Dario Franchitti and the writer drive the Gordon Murray T.50 on Angeles Crest outside Los Angeles.
Photographer: Photograph by Robin Trajano for Bloomberg BusinessweekCars
Cars Have Become Computers. But Some Want Old-School Transmissions Back
A vocal (and often wealthy) group of drivers are driving a stick-shift renaissance.
It’s high noon on the winding Angeles Crest Highway outside LA, and Dario Franchitti is dancing on the aluminum pedals of a $3 million supercar. He’s spent this August morning on the serpentine switchbacks, shifting his way to triple-digit velocity.
We’re in a Gordon Murray T.50, a lightweight rocket ship with three seats that’s being produced in a limited run of 100. It’s an insane car, but the most interesting thing isn’t its seating arrangement, nor its eponymous creator, the South African engineer who designed the McLaren F1.