The Least Reliable Manual Transmission Cars

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Cars with a manual transmission are usually considered to be pretty reliable. That’s especially true in today’s world of highly complicated dual-clutch and automatic transmissions. However, some brands still haven’t quite stuck the landing on stick shifts. Or, worse still, that manual gearbox is paired to an otherwise unreliable car.

Are manual transmissions less reliable?

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However, on the whole, a manual transmission is a pretty simple thing. It’s got some shafts, some gears, some synchros, and some oil in it. Oh, and a hand at one end, and some wheels at the other. That’s certainly a hell of a lot less hardware than, say, Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch gearbox. However, there is a trade-off with manual transmissions.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on which side’s pitchfork you currently hold, a stick is going to be more expensive to maintain. Now, that’s not always true, but it’s pretty close. The fact of the matter is, modern dual-clutch and auto ‘boxes usually don’t need clutch replacements. Unfortunately, that stick shift will. And it could be a four-figure number.

The Audi S4 is a great stick shift paired to a hand grenade

The Audi S4 has a great manual transmission in an unreliable monster | Thomas Lohnes via Getty Images

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A great example of that is the B7 Audi S4. In Audi speak, B7 is the S4 made from 2005-2007. In it, you could find a fantastic-sounding 4.2-liter V8 making 340 hp mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Having driven a few of these, I can say from experience that they are lovely. Moreover, that gearbox is fantastic to use. But, a clutch job is in the thousands of dollars.

Unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse. That 4.2 V8 is basically a time bomb. Sadly, the guides that hold the timing chain are made of plastic and will eventually snap. You’ll have to take the engine out to fix it and at no small cost. Arguably, it’s the biggest Achilles’ Heel in all of cars.

Consumer Reports has beef with the 2021 Jeep Wrangler

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler works its way through a muddy, forested trail
The 2021 Jeep Wrangler can still be had with a manual transmission | Jeep

Apparently, according to Consumer Reports, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler is just as bad, if not worse. I tend to agree, having driven a stick Wrangler. Mushy is a very kind way to describe that transmission. However, Consumer Reports dislikes it for another reason. Regrettably, the brand found the Wrangler to be too expensive for what it was and said it rode pretty horribly.

Honestly, I’m inclined to agree. However, if you want that rugged off-road experience, the Wrangler won’t steer you wrong. Still, you’ll definitely be spending some extra cash on maintenance, but I guarantee it won’t be as much as the Audi S4. At the end of the day, it’s all about how bad you want to drive a stick version of either of these cars.

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How the McLaren MP4-12C Got Its Weird and Complicated Name

by Gabrielle DeSantis

McLaren has released several supercars since their first official production model designed solely by McLaren, the McLaren MP4-12C, but the McLaren naming scheme is a bit more than confusing to some fans. Unlike supercar and hypercar companies that name their vehicles after animals that inspire them, Latin words, or dearest family members, like the Koenigsegg Jesko (which was named after the company’s founder, Christian Von Koenigsegg’s father), the British supercar manufacturer uses a pairing of numbers and letters to give the different models their names, but it isn’t as randomized as it may seem.

How the McLaren MP4-12C name came to be

McLaren MP4-12C Spider Raymond Boyd, Getty Images

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The McLaren MP4-12C name, when broken down, stands for what the production project itself represented to the company. It isn’t meant to be any type of secret, either, as you can easily find an answer to the question: what does MP4-12C actually mean? It’s not very exciting, but MP4 stands for McLaren Project 4 — fair enough — the 12 comes from the brand’s internal rating index that compares its vehicles to competitors over several critical aspects such as weight, power, and aerodynamics. The ‘C’ simply stands for carbon, as the lightweight structure of the car is what allows it to have such a nimble handling experience and insane power to weight ratio. As owners, we just refer to the car as the 12C for short.

“The 12C is the first McLaren designed and built production car since the legendary F1. A pure McLaren, its innovative design and Formula 1™ inspired technologies make it one of the most versatile and potent supercars on the road.”

McLaren

Don’t understand the McLaren MP4-12C

Although it is the older, seemingly lesser of the McLaren performance crowd, you shouldn’t underestimate the McLaren MP4-12C. The 12C holds its own not only amongst the competition, but it also does well to stand up to the standards and performance of the newer McLarens, like the 2021 GT. It may have been the first of the official McLaren built production vehicles that were exclusively designed by the brand, but it was far from being a trial and error — with the MP4-12C, the brand was able to dial in a perfect tune of performance, handling, and luxury, and even though it isn’t brand new, it shouldn’t be underestimated.

What is it like to drive this McLaren supercar?

Supercar fans and drivers might be surprised by their experience behind with wheel of the McLaren MP4-12C. Its stiff handling and steering feel incredibly in tune with the drive, allowing the car to operate as an extension of your arms and legs rather than making you feel like you’re operating a piece of machinery as the enclosed Aston Martin Vantage had for me. The power is just one aspect of this car that makes it surprising to drive, but its agility is another. In a way, the McLaren MP4-12C has the lightweight, nimble behavior of a Lotus on steroids, and it combines all of this with a smooth, comfortable driving experience that makes it pretty difficult to compare to other supercars. While it may have been McLaren Project 4, it is clear that the first 3 projects that we can assume predeceased this roadster were finely tuned to create a surprisingly raw yet comfortable supercar.

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What Is the Inspiration Behind SpaceX’s Inspiration4 All-Civilian Space Mission?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Forget traveling to another country for a vacation. Are you ready to go to space? Fortunately, you don’t need to pack your bags and astronaut food just yet, but four civilians will be soon. SpaceX’s Inspiration4 space mission is set to take off on September 15 and it has a more important purpose than being an expensive trip to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Inspiration4 is SpaceX’s first fully private mission

In this photo illustration, a Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) logo seen displayed on a smartphone. | (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The Inspiration4 mission is SpaceX’s first all-civilian mission that will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. According to the Indian Express, all four seats on the craft were purchased by billionaire Jared Isaacman, the founder of Shift4 Payments. The other passengers on the space ride include Haley Arceneaux —  a cancer survivor and physician’s assistant at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – as well as Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski, both of which won a global contest to be on the flight.

What is the purpose of this space flight?

Inspiration4 mission commander Jared Isaacman, founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments, stands for a portrait in front of the recovered first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket at Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
Inspiration4 mission commander Jared Isaacman, founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments, stands for a portrait in front of the recovered first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. | (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Part of the purpose of this all-civilian space flight is to raise awareness and funds for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital based in Tennessee. The research facility focuses mainly on children’s diseases like leukemia and other cancers. In addition to that noble cause, the Inspiration4 flight is an opportunity for the crew to collect important health data, which will help in future space flights.

The space traveler’s immune systems will be monitored and tests will be performed before and after the journey in order to check on their response to changes in gravity. Additionally, the crew’s organ systems will be monitored by an ultrasound device. Ultimately, the Inspiration4 flight will also be seen as a test-bed for future civilian space flights, much like the flights that Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson took part in months ago.

The Inspiration4 will travel higher than the International Space Station

The Falcon 9 Rocket stands tall in California
The recovered first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) on February 2, 2021, in Hawthorne, California. – Inspiration4 mission commander Jared Isaacman, founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments all-civilian Inspiration4 mission will raise $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through donation-based sweepstakes to select a member of the crew. | (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

The Inspiration4 space mission involves the craft orbiting the Earth for three days before touching down on the Atlantic Ocean. Aside from the research being conducted on the flight and the awareness being raised, the most impressive part of the flight plan is that the Inspiration4 will travel to a height of 575km. That’s higher than the International Space Station (ISS), which sits at 408 km, and the Hubble Space telescope, which hovers around at 547 km.

To top things off, the Inspiration4 flight will be the farthest distance traveled by a crew since 2009. That doesn’t mean that this upcoming flight will be all work and no play for the crew on board. Sources say that the Dragon module that the crew will be in will be modified with a large dome viewing window – much like the one that’s on the ISS – so that the crew can get some really good views of Earth.

Of course, this upcoming flight hasn’t exactly been a vacation as the crew has been preparing for months for it. However, it sure beats traveling to a different country. Let’s just hope they packed enough freeze-dried astronaut food for the trip.  

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Will the 2022 Subaru BRZ Come with a Turbocharged Option?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2022 Subaru BRZ has been released, showing its newly redesigned exterior, and even more importantly, the promise of reliable, upgraded performance over the previous model year. This includes the introduction of a new, bigger engine that is not unfamiliar to Subaru fans, giving us the confidence in the new model year that we are hoping for, with the performance upgrades that make it worth buying over the last generation of the BRZ. But, the new one may let buyers down if they’re expecting this new engine platform to come with some big power boosters.

The 2022 Subaru BRZ

Subaru badge | Jaap Arriens, NurPhoto, Getty Images

The 2022 Subaru BRZ will come as a newly redesigned sports car inside and out while maintaining everything that car enthusiasts loved about the affordable roadster while also improving on a few things. One way that the car was upgraded was the drivetrain. Its affordable, rear-wheel-drive platform makes it a great lower-powered option for drivers who are looking for a reliable daily driver and fun weekend roadster all wrapped into one. According to Edmunds, next year’s BRZ will have a starting price of $28,995, making it just as affordable as previous model years, even with all of the upgrades.

Drivetrain options for the 2022 Subaru BRZ

Fans and potential buyers of the 2022 Subaru BRZ have heard the rumors of the new model year’s upgrades to the performance and power, and those claims aren’t wrong. It makes sense that the BRZ, which is known for having a smaller engine, would follow in the footsteps of other consumer-focused sports cars in maintaining a smaller, fuel-efficient engine but boosting power with the addition of a turbocharger. There are performance upgrades to next year’s engine, giving the car a 2.4-liter 4 cylinder, rather than the previous generation 2.0-liter 4 cylinder. While it is still offered with the option for a manual transmission, there are still no turbocharged options. The 2022 Subaru BRZ will remain naturally aspirated.

What to expect from the new 2.4-liter engine

The 2.4-liter engine that’s new for the 2022 Subaru BRZ isn’t new to the brand, as it originally came from the popular Subaru Ascent — giving us hope that, even though it has been slightly modified, it will be just as reliable as the Ascent. Modifications to the engine itself and exhaust give it a more aggressive, sportier sound and deliver more power mid-range than the 2.0-liter of the previous generation. While it still isn’t pushing out impressive four-digit horsepower numbers as some supercars and hypercars do, it handles its power well, expertly navigating corners and turns.

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