Only 23% Corvettes with manual trannies
09-30-2016, 02:42 PM
#101
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St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
As has been said, auto tranny Vettes have outsold manual for some time now. I believe the crossover occurred in the mid-70's.
I owned both auto and manual. With the C7 I went back to the manual. I know the auto gives better performance in a stop light GP, but I like the control offered by the manual. Auto rev-matching sealed the deal this time otherwise, I probably would own an auto.
I owned both auto and manual. With the C7 I went back to the manual. I know the auto gives better performance in a stop light GP, but I like the control offered by the manual. Auto rev-matching sealed the deal this time otherwise, I probably would own an auto.
Last edited by roadbike56; 09-30-2016 at 02:55 PM.
12-13-2016, 03:44 AM
#102
Instructor
Well, I may be mistaken, of course, but it sounds like a fair number of folks are at least implying that only those who chose a manual transmission car are true "enthusiasts." And, therefore, those who chose an automatic transmission are something less than "true" enthusiasts.
The numbers seem to suggest that the percentage of manual transmission corvettes is somewhere between 23% and 27%.
Moving on, a recent thread on this forum indicated that abut 20% of corvettes sold are convertibles, and the thread asked why convertibles were "so unpopular."
Quite interesting how some folks draw conclusions.
On the one hand, 20% of convertibles sold indicates that this is an "unpopular" option. On the other, 23+% of corvettes sold with manual transmissions conveys "enthusiast" status to the owners...
Does anyone here not get the silliness in these conclusions?
BTW, there are also those who would say that if a car lacks a soft top it is not really a sports car.
And, finally, for the record, I really don't care what options others have chosen. Just would like everyone to enjoy their rides.
The numbers seem to suggest that the percentage of manual transmission corvettes is somewhere between 23% and 27%.
Moving on, a recent thread on this forum indicated that abut 20% of corvettes sold are convertibles, and the thread asked why convertibles were "so unpopular."
Quite interesting how some folks draw conclusions.
On the one hand, 20% of convertibles sold indicates that this is an "unpopular" option. On the other, 23+% of corvettes sold with manual transmissions conveys "enthusiast" status to the owners...
Does anyone here not get the silliness in these conclusions?
BTW, there are also those who would say that if a car lacks a soft top it is not really a sports car.
And, finally, for the record, I really don't care what options others have chosen. Just would like everyone to enjoy their rides.
Last edited by Vetteman2; 12-13-2016 at 03:51 AM.
12-13-2016, 05:40 AM
#103
Le Mans Master
12-13-2016, 05:57 AM
#104
Melting Slicks
As others have mentioned, dealers are pretty good at ordering what will sell. If they are ordering A8s in the vast majority, that's because they are what they can sell the most of. I suspect that if you went to a small dealer that sells only a couple of C7s a year, they all would be automatics. It would take too long for such a dealer to sell a manual. It's the big forum dealers that are sought out by enthusiasts and that stock manuals most consistently, I would suspect.
12-13-2016, 05:59 AM
#105
Melting Slicks
:rof l::r ofl:
Last edited by fsvoboda; 12-13-2016 at 06:00 AM.
12-13-2016, 06:23 AM
#106
0% of Lamborghini Huracan's are manual. Ferrari retired the 3rd pedal. I don't know how this could be surprising. Guess what car won't offer a manual in the near future?
12-13-2016, 07:36 AM
#107
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What's scary is how many cars don't even have shifters in the center console. On my last business trip, my rental car had a shift **** in the center console and I hated it. After driving sports cars and sport sedans for the past 20 years, it felt strange not having anywhere to rest my right hand.
12-13-2016, 08:08 AM
#108
Team Owner
12-13-2016, 08:20 AM
#109
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St. Jude Donor '12
My current C7 has the A6 which is ok. My prior 7 corvettes were all stick. I am looking at a new C7 and am trying to find a manual. I might go with the A8 if I had confidence in it like the A6. I would be so mad to get an A8 and have all the troubles the A8 owners seem to be having between shudders, slipping ect. The manuals irritate me simply because of the poor design from GM that allows clutch dust to enter the clutch fluids but I sure do love the rowing of the gears!
12-13-2016, 08:30 AM
#110
What GM has evaluate is whether it wants to risk losing a sizable percentage of that 23% still sold. That's about 23,000 sales per year, which is about 3X more cars than Porsche sells in the US in an entire year.
Lastly, GM has yet to utilize a world class auto-shifting transmission (e.g. PDK or DCT) in any car.
12-13-2016, 08:34 AM
#111
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Even that would not make me happy as I have driven standard shift cars as my DD for over 50 years! That is why I'm selling my 2014 and getting a GS while I still can get a manual! Rev Match is the best thing since syncromesh, IMO!
To Each Their Own
Side Bar: When I ordered my 1st Vette, an '88, the dealer sales manager wanted $2000 down and said it was not refundable because he could't sell a standard trans if I did not take it!
I recall one of my product managers who had a Vette looked inside and said sarcastically," Too cheap to get an automatic?" I just chucked inside, he was younger than I and would not understand! In fact that Doug Nash two speed electrically operated overdrive behind a beefy 4 speed (my 2nd 7 speed) cost that same as an automatic in 1988!
Last edited by JerryU; 12-13-2016 at 08:36 AM.
12-13-2016, 08:37 AM
#112
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St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
I posted this on another thread related to the M7 vs Auto. It's not just that the number is 23% in 2016, GM is also looking at the trending.
2014-35% M7
2015-32% M7
2016-23% M7
2017-???
If the trend continues to decline, at some point GM has to look at the economics, the cost of carrying a manual transmission, especially when a new version, the C8 comes out. Also, demographics will enter the picture. What's the age of those who buy the M7? Is it substantially older than the average age of a Corvette buyer? If yes, it gets factored into the decision. If the declining trend continues, I don't see the M7 surviving to the next version of Corvette.
2014-35% M7
2015-32% M7
2016-23% M7
2017-???
If the trend continues to decline, at some point GM has to look at the economics, the cost of carrying a manual transmission, especially when a new version, the C8 comes out. Also, demographics will enter the picture. What's the age of those who buy the M7? Is it substantially older than the average age of a Corvette buyer? If yes, it gets factored into the decision. If the declining trend continues, I don't see the M7 surviving to the next version of Corvette.
12-13-2016, 08:48 AM
#113
Roadbike,
Look at the economics another way, and you'd likely arrive at a different conclusion about profitability in the near term. When you're building 100K cars a year, 23% is a lot of cars. Even if the Corvette manual number fell to 8%, that still equals total Porsche sports car sales in the U.S.
Yet, Porsche still offers a manual, as does BMW, as do other small manufacturers who sell far fewer cars than 8K per year in this country (e.g. Jaguar). It really doesn't complicate things all that much to use a manual vs. an automatic. It's far more complex on the same model to offer AWD or RWD, left vs. right-hand drive, or use different engines, and other levels of equipment.
I agree the time is coming, but I think we're still about a decade away, and at that point, I won't be shopping at a Chevy dealer, unless they finally put a world-class, paddle shifter into a sports car.
Look at the economics another way, and you'd likely arrive at a different conclusion about profitability in the near term. When you're building 100K cars a year, 23% is a lot of cars. Even if the Corvette manual number fell to 8%, that still equals total Porsche sports car sales in the U.S.
Yet, Porsche still offers a manual, as does BMW, as do other small manufacturers who sell far fewer cars than 8K per year in this country (e.g. Jaguar). It really doesn't complicate things all that much to use a manual vs. an automatic. It's far more complex on the same model to offer AWD or RWD, left vs. right-hand drive, or use different engines, and other levels of equipment.
I agree the time is coming, but I think we're still about a decade away, and at that point, I won't be shopping at a Chevy dealer, unless they finally put a world-class, paddle shifter into a sports car.
Last edited by Foosh; 12-13-2016 at 09:00 AM.
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12-13-2016, 08:56 AM
#116
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Thread Starter
You've got to remember that this forum is not a random sample of Corvette buyers. It is filled with people who are particular fans of Corvette, and thus it's not surprising that there might (we don't know for sure) be more manual fans here.
As others have mentioned, dealers are pretty good at ordering what will sell. If they are ordering A8s in the vast majority, that's because they are what they can sell the most of. I suspect that if you went to a small dealer that sells only a couple of C7s a year, they all would be automatics. It would take too long for such a dealer to sell a manual. It's the big forum dealers that are sought out by enthusiasts and that stock manuals most consistently, I would suspect.
As others have mentioned, dealers are pretty good at ordering what will sell. If they are ordering A8s in the vast majority, that's because they are what they can sell the most of. I suspect that if you went to a small dealer that sells only a couple of C7s a year, they all would be automatics. It would take too long for such a dealer to sell a manual. It's the big forum dealers that are sought out by enthusiasts and that stock manuals most consistently, I would suspect.
because whenever I go to a dealer website, I see way more autos on there than manuals.
12-13-2016, 09:05 AM
#117
Advanced
I'll own a manual for as long as they are available. And if Corvette gets rid of the Manual in favor of an automatic it better be a DCT or I'm going to avoid it like the plague. I get really tired of the "performance" autos in a lot of cars (vette included) and they shift slow as ****.
12-13-2016, 01:22 PM
#119
12-13-2016, 01:39 PM
#120
Had my left hip replaced twice in 2014 (protip: don't fall when you're in rehab), but never really thought for a moment about getting the automatic when shopping for my C7. It's kind of a badge of honor for me to still be driving a manual 'Vette and, for me, it's more fun. Plus, I like making fun of my friends who couldn't drive my car if they wanted to (not that I'd let 'em).
That said, I dig the technology in the C7. The automatic is definitely the latest and greatest, and I completely understand why those who drive them love them.
That said, I dig the technology in the C7. The automatic is definitely the latest and greatest, and I completely understand why those who drive them love them.