
I don't quite follow...

The same goes for the new range of Cadillacs (CTS and so on), where in the UK they are only offered as autos, but get three pedals in the US...

I'm confused.com!

[TRUENOSAM]

Cupramax said:

This totally down to emissions. The manual boxed cars were over the 225g limit so would be in the highest tax band and more to buy...

Tis true

[Beefmeister]

BMWill said:

I must be missing something... I thought Americans were the ones who loved autoboxes, whereas Europeans had a thing for manuals??
I don't quite follow...

The same goes for the new range of Cadillacs (CTS and so on), where in the UK they are only offered as autos, but get three pedals in the US...

I'm confused.com!

You should be banned for using 'confused.com'.

[worsy]

goron59 said:

Does this mean my RS4 will increase in value now that everyone really wants a manual?

I dont understand your point. There is currently an S4 manual, so if you mean would someone weigh up a new S4 vs a 4 year old RS4, then yes I expect yours will be more desirable (assuming they want a manual as the S-Tronic is really rather good).

[troc]

Cupramax said:

This totally down to emissions. The manual boxed cars were over the 225g limit so would be in the highest tax band and more to buy...

I'm fairly certain my manual S4 is 225g on the button, with the DSG version a whopping 6g better off. Of course for the 2013 refresh, these numbers will no doubt have changed significantly

I'm sad to see the Germans (and Ferrari etc) abandoning manual gearboxes in performance cars as I firmly believe the manual shift to be a significant aspect of good car control. Just look at the awesome driving skills shown by F1 drivers before they fitted flappy paddles...... Sure, the DSG etc is very very clever and no doubt reduces emissions significantly for testing purposes (if not so much in the real world) but it's also another step away from a driver actually controlling a car. I know my car is already filled with electronic gadgets and whatnot but I can, for the most part, switch them off. You can't magically turn a DSG into a proper manual - there's a pedal missing......


(As I live in Holland, my car is mostly taxed on weight rather than CO2 output so I've never really worried too much about the numbers)

[drophead]

The whole systems bent towards automatics ffs Bloody EU!

[edo]

TRUENOSAM said:

Cupramax said:

This totally down to emissions. The manual boxed cars were over the 225g limit so would be in the highest tax band and more to buy...

Tis true

blame the EU and the numpty way Co2 is calculated for manuals V auto/dsg/s-tronic

[Cupramax]

troc said:

I'm fairly certain my manual S4 is 225g on the button,

239g according to the one I'm looking at...

[simonbristol]

edo said:

TRUENOSAM said:

Cupramax said:

This totally down to emissions. The manual boxed cars were over the 225g limit so would be in the highest tax band and more to buy...

Tis true

blame the EU and the numpty way Co2 is calculated for manuals V auto/dsg/s-tronic

If the concern is emissions, don't by anything from Audi starting with S or R? Isn't that what TDI is all about?..

edo said:

[Dr G]

A manual Avant is band L (£445) and a manual saloon is band K (£260); all S-Tronic cars are K also.

Sad to see the option go, as nice as the S-Tronic car is a manual S4 is awesome.

[Oddball RS]

TRUENOSAM said:

Tis true

If you like driving and have children or very small friends buy a new 911, easy, they can get a 3.6 under 200g/km.

[don logan]

I will NEVER EVER buy a car that only has 2 pedals again, even if it means that I have to buy older cars in the future! (unless my left leg falls off)

[Cupramax]

Dr G said:

A manual Avant is band L (£445) and a manual saloon is band K (£260); all S-Tronic cars are K also.

Ah, didn't realise there was a difference in the Avant and saloon. Agree this is a bad move from Audi.