Like many of you, I have been someone that would not even consider owning an automatic car. To me, above all other reasons, it just feels right for a sports car to be a manual. The fact that the newer world class automatic transmissions will outshift even highly skilled drivers is a pretty convincing argument. I now think I might consider an automatic. Of course, this is only a factor if I were to get a new car which is a separate issue. Regardless, my question is:

Have you changed your thoughts on having an automatic?

or

Are you still in the category that feels like a sportscar should be manual and you want the fun and the feel of a manual?

I think I am still in the latter category but I am at least cracking. Hope that isn't a sign of age...

 

Manual all the way...
Go and drive a automatic its just not as FUNN.......

 

In traffic, I love the ease of the auto, however, I like the lower gearing that the standards have. Guess I need to save up for some 3.42's!

DSTURBD

 

I have a 2000 A4. Added a Transco Shift kit and hypertech tune. First gear comes out at about 60mph and will chip the tires, 2nd gear comes out about 85 and will chip the tires at 85. The kit will snap you back in the seat

 

It's all about the true sports car driving experience. I don't doubt that modern automatics and paddles will out shift any manual but, speed has nothing to do with it. More and more, today's so-called sports cars with electric steering, paddle shifters, traction aids, fake engine sounds, etc. are becoming nothing more than appliances that keep the driver shielded from what is going on on the road. The direct interaction between the driver, the car and the road is numbed.

I can go on and on but to answer your question; NO, I would not consider an automatic for any sports car.

 

after buying a manual Vette, my first manual in 30 years, I can tell you that there is only one drawback: I had to "unlearn" driving with my right hand.

Love the involvement of stirring the shifter; even better after ditching the factory mechanism!

 

It depends on what you want to do with the sports car.

I started drag racing 47 years ago. I had a '64 Chevelle with a 283 and a 4-spd. Back then you were placed in various 'stock' classes that segregated autos from manuals and you raced heads up with other cars in your class. Autos were kind of thought of as being somehow 'inferior' and it was assumed that manuals would outperform autos everything else being equal. I learned to shift like a pro and had a great time.

Today, I still race at the strip. The autos have it all over the manuals now. They're efficient, shift ridiculously fast, and you can tune and control your launch better. Today, most who race as I do race based on a dialin which makes consistency between runs very important - miss a shift or launch at too high or too low a RPM with a manual and you just can't compete. So a good auto is a must today if you're drag racing. My .02.

That all being said, I wouldn't own a C5 unless it was a manual. I don't race it, rather just enjoy it. In my opinion, the sound of a Corvette with an auto transmission as it goes through the gears is just plain wrong - nothing personal to you auto guys.

I also built and still have a T-Bucket that has an auto with a shift kit in it that is as tight in the shifts under throttle as you can make it. Chirps every shift under even moderate throttle - great setup but I don't race that either. Everything else I drive has an auto and that's how I want it.

 

I think these posts are all pretty consistent. I agree. I'll take the fun of the manual too, despite the fact that I am fraction slower with it as compared to a new state of the art auto.

 

If you are into speed the automatic will probably outrun a standard , especially from the start because after all it is a manual shift , but having a sportscar is having a manual shift, hands down . They are two totally different cars. The automatic being a laid back fall asleep family sedan and the standard having the feel of a true sportscar. Even a Camaro not being considered a sportscar because it has a back seat , still feels more like a sportscar with a standard shift.The automatics feel more like your daily grocery getter on steroids.

 

You're going to have to clarify your definition of "speed", as the 4L60E doesn't use OD as a top speed gear. That said, to me there are 2 schools of thought on auto vs manual with respect to any car. First, there's the gear grabbing aspect which, in a car, is fun and involves the driver more. In a truck? No thanks, makes it feel like an old farm beater IMO, more difficult for me to feather the throttle in low traction conditions as there's a direct connection to the wheels, more of an asspain to rock when you get stuck, etc. Argument #2 is the performance/economy aspect of it. 6 speeds get better mpg with more gear, you can have your lunch and eat it too. 1st gear is a lot lower with an MN6/MN12 and 3.42s than an auto with its factory gears. The gears are much closer together, so on a road course you'd need 100 extra hp just to keep up in certain areas where you're caught in a shjtty spot with the auto. That argument only holds true with the 4 speeds though and I'm quite curious to see how fast a new 6 speed auto is vs a manual on a road course.

 

Agreed with everything said here. To me it is almost like my decision to go convertible vs. coupe/frc. The vert may be slightly lesser when it comes to sheer performance but with the vert I can have performance and fun. The manual has applications where it may be a tad slower but either way it does add fun. So, manual/vert for me!

 

Just my opinion...Autos suck...unless you are drag racing...but why would you do that with a Corvette...when there are much better solid rear axle platforms like an F-body or a Fox body Mustang.

A Corvette is built for road racing plain and simple and a manual transmission is the best choice in that application. Of course most Corvette owners don't race their cars and that is why GM offers the auto.

Now the SMG transmissions, those are the best of both worlds and can outperform a human driver, although they too complex and expensive for a mass-produced GM vehicle.

 

Depends.

I much prefer manuals on a sports car, so I don't think I would buy an automatic corvette, even if the automatic was proven to be marginally faster.

BUT, on say a sports sedan, like a supercharged Mercedes or BMW etc, I would definitely consider it.

I love sitting low in a roadster shifting through the gears.

 

I bought a C6 with the 6spd auto in it thinking that it would be okay because it had paddle shifters... boy was I wrong! I hated it. I took it auto crossing one time and it was awful. Hard to find the right gear, slow...

So, I sold it and bought my c5 mn6 which I love! I do miss the C6 comfort and sometimes the looks, but I would still much rather own a manual c5.

 

Is there any other kind?

 

I'll go against the grain here.

The manual tranny cars are fun, but after having two C5 6-speeds, I bought an A4 this time. Honestly, I can have just as much fun driving my A4 as I did my 6-speeds and can focus more on the road than on shifting. I came back from a car show yesterday on a very twisty country road and had a blast with the car.

Many will tell you that a manual is the only way to go with a sports car, but try an automatic too - you might be surprised. GM made a heck of a lot of automatic equipped cars so obviously they were popular too. It comes down to what you would enjoy more and how you intend to use the car. I do not track mine so that was not an issue. I do miss the better gas mileage of the 6-speed car though.

All that said, I wouldn't say I will never have another manual tranny Vette - will just depend on the circumstances at the time.