We as automotive gearheads are a weird bunch

We love brown, manual, diesel wagons.

Yet we hate beige, which is just a lighter shade of brown.

Modern sequential clutchless gearboxes are faster and more efficient then traditional manuals that utilize a clutch pedal.

The best selling diesel manufacturer over the past 20 years in the states couldn't make an engine make over 90hp without cheating emissions regulations and they struggle to rev past 5,000rpm

And the majority of wagons are based on on FWD platforms, even though a good number of them are sold with AWD, whereas the maligned pickup is almost exclusively built upon a RWD platform, which is favored by enthusiast, yet the gearhead only appreciates the truck for it's utility, towing and sometimes straight line speed.

captdownshift wrote: We love brown, manual, diesel wagons. Yet we hate beige, which is just a lighter shade of brown.

Only if it's a turbo brick.

Modern sequential clutchless gearboxes are faster and more efficient then traditional manuals that utilize a clutch pedal.

Click click click reverse. Click click 1st. click click reverse.
Parallel park job complete if you get it right the first time. If not repeat until finished.
(yes I know there's generally an "automatic" mode)

The best selling diesel manufacturer over the past 20 years in the states couldn't make an engine make over 90hp without cheating emissions regulations and they struggle to rev past 5,000rpm

Thought about buying one when they first came out. Break even point vs a gas car getting 30mpg and assuming 5.5k for the upgrade to diesel put the payoff close to 6 years based upon how much I drive. In essence pointless and less fun.

And the majority of wagons are based on on FWD platforms, even though a good number of them are sold with AWD, whereas the maligned pickup is almost exclusively built upon a RWD platform, which is favored by enthusiast, yet the gearhead only appreciates the truck for it's utility, towing and sometimes straight line speed.

A) Are stripper pickups with the big engine a thing that exists anymore?
B) If so can you spec one for under 40k? Because that's a lot of supercharged Miatas. (or one awesome lifted and LS swapped Miata)
C) I remember trucks before they were CAFE beating/avoiding luxo-barges so my opinion is tainted. (also high CG)

I do understand though.

I know what I like, and I do want a brown, manual transmission, 4wd, compact pickup.

I'd take a brown manual wagon, I'll pass on the diesel part, especially if it's VW..... won't touch a modern VW with a 10' pole.

Modern sequential gear boxes do have clutches, usually 2, controlled by electronic means. They are expensive to maintain and even more expensive when they break. I'd like to have a real fully mechanical racing sequential gearbox, that would be fun, but it won't happen, so give me a stick, or at least a well tuned traditional AT.

I like my cars 2WD, mostly for simplicity, I don't particularly care which end is driving, so long as it's a well designed chassis.

The current pick-up trucks are all to big and heavy to be considered as an alternative to a sporty car. Mini-trucks could be very sporty, why don't we have them anymore?

I freely admit that I'm weird, but none of what I just wrote seems illogical to me.

(I feel right at home here)

mazdeuce wrote: I know what I like, and I do want a brown, manual transmission, 4wd, compact pickup.

Time to jump in the Way-Back machine.

I've already won this game.