5-speed rental car?

[Fozzie_DeBear]

I have to arrange a car rental for a VIP from Europe and he wants a manual transmission car.

Any ideas on where to get one of those?

[Table 5]

Good luck. I doubt any of the rental places carry them. I always want one myself, but have never had any luck in North America.

Your best bet might be an exoctic car rental.....although most exotics these days are PDK's anyway. Just ask for the Lotus. Of course this option won't be cheap, but it will satisfy your royal highness's needs.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Good luck. I doubt any of the rental places carry them. I always want one myself, but have never had any luck in North America.

Your best bet might be an exoctic car rental.....although most exotics these days are PDK's anyway. Just ask for the Lotus. Of course this option won't be cheap, but it will satisfy your royal highness's needs.

assuming he can get into the #######, that is more go kart than car.

[getbak]

The rental companies in North America don't stock manuals because too many people were renting them to try to learn how to drive a stick, so they were getting too many cars back with burned out clutches.

The best you're likely going to be able to do is get a car with some kind of semi-automatic transmission.

I was in Toronto at the end of May and got one of the new Ford Focus hatchbacks and it was an automatic that could be switched into a manual mode. You don't have a clutch or regular shifter, but it does give the driver control over the shifting.

I rented from Hertz at Pearson, so you might be able to call up the rental companies at the airport and ask if they have any available.

Of course, if they guy is a VIP, he probably won't want to have to drive around in a Ford Focus.

[ken0042]

Rent a Wreck might have standards:
http://www.calgarycarrental.ca/

As getbak said; anything you get in standard will either be very low end, or a sports car. Is he aware that most cars sold in North America are Automatic? He may think he has a choice- in Europe the rental cars are available with both transmissions.

[Bunk]

You're not really driving unless it's a manual. It was such a joy to be able to rent a manual (that's basically all they carried) when I was in Croatia last year. I wish that was the case in North America.

[Northendzone]

If the person is really a VIP then just go buy a car, and then leave it in front of the airport, who cares if it gets towed........otherwise, it is a rental, just grab whatever and roll.......