If we are talking about a stock C5 with an LS1, the manual transmission offers better performance than a 4L60. The manual is also more fun to drive when compared to the self-shifting automatic and that has been true since the three-pedal Corvette was introduced in 1955. In fact, if you are skilled with a clutch pedal, there is no question that a C7 Corvette ZR1 with 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque is more fun to drive when you are rowing your own gears.
However, by the time that the C7 era rolled around, automatic transmissions came a long way in terms of performance applications. Advanced electronic transmission tech coupled with paddle shifters offer far more control than the older automatics. More importantly, the modern automatics shift much more quickly than the old school slushboxes. The manual transmission still eats up less power than the automatic, but where the old automatics offered considerably worse performance, the modern automatics have closed that gap.
With the performance gap being so narrow, there are only really two angles that manual transmission diehards have to offer in this discussion. First, as mentioned above, the three-pedal car is just plain more fun to drive if you know what you are doing. The feeling of controlling the power flow with your right foot and rowing your own gears cannot be replicated by even the best automatic. Shifting also creates a more engaging driving experience, so those who really want the most from their driving experiences tend to prefer the manual transmission.
The other popular reason for some people to have a manual transmission in their Corvette is that it is more manly. For those drivers who derive their manliness from their car, this may be the case, but these views have become rare as performance cars with automatic transmissions have improved.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
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