Manual Transition

When the first car I was to drive and review for my new assignment with The Spokesman-Review was delivered, a new BMW Z4 convertible, I ran out to get a closer look. Oh, man, was it pretty.

There was only one problem. And, at the moment, it was a very big problem.

The car was a stick. And I hadn't driven a manual transmission in a long time. A very long time. Like, 20 years.

I realized I had two choices. One meant quitting and I'm not a quitter. So, I got back on the horsepower and rode. I sat there a minute getting the feel of the clutch and the stick. I pulled forward and then rolled it back. Forward and back, forward and back. Finally, at the driveway, my 14-year-old daughter hopped in the car and told me to go. And, I did. I did it without stalling, bucking or dogging the clutch.

We drove down the street and for the next few days I didn't stop driving. I flew down the Palouse Highway. We powered up the mountain. I cruised downtown at night and around curvy neighborhood streets by day. Top up, top down, it was all good.

By the time I had to give the car back, I'd made a transition. A manual transition.

You can read my review of the BMW Z4 here.