mod@tech

It’s no secret that manual transmissions have been going the way of the Dodo—if Ferrari has moved on from it, then it’s clear we are in Code Red. Now, for 2026, we can name one more casualty in the name of “progress.”

The Nissan Versa has the lowest base price out of any car in the American market. The base model, the Versa S FWD, includes a five-speed manual for around $18,330. However, since less than 5 percent of 2024 Versas sold last year in America was the Versa S FWD with the standard transmission (that’s about 2000 cars), Nissan will no longer offer the transmission or the trim level on our shores.

Car and Driver reports that the Versa is built in Aguascalientes, Mexico, one of the many countries whose exports to the U.S. will be affected by President Trump’s tariffs. A 25-percent tariff will raise the Versa’s price by over $4500, which will likely reduce the take rate of the manual transmission even more.

“While automakers might be able to absorb tariff costs on higher-priced vehicles while still returning a profit, the typically thin profit margins on affordable cars make such an increase far more damaging,” says the Ann Arbor periodical. As such, it makes sense for Nissan to call it a day for the five-speed and focus on the most popular configurations in order to improve production efficiencies.

If nothing changes in our crystal ball, the Honda Civic Si will become America’s cheapest car with a manual transmission at just over $30,000.

I recently took the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4X4 on some trails near my old house. That got me thinking about some of the things I’ve learned over the years driving various trucks and SUVs off-road. If you’ve never experienced the pleasure of doing that, I’ve put together some tips that might come in handy your first time. There are a lot of technical guides out there that are very useful, but I thought I would suggest things to keep in mind that you might not see in those.

If You Feel Like You’re Out of Control, You Probably Are
It doesn’t matter if you’re blasting over sand in a Ford F-150 Raptor or crawling over rocks in a Jeep Wrangler – if you feel as if you’re over-driving your headlights/wipers/shocks/senses/talent, heed your gut’s warning and slow down. Your vehicle (and you) will last much longer that way.

The same logic applies if you think something is wrong with your vehicle. I was at an event several years ago and heard that someone there snagged the side of an expensive SUV on some fencing. Instead of parking and getting out to see how best to handle the situation, they just gassed it and dug a long scratch onto the side of the body.

Get a High When You’re Solo

Sharing anything automotive-related with friends or family is always great, but there’s nothing wrong with going off-road by yourself. Just use common sense and prepare accordingly. If all this is new to you, your first voyage is probably not going to be deep into remote, treacherous territory. If it is, go with people that are experienced, resourceful, and well-equipped for the terrain, weather, and potential emergencies. But if there’s a beginner’s trail near you, make sure someone knows where you’re going (sharing your location through your phone is a good way to do that), and get some dirt under your tires. Over time, you may find going wheeling by yourself is a great way to unwind and clear your head.

Google It!
Maybe you’re past your first off-roading excursion and want to go over a different type of terrain than you’ve previously been on. Don’t just wing it. There are plenty of resources out there that tell you what to do to prepare yourself and your vehicle for certain conditions. Do you want to drive over sand? Then you’ll probably want to air down your tires so that you don’t get stuck, which means you’ll need a portable air compressor to air them back up to the right psi once you’re ready to get back on the road.

Breathe Easier

Out here in Arizona, it’s so dry that when you go down a trail, a big cloud of dirt billows up behind you and fills your rearview mirror. If you’re traveling in a group, you’ll drive through the same kind of cloud puffed up by the vehicle in front of you. Why breathe all that in when you don’t have to? Just push your HVAC system’s recirculate button and keep moving.

Keep Them Close
When you’re on a narrow trail, you run the risk of scraping your mirror caps on brush or tree limbs. Whether your mirrors fold in manually or electronically, make sure they’re close to the body of your vehicle – and that you fold them out once you get back on pavement and head home.

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
Off-roading can be noisy, even when you’re not doing anything challenging or wild. Sometimes you’ll hear a thunk and think, That’s it. I just damaged a really expensive part! In my experience, from inside the cabin of the vehicle, things usually sound much worse than they actually are. Usually. The point is to try to minimize the situations/types of driving that lead to those loud sounds because you don’t want to get in a habit of ignoring potential warnings that something has gone wrong.

It’s Not All About the Destination

Whether you’re headed to a campsite near the edge of a canyon or to a random stopping point before you turn around and go back to civilization, stop (even if it’s for 30 seconds), look around, and enjoy where you are, the colors of the sunset, the mountains on the horizon, the wonderful near-silence of the outdoors. Don’t just roll past all that – even if your rig has beadlocks and 37s on it. Trust me, you’ll enjoy your time outdoors much more.

Featured on AutoHunter is this 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT Z51 coupe, which is powered by a mid-mounted LT2 6.2-liter V8 paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Finished in Black and equipped with a matching removable roof panel over an Adrenaline Red Napa leather and Jet Black microfiber interior, this C8 is now offered by the seller in Delaware with the original window sticker, sales documentation, a custom car cover, a clean CARFAX report, and a clear title.

The curvaceous Black body is accented with chrome badges, the Stingray R Appearance Package’s Corvette Racing-themed graphics, and heated, power-folding mirrors with Carbon Flash Metallic caps. Additional exterior features include a front lift system with adjustable height memory, and a body-color removable roof panel. The Z51 Performance Package adds a rear spoiler and a performance exhaust system with four outlets.

The Spectra Gray 19-inch by 8.5-inch front and 20-inch by 11-inch rear trident-spoke aluminum wheels are wrapped in 245/35 and 305/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires, respectively.

Inside the cockpit is a pair of heated and ventilated GT2 bucket seats covered in Adrenaline Red Napa leather and Jet Black sueded microfiber. Surrounding features include a head-up display, power tilt and telescoping steering column, heated microfiber-wrapped steering wheel, rear camera mirror, Performance Data Recorder, eight-inch touchscreen with navigation and front and rear camera feeds, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system.

The configurable 12-inch digital gauge cluster shows a digital speedometer, 7,000-rpm tachometer, coolant temperature, fuel level, and more. The odometer indicates this Vette has only 3,999 miles on it. According to the CARFAX report, the odometer read 2,274 miles in December 2022.

Behind the passenger compartment and under the optional Edge Red engine cover is an LT2 6.2-liter V8 that was factory-rated at 495 horsepower at 6,450 rpm and 470 lb-ft of torque at 5,150 rpm. The pushrod engine has a dry-sump oiling system and puts power to the road through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Additional upgrades from the Z51 Performance Package are a heavy-duty cooling system and an upgraded 5.2:1 limited-slip rear end. The Z51 hardware also includes a performance suspension and performance disc brakes with Z51-branded calipers.

Within the first 1,500 miles, this Corvette received an engine service (at 500 miles), a transmission service, and an oil change.

Do yourself a service and bid on this 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT Z51 coupe right now. The auction for it ends on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

I know some people out there may disagree with me on this, but I’m saying it anyway: the modern Rolls-Royce “Goodwood” cars are the single finest built automobiles in the world today, if not ever. Our Pick of the Day is one of those cars, a 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith that is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Pompano Beach, Florida.

I have driven more than 30 of these cars, of various years and models, and each has been nothing short of perfection. It is also important to note that not all of these Rolls-Royces have been low-mile press cars, as many have been well-maintained higher-mileage cars that were for sale used. Yes, you can say the cars from Pagani are amazing but they still lack the perfection that is embodied in every single car that the Rolls-Royce Goodwood factory produces. You might think the Maybach cars built by Mercedes are as good, but having driven these and compared them back-to-back to the Rolls-Royce model, they are not even in the same solar system. What about the cars from Bentley? My friend Nick summed up the difference between Bentley and Rolls well—he stated that a Bentley says you are moving up near the top, but a Rolls says you are comfortably already there.

The single biggest barrier to entry for a new Rolls-Royce is, of course, the cost. They are very expensive, starting at $357,750 for the Ghost and moving north from there. Of course, it is possible to find one on the secondhand market for considerably less. While it will have high service costs, these cars are in no way unreliable, and the savings in price makes all the difference. That being said, I would guess that it will cost somewhere between $5,000-8,500/year to properly care for a used, modern Rolls-Royce, and I would still feel comfortable buying one as long as it has been well cared for.

Of the modern Rolls-Royce models, my single favorite is the Wraith, a two-door coupe powered by a V12 Rolls-Royce engine. It was the most driver-orientated car that the Goodwood factory had built at the time, and it’s my single favorite styling exercise they have done (up until the launch of the all-electric Spector).

The Wraith featured here today is painted in stunning Midnight Sapphire with a Light Creme with Navy Blue Accents leather interior.

It is extremely well optioned over a standard Wraith and features the following: front massage seats, color-keyed boot trim, Starlight Headliner, RR monogram on all headrests, coastline color, front ventilated seats, and much more.

The Wraith is powered by the 6.6-liter turbocharged V12 engine that delivers 623 horsepower, helping this very long (207.4-inch) and heavy (5,379 lbs) car achieve an astounding 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds. This is the fastest accelerating Rolls-Royce ever produced until the introduction of Spectre.

Behind the wheel of a Wraith is something extra special, even when compared to other Rolls-Royces: you have a feeling of not competing in the world of work and finance, but one where you are done competing. It is also a supremely comfortable car that somehow is still a driver’s car. They can be hustled quite hard, much harder than you would guess. I can still remember the first time I drove one and thought that if I was given an unlimited budget and had to choose just one car for the rest of my life, this would be it. Now, 10 years later, I still feel the same way.

So, what is the cost for perfection? This 33,526-mile 2014 Wraith is being offered for $129,998 (compare with $289,000 for the base price for this car, which was loaded with options beyond that). If the dealer offering this car can come up with its service history, if it has a clean CARFAX, and if it passes an inspection by a Rolls-Royce specialist, then I would say that there is no better car you can get for your money. It is the kind of car that you can literally own the rest of your life. It’s like an A. Lange & Söhne wristwatch. The A. Lange & Söhne is the kind of watch you own when you are done collecting, as you have found and bought the best watch in the world. The Rolls-Royce Wraith is the same level of perfection and signifies the same thing: the best one in the world.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com