Corvette_Rhett

I am in the market for a C6 manual. However, in my search I am finding more automatics, so much in fact that I have considered buying one. After driving a manual C5 for 6 years I might welcome the change. I will be using it mostly as a daily driver and autocross and track days periodically through the summers. My question:

Does the new automatic 6-speed with paddle shifters perform as well as a manual? What are the pros and cons to the automatic?

gkmccready

ErnieN85 is running a C6 A6 these days and previously ran a C5 M6; you might PM him if he doesn't chime in. The biggest con to the automatic is the heat, I think Ernie added a big cooler before even trying a track day?

RAFTRACER

Rhett....Shift quality and shift speed leaves ALOT to be desired with a A6 even if it the TCM has been custom programmed.....

Stick to the manuals for what you want to do....seriously.....

0Randy@DRM

Randy

mark b

If you want an auto, try finding a 2005 C6 with the A4 auto.. you can add a high stall converter( nothing over 3200 stall and gears, nothing over 342's and get the shifts firmed up alittle with programming.
But you will also need lots of coolers, bigger radiator with tranny cooler and separate tranny coolers. it will still over heat and that is something you have to live with. and sometimes the car will down shift where when you dont want it to and thats annoying.

But, you wont have to worry about missing a shift or making a mistake with heel and toe, and you'll be pretty fast. Ive run an auto set up like that for years besides a manual and I have had race instructors comment on how good and crisp/fast the car shifts. any way its still fun.

OCCOMSRAZOR

I agree also.

AU N EGL

manual for any auto-x or track days. Auto for lots of in town commuting

jaa1992

If you get the automatic you have to add transmission cooler!

Having to instruct automatics and having driven one myself at one time they aren't bad.
They drive a little different than a manual, they are still fun.

Evilash

This is good news for me. I've only tracked a manual and have been sweating running the 2001 auto next year worried about a downshift when at the limit of rear grip. Nearly lost it into turn 1 when I eased off the gas once to widen my line in the Mustang and the rear started to snap around.
I have the 3,200 stall and the 3.42's. Sounds like I just need a trans cooler. Even that could probably wait until July since it doesn't get very hot here in the Seattle area.
Thanks for posting. Sounds like some real world experience.

Rickard

I really like the paddle shifters. My car is used almost exclusively for DE events and I've been running it for four full seasons of 5-6 events per season.

The computer matches the engine speed on downshifts. I like it because the whole thing is more high-tech than a manual.

I haven't put a cooler on my transmission but sometimes on a hot day it does go into self-preservation mode.

sothpaw2

I had an instructor at Audi last year with a C6 A6 paddle car. He liked it fine--I don't recall any complaints. The shifts seemed ok may be a little slower than I could do but certainly good enough for intermediate group.

Solofast

High stall converters are a really bad thing for track days and autocross. The higher stall makes it harder to point the front end with a throttle lift in an autocross and it generates a lot more heat on the track... The six speed auto is better than the A4 was, but a manual is better almost any way you look at it. Other than getting caught in nasty traffic on the way home from work, sitck with the stick....

Corvette_Rhett

I figured that would be the answer, I just wanted to here the stories behind the auto. I have driven many rental cars lately with the auto shift option and I have found that GM is far behind the curve on these things. I have not had the option to drive a A6 and appreciate the input.

l98tpi

While on the subject of manual vs automatic. Has anyone had experience with an automatic trans with a full manual valve body? I definately agree the auto has unpredictable shifts and can be delayed. From what I have read the shifts, with a full manual valve body, are instantaneous. I'm 85% positive this is the direction I will take.

RAFTRACER

Older non-computer controlled automatic transmissions are alot less of a problem. Actually many SCCA solo2 Championships were won by a particular automatic-equipped L98 C4 , but that one was supposedly stock......

A full manual valve body will gain ultimate control of the older transmissions, but if you are to go this route carefully select your torque convertor and make sure that the transmission does not shift too harshly as a full drag race shift would be....

Wayne O

dmiz0420

I've had auto trans "gurus" mess with valve bodies and high stall converters for cars other than dragracers and they screw stuff up royally. If you can't shift a manual and miss shifts, then you need not be on a track, you need to drive the car on the street and get used to shifting. If your new on the track I find leaving it in third helps and you can make adjustments in your driving technique to accomidate.

Come to washington DC, we have plenty of stop and go traffic in every direction for you to get used to shifting.


If you want an auto track trans, get a porsche.

Solofast

Not many people got to take a ride in that car, but I did ride in it once and the 1-2 shift at full throttle would smack you in the back hard enough to knock the wind out of you...

To this day yellow C4's still make me puke....

Independent1

I am going to go against the conventional wisdom and put a plug in for the automatic w/ paddle shifter.

I will also say I don't have one so I am not speaking from personal experience.

One of the benefits of having an automatic is that you can focus more on driving the car than paying attention to shifting. The whole heel/toe thing requires a certain amount of attention, which detracts from your attention elswhere.

Another benefit of the automatic is the ability to brake with your left foot. This will allow you to brake later because you don't have to take your foot off the gas and move it over to the brake. You also don't have to move your foot off the brake to get back on the gas. This adds up over the corners.

Your also less likely to miss shift in an auto versus a manual.

Most of the fastest road race cars around on autos such as F1, etc.

FWIW, the BMW M3s use paddle shifts (called SMG). There are lots of M3s that are tracked.

Just some thoughts.

Solofast

The SMG blips the throttle on commanded downshifts to match rev's and not cause the back end to come around. It takes a ton of concentration to blip an conventioal automatic at the right time so as to not upset the car, and about half the time it jerks the car around anyway. Been there, done that, and it wasn't pretty.

With a stick you KNOW when the clutch is coming out and can add throttle a bit of throttle at the right time, as well as modulate the engagement of the clutch. It takes a really smart automatic to do that. If the paddle shifter has that capability it would be great, but the older A4's sure don't and I'd stay away from them for an serious track work.

Most of the manumatics (like the SMG) and the Audi tranny act like a manual with an automated clutch. That's a totally different concept than an automatic with a torque converter.