davidtcpa

I always had automatic Vettes and enjoyed them tremendously, that being said, the C-7 was the first car in several years that I bought as a manual. It is so much fun to drive that I get depressed when I come home and get ready to park it in the garage, because I know it will usually be a few days before I drive it again.

The A8 is an amazing transmission, and the 1/4 mile speeds guys are getting from them is better than the M7 times. If you plan on tracking it on the quarter mile, then maybe an A8 is for you. Good luck in your choice!!

JerryU

Thought Tadge did a very good job of explaining the A8 overheating in Atlanta (in Ask Tadge.) Was not a problem until they did multiple qualifying type laps and in one car it lost its belt tightener, which he noted was a test part. When you invite Mags have to expect them to make a big deal of an issue. Can't blame them, they assume you tested the cars they will drive to the nth degree!

jrainlay

I've always been a manual guy because I like the control and engagement. But we ordered an A8 in our new C7 because of the favorable reviews and so my wife could drive the car. Admittedly I don't have much seat time in the Vette yet and am still breaking it in, but my initial impression is that the A8 is not going to be as much fun to drive as a manual.

GaryTX

Both are great! For me it depends on the application. Mine is not a daily driver. But if it was I would want auto for commuting. A couple of times a year the club goes to the drag race but never autocross. In that case a manual is always more fun but no longer faster. The main purpose of my car is long trips with friends in the club. Yellowstone, Biltmore in NC, Rocky Mountains (you get the idea). I found my 05 manual C6 was a distraction to enjoying the scenery so I traded for an auto in 08. I traded for the A8 in 2015. No regrets and my wife an drive on the trips as well.

LanceVette

Had a C5 Z06, Manual only at that time. I'm tired of shifting, so I went with the A8. I'm well pleased. Now I can relax.

Walt White Coupe

No one has mentioned anything about safety. I think the automatic is a safer car than the manual and this is from a person that has loved manual transmissions over the years. My C6 is a manual.

How so? In an emergency situation when time is of the essence, I think the automatic gives the driver an option that generally the manual transmission does not. And it's the fact that the automatic car is (almost) always ready to accelerate at its full potential.

I'd guess that probably 99% of the time while driving, you are cruising and you are in a high gear and if you floored gas pedal it would accelerate slower than a Prius with an automatic. With an automatic, if something goes wrong and you find yourself in a situation where acceleration rather than braking will get you out of it then full acceleration is just a gas pedal mash away. With a manual in the same situation your only option is braking because in a quickly developing emergency you just don't have time to down shift.

More options are better than fewer options. And in real life driving, it's faster. My C7 is going to be an automatic.

Corgidog1

I don't think you can make a blanket statement that an auto has a quicker response during an emergency than a stick. I think it depends on the gear one is in and what part of the gear rev wise they are in. If I am at 2000 rpms in 3rd, my response will be much different than if I am at 4000 rpms.

Plus I seriously doubt that most people spend 99% of their driving cruising in a high gear where the Prius is faster than a vette automatic. If I follow that out to its illogical conclusion, then the Prius is faster than the Vette 99% of the time. Based on this post, I now want a Prius.

Walt White Coupe

Maybe you should read what I said again because it sounds like you didn't understand what I said.

nytrorcr

I don't know about anyone else but as a long time bike rider, I drive very defensive always on the alert for (what if he does) this. Hand is always on shifter and left foot is at the ready. I enjoy my manual trans.

Corgidog1

I read it again and it said the same thing.

What is there not to understand about this statement:


"I'd guess that probably 99% of the time while driving, you are cruising and you are in a high gear and if you floored gas pedal it would accelerate slower than a Prius with an automatic."

The conclusion is that the Pruis is faster than the vette 99% of the time.

Hey obviously I am just having a little fun with your guess. No offense meant-sorry if it was taken that way.

theanswriz42

I'm glad the OP felt the need to open yet another thread on this subject...

Walt White Coupe

Corgidog1,

No problem. All I was saying is that a Corvette in high gear is very, very slow to accelerate.

JerryU

Reminded me of the old saying: "I know you think you understood what I said but what I said was not what I meant!"
However agree that if in 7th in a manual the 0.42:1 overdrive is the equivalent to rear end ratio of 1.44:1. Not much torque to accelerate! The downshift is manual not automatic like an automatic trans!

Ernest_T

Let me add that I really miss the manual for that 10 percent and it's not when tearing up the twisties. The paddles work really well for that. I miss it most at lower speeds when you just want to be in one of the lower two gears and work the clutch.

Walt White Coupe

What I will miss the most is the engine back down burble with NPP open between up shifts.

Ernest_T

Let me add this. The A8 does a marvelous job of putting the car in the gear it thinks the car needs, based on your right foot input. It does a poor job of reading minds. With the clutch and manual shift you can change your mind about what gear you want to be in without first selecting any gear.

dvilin

I think most people who drive manuals would be able to quickly downshift and get moving, think about your everyday driving with a manual how many times you do this. One of the fun things to experience with a manual downshift and jumping on it.
I would add that in a situation as you describe the tendency with most drivers with an auto is to slam on the brakes.

BIG Dave

Bottom line, buy what you want, not what other people like. After five automatic Corvettes, I bought an M7 off the lot because the deal was too good to pass up. Don't know what I was thinking. Now I'm stuck with all this extra work shifting all the time. I don't see why people think it's so enjoyable to constantly shift. But that's me. Other people love shifting and I respect that. We're all different. Do you like shifting? If yes, get the M7, if not, get the A8. Simple as that.

DAFFYDRUNK

This, but I suppose it depends on the driver. If I'm in 7th and I need to be in 2nd right now, I think I can do it just as fast as waking up the A8 TCM with the throttle and demanding a lower gear. Probably faster if the A8 car is in AFM mode. Hell, you can wake someone up from sleep and make em do a complicated math problem faster than that.

Really though, in either case it's probably a scenario where defensive driving would trump. How many emergencies will require to jump out of an overdrive gear. Maybe you're cruising along on a 2 lane road going 60 and some soccer mom behind you is texting while driving 100?

I love these type of threads. Many years ago they were the A4 vs M6 threads. Now we got A8 vs M7. Time marches on.

theanswriz42

This. The circlejerk over here has gotten very old. This section is like a bunch of teenage girls always looking to either coddle their egos or get affirmation that they're doing the cool/best/in thing. Buy what you like, don't worry about what others think, and actually enjoy your cars/lives. I've never seen people worry about the stupidest **** in my life.