I wouldnt call it the best but the easiest ive driven is the mini cooper reboot.
BEST: 1.) Mazda Miata 1992 2.) MINI Cooper S 2004 3.) Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 (really fun shifting a big truck like that) WORST: 1.) Ferrari 348 1993 2.) Ferrari 328 1986 (Ah, the things we put up with for those we love...)
Any gear box that is a top loader ( where the stick is directly attached to the gear box) will shift far better then a remote set up with cables or rods. Although I don't understand why the Countach shifts like a cement truck. Best gearbox I have ever shifted (gulp) Mazda Miata. Ferrari gearboxes in the mid engine cars have never been smooth. Best of those has to be the 355.
S2000 (best low-cost sports car there ever was IMHO - I regret giving mine up at the end of the lease). Worst, 1972 Triumph GT-6; shifted OK, short throw and forgiving clutch, but if you pulled upward going into third, the shift lever could ride up with you - never figured out why that was, and the shop guy just shrugged his shoulders, telling me I should be glad mine actually ran lol.
not to say there aren't better but for me my 1991 300zx twin turbo seemed like a very smooth and quick shifter...also my 67 corvette is great,. then again I remember the old MGB while not all that smooth sure was fun..
My '60 with Hurst is amazing. Basically the only aspect of that car which has immediate response and feel. lol
Once I got the Hill Engineering aluminum sabot, and had the cables adjusted, my 360 for sure. Before that, it was kind of lame, actually. Sometimes it would not go into 5th.
I haven't really driven many manuals other than my own car (350z) as unfortunately everything has an automatic nowadays. I have always liked how it shifted more compared to a few others I've driven that were manual (B5 S4, first gen IS300, RX8 etc).
wow I hated my 997.1 gt3 shifting. heavy clutch on street and vague shifting on track. would hit the shift forks even after 4 yrs ownership. agree about the steering though. was excellent along with the sound
? How so. I adored the 6spd transmission on the Generation 1 NA2. I love the NSX shifter. It is basically a slightly longer throw S2000 shifter. (I enjoy the longer throws, personally...gives a good mechanical feel). Gordon Murrey even used it as the benchmark for the F1.
I’m not sure I understand. The first generation NSX was a 5-speed, not a 6-speed. And an S2000 is a front engine, rear wheel drive car. It simply can’t have the same gearshift as the NSX. That makes no sense. When I last drove a first generation NSX it had the same rubbery linkage as my old ‘86 Accord. Nothing like a contemporary 308 Ferrari, Miata, Porsche, and certainly nothing like the hyper fun in post #89... Matt
I owned a 2004 S2000 with the second generation power plant. It's still the most fun car I've ever driven; loved the short-throw six speed, also loved the way it felt like it was supercharged at about 5K rpm. I regret selling it, especially because I traded it in for a BMW 128 ragtop, which was fun to drive, but didn't have that hair on fire feel I'd get with the Honda.
First generation NSX came in a 5spd (NA1) and 6spd (NA2). Both the NA2 and S2000 do feel very similar, expect throw length... In terms of engagement / precision / lack of sloppiness. Your logic is paradoxical if you say they can’t feel the same due to their layout, but then claim the NSX feels like an Accord? Both are have far smoother linkages then my old 328 or 512TR. Miatas are very nice too.
The further you move the transmission from the center of the car, the more linkage the shifter needs. The S2000 is close to being a toploader, similar to the Miata. Image Unavailable, Please Login The front engine, front drive transverse Accord has the same problems putting the gearshift in between the front seats as the mid engined, rear drive transverse NSX. The gear linkage is necessarily more complex in either the Accord or the NSX than the S2000. This isn’t my “paradoxical logic”. Matt
^ I see where you are coming from. I still think it feels quite good, and better then various late 80s Ferraris, even after using redline/fresh gear oil.