Bill17601

Does anyone think that the standard , clutch operated, shift Corvette should have 8 speeds rather then 7?

It seems there is a lot of discussion about the new eight speed automatic being a big deal. If 8 speeds are the new hot deal why shouldn't Chevrolet make their clutch operated transmission have eight as well.

sajonf

No way. I rarely use 7th on mine. It's geared too tall even for highway cruising. I typically put it in 6th and forget 7th even exists.

CRABBYJ

Me, I'm waiting for an 18 speed manual transmission like in the 1918 Fuel Oil Truck I drove around the Sun Oil Refinery, PA back in the '60's. Fun driving for a 20 something year old. Today, in my 70's probably not so much but I'll try it out.

Specracer

I think the 7th gear was put there to compete with other 7 speed sports cars out there and for fuel economy!

Hot Rod Todd

It should be 6 speeds. Even the 7th gear is all about fuel economy, not performance. I wish I could remove the extra gear and save weight. 8 speeds is a joke, and even on the auto it's all about fuel economy. Each shift during excelleration causes a loss of time. More shifts make the car excellerate slower. With 460 lb ft. of torque, you don't need so many gears.

Larry/car

When you get in seventh never down shift for anyone.

Jimbob26

6 forward speeds is plenty. I never use 7th gear, but might if I ever have occasion to drive aimlessly for hundreds of mile on a straightaway.

11B250

What are you guys cruising at in 7th gear doing about 80 on the highway? my C5 Z06 is right at 2000-2100 RPMs at that point. I assume 7th gear, i'd be doing like 1300 RPMs lol

KenHorse

Y'all are a bunch of gearists!

(well except for you who like gear #7. You're 7th Gear Adventists)

khoeysr

Hah that's a good one

I rarely use the 7th gear myself. I'm sure it's there for fuel econony, which saved us all a gas guzzler tax, for which I am grateful.

Here's a nugget- the gas guzzler tax on a Cadillac CTS V automatic is $2600, if it's a manual it is $1300.

ny32182

I thought 7th gear looked basically useless on paper and it appears that owners are bearing that out... back to 6 I say.

c74me

cars new, never hit 6th yet lol....

11B250

Well, I would probably use 7th gear alot considering when I go to work, I just put cruise control on and drive at a steady 75-80mph on the highway.

7th gear, 4 cylinders... I'd be cranking out like 35mpg

musclecar6

Boy you hit the nail on the head. The super thrifty types would probably love nothing better than an additional gear to enhance their hypermiling efforts. Heck, some may order the rumored 8 spd auto next year, in lieu of a 7 spd manual, if that tranny enables them to squeeze a few more pennies out of the fuel bill even if they would rather have a manual. As we all know, they pray at altar of the holy dollar.

11B250

Our G37 has a 7 speed auto. I think they are closely geared though, because at 80mph, I'm still cranking like 2500-3000 RPMs I think.

That being said, I do enjoy good mileage since I DD my car and do quite a bit of highway driving.

KenHorse

Good Lord...what's the point?

11B250

no idea. a very rapid acceleration in 1st? lol

tolnep

gonna give me 8 gears give me a dogbox and sequential shifter so i can move quickly through the gears..

heck throw in a transfer case, give me 7 base gears and a two speed transfer case for 14 forward and 2 reverse gears and make sure you give me two shifters, one for the gear box and one for the transfer case.

while you are at it, take you stinking digital gauges and give me some real analog dials like paw used back when we walked 14 miles to school each way and uphill both ways too...

speedlink

Ken and by the way, love your various avatars.

JerriVette

I presently enjoy a manual transmission 6 speed ls3 z51 corvette.as much as I enjoy driving this corvette when I buy again...the six speed a6 tearing off 11.4 s at 120 mph it's hard to say an 8 speed manual would be of value. Maybe the 8 speed automatic but even that seems overkill.

I hope our enjoying your C7 A6 z51