6 speed or automatic ?
Racer
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 256
Likes: 12
From: Everett WA
Its all about what you want. Nothing wrong with an auto. It does have around 5% more drain in HP over a manual, certainly not enough to call it "underpowered". If you are daily driving in stop and go you would want an A4. If you want spirited driving only then an M6 might be for you. Most will say go for an M6 but there is still a large portion of the sports car community that links the shifter to whats in their pants and will demand a stick even after get smoked by an A4 on a drag strip. It boils down to what you like, not what others tell you.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 85
From: Palm Coast, FL
A-4 Old Farts Club here!
Mine can only go in a straight line and is not worthy of being called a "Sports Car" by most of you (13+ second) "six speed sports car drivers" because I lost an extra 5 rwhp through drivetrain loss
Some people can actually drive either one but having a third pedal or shifting (even on my bike) doesn't make me more or less of a man
You people crack me up 
Nobody gives a rats azz if you are driving a stick anymore, they are becoming obsolete! The ones that need a stick to prepare to pass another car on the street in this thread (to me) are the scary ones 
Mine can only go in a straight line and is not worthy of being called a "Sports Car" by most of you (13+ second) "six speed sports car drivers" because I lost an extra 5 rwhp through drivetrain loss
Some people can actually drive either one but having a third pedal or shifting (even on my bike) doesn't make me more or less of a man
You people crack me up Nobody gives a rats azz if you are driving a stick anymore, they are becoming obsolete! The ones that need a stick to prepare to pass another car on the street in this thread (to me) are the scary ones 
1/4 mile/AutoX
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,442
Likes: 2,189
From: Buffalo Texas
true to form the debate between auto or manual ???? less Man, more Man !!!! why can't it just be some prefer to shift their cars themselves ??? as far as passing the auto you have to floor or Manually move the lever down where as the manual you can give just enough gas to pass or take advantage of the chance to floor and shift when wanted !!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 1,339
From: Havre de Grace Maryland
true to form the debate between auto or manual ???? less Man, more Man !!!! why can't it just be some prefer to shift their cars themselves ??? as far as passing the auto you have to floor or Manually move the lever down where as the manual you can give just enough gas to pass or take advantage of the chance to floor and shift when wanted !!!
My first Vette was a '64 auto. Loved that car. I regretted selling it the day (1975) that it left.
But my next 2 Vettes were manual. I liked shifting the gears for the experience but I thankfully I did not have to drive in stop and go traffic. As I age and my left knee keeps causing me problems, another auto Vette may be in my plans. That is a really OK with me.
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 14,137
Likes: 2,985
From: Iowa
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
So far I've owned 3 Vettes; a 99 with an auto, an 02 with a 6-speed, and a 98 with a 6-speed. I still have the 02. I prefer the 6-speed over an automatic in the C5 but like others have said, automatics have gotten better. A dual clutch transmission is the best if you want the quickest shifts.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 85
From: Palm Coast, FL
true to form the debate between auto or manual ???? less Man, more Man !!!! why can't it just be some prefer to shift their cars themselves ??? as far as passing the auto you have to floor or Manually move the lever down where as the manual you can give just enough gas to pass or take advantage of the chance to floor and shift when wanted !!!
Most have no idea what driving a high hp, high stall auto is like. We've all driven a stick at some point in our life, not so with a high stall car and one that is tuned correctly with much more hp then they are used to... I'm not too sure I would like the car with stock or a little above stock HP in either form (auto or a stick) any more after cutting 1.3X 60 foots and trapping 130 plus NA, but that's just me. People act like they are always cruising - rowing through the gears when the majority hit it in 2nd, shift (pretty fast) into 3rd and then let off of the gas. Hardly IMHO worth buying a specific car to do it in. Autos (the coupe in general), can be upgraded well beyond that of a stock Z06 in both power and handling characteristics.
1/4 mile/AutoX
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,442
Likes: 2,189
From: Buffalo Texas
I have to admit moving the shifter from 4th to 3rd makes me feel more like a man when I pass however with my auto I don't like to refer to it as "flooring" the car because this little NA LS-6 will break loose going under 90 mph if you are not careful, I prefer to call it "Squeezing The Trigger"
Most have no idea what driving a high hp, high stall auto is like. We've all driven a stick at some point in our life, not so with a high stall car and one that is tuned correctly with much more hp then they are used to... I'm not too sure I would like the car with stock or a little above stock HP in either form (auto or a stick) any more after cutting 1.3X 60 foots and trapping 130 plus NA, but that's just me. People act like they are always cruising - rowing through the gears when the majority hit it in 2nd, shift (pretty fast) into 3rd and then let off of the gas. Hardly IMHO worth buying a specific car to do it in. Autos (the coupe in general), can be upgraded well beyond that of a stock Z06 in both power and handling characteristics.
Most have no idea what driving a high hp, high stall auto is like. We've all driven a stick at some point in our life, not so with a high stall car and one that is tuned correctly with much more hp then they are used to... I'm not too sure I would like the car with stock or a little above stock HP in either form (auto or a stick) any more after cutting 1.3X 60 foots and trapping 130 plus NA, but that's just me. People act like they are always cruising - rowing through the gears when the majority hit it in 2nd, shift (pretty fast) into 3rd and then let off of the gas. Hardly IMHO worth buying a specific car to do it in. Autos (the coupe in general), can be upgraded well beyond that of a stock Z06 in both power and handling characteristics.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Pro
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 711
Likes: 76
From: Atlantic Pa
neither would I ! My new camaro is an auto with paddles .. it's okay but not nearly the same feel or performance as an actual manual stick transmission. My vette is a 6 speed and way more fun ! If I was buying an auto vette I'd put 3.73 in it and a 3,000 rpm torque converter otherwise you might as well have bought a Pontiac grand am or some other gm crap box
Last edited by Lexybird; Jun 13, 2017 at 06:27 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 85
From: Palm Coast, FL
I don't know where they are limited, they are just automatics with trans coolers, on the street they are a lot of fun for me and my dare devil days of high speed cruising with the northeast Wolfpack and hitting twistys may be over since changing gears but I enjoy driving then at or a little above the speed limit with an occasional squeezing of the trigger
I don't plan on running any road course with them however, I think it could hold it's own with a good driver, it's also too expensive for me to want to participate in
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,398
Likes: 769
From: jefferson texas
Doesn't it really all boil down to what works for you and makes for a good personal automotive experience? I prefer manuals for my toys, definitely a throwback deal to the 60's, but I love it and it sort of gives me a reminder of happy years gone by running the streets of San Diego and LA on beautiful Friday and Saturday nights under a California sky, checking out all the cars and the gals. Its an "American Graffiti" thing for those who remember the film. But, if an auto is your deal, why not? I remember a guy in the 60's in SoCal running a 63(?) Mopar with a 426 wedge with 2 fours on a crossram, with an automatic, who was the "THE GUY" back then, an absolute terror! He seemed pretty happy with it and I don't think he felt handicapped by that auto. Hey, its all about having fun about enjoying the hobby, whatever form that takes. Y'all have a good one!
Last edited by friou; Jun 13, 2017 at 07:33 PM. Reason: correction
Racer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 498
Likes: 100
From: New Jersey
Fun road car (Corvette): Manual
Daily driver/comfy car (like an old land yacht): Auto
Racing Circuit track use only (vette/ariel atom/ferrari/whatever) Flappy Paddle Gearbox... or manual
Drag Racing: Auto... or manual
Manual has a lot of fun factor but I WOULD like to get on a track one day with a REAL paddle shifter.
Daily driver/comfy car (like an old land yacht): Auto
Racing Circuit track use only (vette/ariel atom/ferrari/whatever) Flappy Paddle Gearbox... or manual
Drag Racing: Auto... or manual
Manual has a lot of fun factor but I WOULD like to get on a track one day with a REAL paddle shifter.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 639
Likes: 28
From: Wytheville Virginia
Racer
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 426
Likes: 129
From: Buffalo, Texas
I learned to drive stick when I was 20 on a POS saturn SL2. In the 11 following years, I've had 16 cars and only two have been autos. A sports car comes with a stick, so unless your body flat can't take driving a manual, go buy a prius.
Or we can not be so sensitive and realize that the vast majority of women prefer automatics, thus his comment is mostly true.
Or we can not be so sensitive and realize that the vast majority of women prefer automatics, thus his comment is mostly true.
Woman here...I learned to drive a stick when I was 15 and I way prefer a manual vette to the automatic and I have both. In fact, I'm getting ready to sell the C5 vert because it's an auto and boring. The C6 Z is a beast and the sound of the Borla going through the gears is what these cars are all about. Hope to find a C5 Z to replace the vert!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 5,277
Likes: 509
Drove stick shifts most of my life. Got older, & because an auto would be easier for my wife, I bought my corvette w/ an auto. Big mistake! I'm a stick-shift guy! I do not care for the paddle shifters one bit. Very un-natural. (& wife has never even sat in vette driver seat, anyway)
