Can I get away with this?

I'm trying to remember the make and model of some of those cars. They have a switch near the gear box where you can change from automatic to manual transmission. >.< I've been fighting a huge headache for two days and I'm not thinking clearly. Did Audi put one out? Dang it.

Custom car shops could turn a regular car into a convertible. Oooo you're RIGHT! Converting a hard-top to a convertible is pricey. It'd be hard for him to claim doing that was for his wallet. If you just gotta, gotta, gotta go with a hybrid convertible, invent one. However it's handled, IMHO, including a non-existent car runs the risk of throwing readers, especially those into autos, out of the story. Bayou Bill 8) But aren't readers accustomed to us doing that to avoid using brand names? Besides it's barely going to be mentioned. There will be one line where he tosses someone his keys to get his med bag out of the car. Then there will be about two lines of dialog later about it being a hybrid. And the fact that it's a convertible will play a big role. It's not like I'm going to drone on about the car or anything.

Why not? That's actually real. I doubt it, you'll have to post some links to prove it. A manual transmission and an automatic transmission are significantly different, physically. Also, the shifter knob for a manual is physically linked with the mechanics of shifting the alignment of the gears in the gear box. That's why it's called "manual". You can't just turn it off. I've ridden in one. There were three that I remember being advertised. They had a thumb switch on the boot part beneath the gear stick. They weren't technically TRUE automatic or manual transmissions if I remember correctly. There was some fine mechanical point that made them something else, but you could operate it like an automatic transmission or five speed. Dang it. >.< I wish I could remember the name of one.

But aren't readers accustomed to us doing that to avoid using brand names? Besides it's barely going to be mentioned. There will be one line where he tosses someone his keys to get his med bag out of the car. Then there will be about two lines of dialog later about it being a hybrid. And the fact that it's a convertible will play a big role. It's not like I'm going to drone on about the car or anything. You should be fine with that. If someone gets that bent out of shape over the car make at the point you’re giving them hot man smut in a convertible, then they’re reading the wrong thing. Go buy Car and Driver.

Cup, It's your story. No one else can make the final call. Cars are mentioned all the time in fiction. Just so long as you don't bad-mouth 'em and capitalize the name, it's okay. If you decide having the car a hybrid convertible is worth the risk of throwing readers out of the story, then make that sucker a hybrid convertible. If anyone asks, say it's "magic realism." :) By the way, that switch you're thinking of may (I say again, MAY) be to shift from two-wheel to four-wheel drive. EDITED TO ADD: I seem to remember some automatic transmissions were gimmicked up a bit so drivers could pretend they were shifting in manual. Of course, all auto transmission can be shifted on the go. Bayou Bill 8)

Now it's gonna drive me nuts until I think of that car. The commerical when like this... the guy was in city traffic and stopping at red lights and stuff. Then he ended up on one of those open winding roads. The announcer said something like, "And switch (or change) from automatic to manual transmission..." the showed a close up of the guys hand and his thumb flipped a switch, "at the flip of a switch." Then he barrels down the road changing gears and having fun while driving. I think it was a 35-45k car. This is KIND of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiptronic But I know I didn't ride in my Porche. THAT I would clearly remember. LOL

And all of these cars are too old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-automatic_transmission The one I rode in was a 2003 or 2004 car.

Other manufacturers use Tiptronic-like systems under different names: Acura: Sequential SportShift Audi: Tiptronic, Multitronic (CVT) BMW: Steptronic Chrysler/Dodge: AutoStick Citroën: Sensodrive Ford (Australia): Sequential Sports Shift Honda: iShift, S-matic, MultiMatic Hyundai: Shiftronic, H-Matic Infiniti: Manual Shift Mode Jaguar: Bosch® Mechatronic Lexus: E-Shift Mazda: Sport AT Mercedes-Benz: TouchShift MG-Rover: Steptronic Mitsubishi: INVECS, INVECS II, Sportronic, Tiptronic Nissan: Tiptronic Vauxhall/Opel: Easytronic Peugeot: 2Tronic Pontiac: TAPshift Saab : Sentronic Subaru: Sportshift (system developed and name used under license from Prodrive Ltd.) Smart : Softip Volkswagen : Tiptronic Volvo: Geartronic Bayou Bill 8)

All in all it doesn't really matter. I can nix that aspect of it. (SO calling a car place tomorrow, this is driving my crazy). I don't know a thing about driving stick and Anand was going to be driving it as an automatic so why not keep things simple and make the durn car an automatic? Ah, lesson learned...if you have to think this hard to justify it, ya can't get away with it. LOL! Thanks for all the input. I'm putting myself in bed now before my skull splits open. If I still have this headache tomorrow, I'm killing someone just to share the pain.

Cup, EDITED TO ADD: I seem to remember some automatic transmissions were gimmicked up a bit so drivers could pretend they were shifting in manual. Of course, all auto transmission can be shifted on the go. Bayou Bill 8) That might be what I'm thinking about, because I remember all of my stick-shift driving friends complaining that it wasn't REAL stick shift driving or something like that. Eagle...something Eagle was that the name of it. Crap >.< My head hurts. I'm walking away from the machine now.

Obviously not the 2007 model, but I wonder if it was the Infinity M45 I rode in. The 5-speed “semi automatic” transmission was smooth all the way. It has a manual shift mode that’s totally unnecessary. The engine has so much torque that, even if the gearbox doesn’t downshift as quickly as you might want, there’s no need to shift because of the oomph available. I’m certain that, under the right conditions, you’d want to shift using the manual mode, but for normal – and sometimes faster-than-normal – driving, the automatic works fine. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/12/29/032679.html http://www.infiniti.com/m/models.html All right, that looks close enough to settle my mind and let me sleep. >.< That's not anything like the car I want in my story. The story doesn't need an automatic/manual switching car. And YET I couldn't rest until I figured out what dang car I rode in ONCE 3-4 years ago. I need meds or something. If I start washing my hand 20 times a day, I'm gonna need an intervention.

That's why it's called "manual". You can't just turn it off. This may be a situation where gear selection has to be done manually. Try downshifting at 60 to see what happens. It's a case of overriding the transmission to change on it's own.

Well, most automatic transmissions have a "Low", or something similar, where you can override what the automatic transmission is doing. I think they are just adding gears and features to that, but it's not the same thing as a "manual" transmission. *shrug* I don't know. I'm not a car person or a mechanic. That element isn't important to the story and I'm taking your rec and removing it. If it's not important why have it, right? Note to self: Must not obsess about little things that don't matter to the story.

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