The paddles in the 08 Vette do not compare to the F1 in my 07 F430 Ferrari. Two different worlds. That being said, I enjoy the 6 speed manual in my 08 Vette more than the F1 in then Ferrari.

 

Before the paddle-shifter A6 became available, I wouldn't even consider an automatic transmission in a Corvette. When that option appeared, I drove quite a few of them before buying my '07 M6 convertible.

And I still wouldn't even consider an automatic transmission in a Corvette. It's OK if you like that sort of thing, but not for me.

 

I'll get rid of my manual trans when GM gets rid of the torque converter.

Tom

 

I love my 08 A6 and the best way to get the most from it is to apply power gradually, not mash the pedal like some people tend to do and call it slow. It was never intended to be like the F1 in a 430 but it won't set you back another couple hundred grand also. Eventually the manual will disappear just as it is in some forms of racing today (including F1 and Champ).

 

Not in anyone's wildest dreams.

 

that might have been the funniest thing I read today! ummmm, yeah, lets just ignore the feel of that torqque cornverter

yup, not sooner than that...

 

I would have jumped long ago if they made a A6 Z06!

 

I love my manual

 

When I'm ready for a slush box I'll get rid of the sports car and get a Lucerne.

 

I haven't had an auto since inheriting my exwife's WS6 Trans Am back in the 80s. This paddleshift thing sounds interesting.

 

That is the exact same thing they said in racing also. We also didn't have ABS in regular cars also or traction control. Engineers have proven that computers can do the shifting quicker than any human can already.

Also I thought a slush box was a manual. At least that is what we use to call manuals since the gears pretty much just slushed around in the fluid while autos had pressured passageways.

I use to say the same thing about manuals until I had to get rid of my DD CTS V and take a big hit due to a hip injury.

 

OUCH! And i love my A6.

 

 

Originally Posted by fyreline:
Not in anyone's wildest dreams.

Surely you're not comparing the racing paddle-shifter transmissions with the Corvette's A6? (and yes, I'm sorry I called you Shirley ). There is little or no comparison to be made there - two very different animals. Further, computers can do a LOT of things quicker than any human can - but I don't want them doing most of them, either - and for the same reasons :o.

No, "slush-box" has always meant an automatic transmission. It goes back to the earliest days of automatics, including the old Buick Dyna-slow. Sorry you had to get rid of your manual - but it was obviously your first choice. Sure, today's automatics are light-years ahead of where they were even just a few years ago, and they will continue to improve. And yes, they can produce faster quarter-mile times than a straight stick . . . but that's not the point.

Just throwing a switch and letting the car do everything doesn't represent progress to me. I happen to like the involvement of the clutch pedal and having to make conscious decisions about what gear I want to be in, and where, and when, and how well I do it. I've driven the Corvette A6 many times and as I said before, it's very nice if you like that sort of thing. It just isn't for me, and if Corvettes only came with automatic transmissions, I wouldn't buy another one. Fortunately, that's not going to happen.

Not in anyone's wildest dreams.

 

I test drove 09 A6 and do not think much of the paddle shift. Really seems slow to change with a lot of lag. Would just as soon keep the 05 A4 as manual shifting feels much quicker. Guess I was expecting shifting like a true electic clutch auto.

 

I had an 05 manual, and now have an A6...

I'd love to race an manual with the same mods in the 1/4... An auto with a converter is a handful for any MN6...

 

What specifically can be done to improve the A6 to make it react quicker?

 

A Chuck Cow tune would speed it up.

 

A6 owners, Do you realize better performance just mashing on the pedal? or working the paddles??

 

This doesn't really address your question of performance but, personally, I prefer the paddles for the control they give in selecting the right gear for the situation.

I can partially mash the throttle and with the tip of my toe feel where the next drop in gear will occur -- but this isn't precise or intuitive. Better yet, knowing that I want to pass a car, say, on a two-lane road I use the paddles to click down into 3rd or 2nd, be in the power band, and make the pass without the drama of the car needing to have too much gas applied to force it to downshift -- as is the case in full-auto mode.

I usually drive with the paddles choosing gears just as I did driving and racing manuals for 40+ years. Now, I have the luxury of not needing to use a clutch and instead use my left foot for braking.

To answer your question, if I just need to get way down the road in a straight line I would probably just mash it without the paddles as drag racers have found to be the quickest. But again, it depends on the situation and rarely am I in this one.

--Dan