Check 6

I currently have a 6 speed manual in my C6, but am finiding that depressing the clutch over time agrvates a degenerating lower back condition. Other than that I love the vette and the seat and seating position is very comfortable. Example I drove 1000 miles in one day in it and couls still get out not so in many other cars. I also have a "P" brand Cayman S that has the tiptronic (paddle shift) auto and enjoy the crisp shifting in it. Now the questions:

With the paddle shift set up in the corvette can you hold the transmission in a gear or at some point does the computer take over and up shift? In other words is there a "manual" mode such as in the Porsche in which the transmission is a true clutchless manual? How crisp are the shifts? I assume you can up and down shift also? For those that have driven both the manual and the paddle shift auto have you noticed a diffenrence in overal all performance and fuel use? I appreciate any and all comments as I am thinking of making the change. Thanks

Grumpy

you can hold the gear up to fuel cutoff.. shifts are crisper then the A6 in drive mode..up & down I enjoy the paddles..

Check 6

Grumpy:

Why did you choose the paddle shift auto over the 6 speed, and I know it is none of my business Hi. I have always driven stick but maybe its time and as I said in the original post I am enjoying the paddle shift on the "P" even though I got it for my wife.

Question on the paddles themselves, on the "P" there is a rocker style switch on each side of the steering wheel and they are redundant in that either one does the same, push the upper part for upshift and the lower for down shift. How does it work on the Corvette, I've not seen one up close yet. I do plan to check it out "at speed" when I go to Spring Mountain for their school. Thanks

kenrobb

Computer does some items for you in "S" mode. There is a paddle shift lever on each side of the steering wheel. Your thumb does the + upshift; your fingers under the steering wheel do the - downshifts. You have to do the shifting up or down. Computer won't let you go to a gear it deems out of engine rev limits so to speak. When you come to a stop, the computer puts you into 2nd gear for starting out. It is easy once you get use to it. It is a bit strange for us who grew up with clutch and stick shift. But you never miss a shift so to speak either.

Datawiz

Check 6,

I have an '05 A4, but I wrote a cool perspective of the A6 awhile back.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...Paddle+Shifter

Check 6

Thanks so much for the comments and I also went back and read your A6 comments from Spring Mountain... perhaps it is time I make the change. My back and the clutch caused me to turn down a new Z06 at MSRP yesterday .... someone younger will enjoy that great ride, for me perhaps duplicating my C6 Z51 but changing to the A6 will be the ticket. Thanks again

srmiller78

Luv deem shifters, between the paddles and the heads up display you feel like an F-16 pilot.

gordonboss

I have driven sticks all my life BMW's, Alpha's, more trucks than I can count. This is my first vett and I drove both options before buying. The a6 on the c6 does have a slight delay on the upshift and must be timed at the high end of the rev spectrum or you will hit the rev limiter. In S mode the transmission will hold the gear until you shift.
Downshifts are fairly crisp. The delay on upshifts is "different" (don't know a better way to describe it) than the shift with a clutch. IMO it is faster than a clutch shift other than a true speed shift, but who speed shifts on the street?

On the WAY upside... you can have a cup of coffee and drive at the same time, you can answer your wife"s cell phone call on the way to the store and not wreck the car between shifts or find the phone under the seat later cause ya dropped it reaching for a gear, you can drive in traffic if God forbid you find yourself stuck on the freeway far more pleasantly, and you can still go faster than the law or common sense allows while being in absolute control of your tac for those moments in life when that is necessary for mental health purposes.

I was really, REALLY torn prior to the purchase. I had a choice of two cars that were identical in everything but color and tranny. I made the choice based on color but that did not give me the manual I thought I wanted. Now, just over one month and 1,500 miles later I am one happy cowboy.

Maybe it's age... I think the poll S**KS because I should still be 34 instead of fitting right into it at 54, but if I am honest I don't miss the clutch and the paddle is a real nice alternative to the true auto. My wife says my soon to be girlfriend, which I was told came with the corvette, won't mind either.

rayainsw

Some see the paddle shift A6 as a gimmick. I have no problem with that.

And many here prefer a true (with a clutch) manual trans. I have no problem with that (them) either.

I do not understand why these fine folks have such a problem with GM offering an improved A6 trans. with an ability to provide some additional control over shift timing.

Since no one is forcing anyone to buy this trans., and GM is (clearly) not removing availability of their beloved Manual, I do not understand why so many people have and express such strong feelings against this being even offered on the Corvette. . .?

I owned and drove true manuals for many years. I will not buy one again. There are those of us that either have physical reasons for requiring an automatic and / or just a preference (or even a spousal preference) for an automatic. How can offering us this new choice be perceived as such a bad thing?

And if / when I actually wanted to record absolute, ultimate 0 – 60 or quarter mile times, I would leave my automatic in “full auto.” mode.

After 3+ weeks and approx. 1,800 miles in my 2007 A6, here is what I think:

A few things that the current C6 manumatic \ paddle shift does that most other, ‘regular’ automatics cannot do:

1 – You can pick and hold second gear. For example, I can lock my trans. in second gear, and allow it to \ force it to stay there. Since second in the C6 A6 will cover from 0 mph to well over any US speed limit (at least 80 - again, this is in second gear), regardless of throttle position, rpm or vehicle speed.

I have used this ‘lock in second’ – or even ‘lock in third’ feature often during my evening commute out of Mid-Town Atlanta in previous sedans I have driven with this feature. No shifting. Plenty of torque to accelerate, since with 5 or 6 lanes of stop / start / slow traffic, not much acceleration is required – or possible. No shifts. Not quite as smooth at the changes in throttle position as I had expected & as I remembered from trying to simulate this in a test drive, but acceptable.

2 – I can force an upshift at less than max. rpm when accelerating at (or close to) WOT.

I find that many times I enjoy the thrust of full throttle, but choose to shift well before max. rpm / red line, as I am just enjoying myself, not racing. (And for the few times when I am REALLY in a hurry, and want max. rpm shifts, I would leave it in ‘S’, with the Paddles not activated. The computer and trans. work together very well under these circumstances to provide a very quick, but not brutal or harsh shift – at exactly the right time.)

3 – On the highway, at typical freeway speeds of 65 – 80, I will be able to ‘lock’ the trans in fourth gear, or fifth or sixth – depending on conditions & my mood. Thus, regardless of throttle position, it will not downshift & will not upshift. I will certainly see TCC unlock / lock if I am aggressive with the throttle, but it will not downshift to a lower gear.

Also: I believe that this A6 and attendant software include both a “tighter” torque converter than I am used to, and a much more aggressive TCC lockup algorithm. This does result in somewhat less ‘cushioning’ effect than I am used to – but I suspect that it results in longer service life ( less heat generated by torque converter ‘slip’ ) and an improvement in fuel economy. And it also ) likely by design ) results in a more nearly ‘manual trans. – like’ driving experience, when in any selected gear.

4 – Activating the paddles, I can also hold a higher gear ( fourth for example ) at speeds where the automatic would generally downshift one or 2 gears even at light throttle or coasting. In traffic, moving slowly, varying speed somewhat, but not stop and go, this strategy sometimes works very well for me. [ The 2006 owner’s manual on page 2-29 says that the minimum road speed for an upshift to fourth is 22. And to fifth is 28. Actual experience bears out these numbers. Sounds reasonable to me, again when traffic situations mean no significant acceleration is possible anyway . . ]

Again, I am not suggesting that these specific attributes mean anything to those who prefer a manual trans. – just that they are attributes, over and above those of a ‘regular’ \ non-manumatc trans., that mean a lot, to me. And since manumatic functioning is now appearing on almost anything with sporting intent, regardless of whether or not either a ‘real’ (as in: row through an H pattern) manual and / or a Sequential Manual (as BMW and others are offering) is offered as well. There seems to be a market for this

Most automatics with a 4 (or D4) or 3 or 2 or 1 position on the trans. shifter gate (or a separate O/D lockout button) will typically allow the trans. to shift as it thinks best among any of the gears up to the number shown. Meaning, in 4 or D4 it will typically shift through 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 as required, just never upshift to fifth. And in 3 it will utilize 1 – 2 – 3, but never 4 (or 5, if the trans. has that many gears) regardless of speed or throttle position. It rarely means that the trans. will actually select & hold only that gear.

Related: And even with a (more) typical PRND54321 ( for a 6 speed, obviously ) automatic floor shift, I also have found that trying to push from one detent to the next – without overshooting, requires too much concentration \ distraction – vs. just a press or pull of the TAPShift buttons ( or a whack at the trans. shifter, in those with a separate gate for manumatic function). And this arrangement still does not offer all of the advantages listed above. Even the Jaguar’s J-Gate does not really provide a satisfying alternative – for me. And I have driven several Jags with the J-Gate – for many, many miles.

So – No, this is not a Manual Trans. with Paddles, like various Ferraris and BMWs and some others offer. I see it as Paddles added to a very good, state of the art, 6 speed automatic trans.

And clearly – unlike the current C6 manual trans. – one can leave the trans. in either D or in S and forget about it completely while slogging home in heavy traffic, if the mood strikes and \ or the conditions dictate.

And for those of us with either a preference for - or a requirement for an automatic trans., I see this as a large step forward, and I applaud GM for spending the R&D $$s to bring this level of additional control and driver participation into production on the Automatic Corvettes.

Just my 2 gallons worth of opinion. . .
- Ray
Carpe C6 . . .

Check 6

Great comments, you clearly answered all my questions even some I did not ask in the first post. Thanks

IwntmyZTV

ok- you have gotten extremely thorough answers all positive, but i thought i'd add one observation i've had with mine.

If you are thinking of tracking this car (HPDE's) the trans. does get hot, and it will start to up shift out of high RPM's on you without you telling it to. (In "S" mode and paddles activated.) My car is a non-modified Z51. Though it didn't get into dangerous territory temp. wise, it was a little unsettling to say the least... (Heading into turn 5 after the straight between 4 - 5 at Laguna Seca, and having the car lurch forward instead of engine braking is a little un-nerving )

Also- any HP mods to get it into the Z06 territory (since you were considering that wonderful machine) would just add to the problem without a major overhaul to all the fluid cooling systems.

Lastly- a little perspective on the "paddle shifting". Not that it's bad, but it's no F1 in the slightest. If you drive a '07 Caddilac Escalade, you will notice the steering wheel has a + and - button. Drop into "manual" hit those buttons, and you have a A6 that feels very much like our C6. (with-out the obvious perks of that engine being in a 3000# car)

FWIW-

Check 6

If I trade my manual for a A6 I don't plan on tracking or moding it. Understand your comments on way the transmission shifts. If you get the chance drive a "P" Cayman S with the tiptronic ... it is crisp and faster through the gears then most manual drivers could ever be. As I stated in the beginning my single purpose in making a switch is to lesson the agrevation on my lower back that working a clutch makes worse. Also to all that have offered comments I am appreciative and don't get the wrong idea when I mention the Porsche I do like it but I like my vette every bit as much and it is a better traveling vehicle so there will be a vette in the stable.

ProfMoriarty

It seems that many members are focusing more attention on the paddle shift capability than it deserves. The paddles are nice to play with. So is the (+)/(-) gate on a Hyundai.

The A6 is not an F1 tranny. Thankfully! F1s are great on the track, but tend to be jerky and uncomfortable in traffic - which is where the vast majority of us spend the vast majority of our time.

What the A6 is is a modern, smooth, fast shifting clutch to clutch automatic transmission that stays in the sweet spot and launches the vehicle aggressively forward while travelling at pretty much any speed without a long kickdown pause.

spdnvet

Only way to get the true feeling is test drive one.
I had a maual in my previous car and I was tired of always shifting.
Know, I have the option with my A6.

StrokerMcGurk

Greetings-
I just ordered an '07 coupe with the 6-sp auto, with standard suspension. Anyone know what the qtr mile time / speed is for a bone stock '07?

Thanks

StrokerMcGurk

conecrusher

Another vote, for finding the A6 very easy to live with on a daily basis. My wonderful wife does not drive a stick, and the A6 is a great solution.

mikesul

The last two times I left a pro football game with all the attendent traffic I really appreciated the A6. I had a M6 C5 and my left leg would really get a workout during events such as these.

dcress1127

I have had 50 or 60 four speeds, but now I am in my 60's and the creature comforts are appreciated. All the same, when you are feeling adventurous or just reliving your youth a little, the paddle shift is fun. It changes the driving experience from cruise,n luxury car style to blowing away the neighborhood ricer kids while waving my Medicare card at them.

drummingman

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1569703

TORXILA

I love the A6 after a few stick cars. The new HP tuners software also allows for tweaks in shift time, crispness, TPS response, TM etc. My tuner just did mine and it's even better than what I thought was a great trans already. You'll love it!

Torxila