Honda Taught Some Social Media Influencers How to Drive Manual

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu

Honda is doing its part to save the manual transmission.

Believe it or not, the Japanese automaker is the industry’s only full-line brand to offer manual transmissions in all of its gasoline-powered passenger cars. To help showcase the 16 vehicles that offer manual transmissions, Honda hosted over 53 media and social influencers at its “Shifting Gears” celebration in the San Gabriel mountains in California. The event also offered the opportunity to teach drivers how to operate a manual transmission for the first time.

Vehicles that were in attendance not only included the current lineup such as the Fit Sport and Civic Type R, but a variety of vintage models including the Honda Civic CVCC, Prelude SH, S2000 CR, and more.

SEE ALSO: Honda Gets Serious About Educating Hybrid Customers

Although Honda is investing and focused on delivering advanced safety features, the company wants to retain the personality of being affordable and fun-to-drive. The automaker says it’s a part of the DNA and original promise from the founder of the company, Soichiro Honda, who said, “The value of life can be measured by the number of times your soul has been deeply stirred.”

“There’s something special, something intimate and pure about being in complete control of your car,” said Sage Marie, Assistant Vice President of Honda communications. “In a fast-coming world of autonomy, we mustn’t forget some of the simple joys that have been part of driving since the very beginning.”

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Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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