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I'm not as young as I used to be, I can race with the best of them, I've never had a problem in heavy Atlanta traffic, I can hold my wife's hand when we're cruising and you can bet your *** I've never missed a sip of coffee.
Just once I'd like to see someone who drives an automatic not rationalize it or make some stupid excuse and say they drive an automatic because they damn well want to and tell everyone else to **** off.
Hot Wheels. Your winter home is in Beverly beach FL? I would like to see that launch in person sometime. What track are you on? We don't have a QM track in Jacksonville.
Life is hard; automatic trannies are easy. I went from 3-speed auto to 5-speed manual with my 69 Stingray restoration ... it's great! But my 17 Camaro ZL1 is a 10-speed automatic (I passed on a local dealer's 6-speed and had the auto shipped from CA). Shifts like a dirtbike and goes like lightening! I'm enjoy the eyes-wide-open feeling of almost pissing my pants vs watching a tach to determine when to shift!
Hot Wheels. Your winter home is in Beverly beach FL? I would like to see that launch in person sometime. What track are you on? We don't have a QM track in Jacksonville.
When I first started driving my dad wanted to teach me to drive a stick I hated it! I could not drive it, and I was so nervous, so I quit, then I drove a automatic for awhile, my dad made me so nervous that I couldn't drive a stick, we had a 5 speed 95 Camaro, and one day I got so determined I took the car and drove it by myself, I did so good I was proud of myself, I couldn't learn how to drive a stick with anyone there, so I taught myself, I love driving a stick that's all I prefer to drive, I have a 03 s10 Xtreme 5 speed and a 6 speed Corvette, I hate driving automatics. So there is my story.
I was that way till I drove bumper to bumper in Los Angeles , 3 mph 10 miles . Clutch cycling every 20 ft in first gear . Next vette is a 10 sp. auto . I will miss the burble of downshifting , this will pass .
I really enjoy driving my Corvette. Top down in the balmy weather and of course our flat state is perfect for great cruising.
I love to row thru the gears.
My SSR has the 6 speed.
Last 2 cars were sticks, loving the A4 response and ease of use, seems ready to go at any time at any speed. This car has the Performance Ratio Axle option, so I'm not sure what it would be like with standard gears.
TBH, I didn't want another manual so I didn't test drive one for comparison. I have to admit I laughed when I read in the manual to never downshift into fourth above 130 MPH...
Last 2 cars were sticks, loving the A4 response and ease of use, seems ready to go at any time at any speed. This car has the Performance Ratio Axle option, so I'm not sure what it would be like with standard gears.
TBH, I didn't want another manual so I didn't test drive one for comparison. I have to admit I laughed when I read in the manual to never downshift into fourth above 130 MPH...
You rarely see an owners manual discuss racing conditions in a production car. My cousin thought it was hilarious when my car displayed competitive driving mode on the DIC.
Manual all the way, don't hate automatics. But I'm not sure I could stomach an ancient 4spd. 8spd in my fathers Lexus is nice, but a car like a Corvette really deserves some involvement. Even if the involvement is sitting on the Beltway/95 rolling at 5MPH.
Tried autos from almost every generation (no C1) and keep going back to a manual. I had an '04 CE with 3.42's, headers etc.. and I just didn't enjoy driving it. I just sold a '14 which was by far the best Corvette I have ever owned. It was an auto and I figured with 460 HP it would be the bomb. It was from January to June...
If it were my only car and I had to drive in heavy traffic I would take the auto but otherwise not.
For "sport driving" I've always preferred a manual of course... Therefore every 911 I've owned was fitted with those wonderful 2nd gear screamers...nothing like 2nd gear in a 911.... My now C5 A4 is my cruising, top down, comfortable ride no matter the location I'm motoring in.. I Don't trust sport driving a C5... For that I'd return to the 911.... Hey, I'm 76 years and kicking back.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.