Speed question
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 35
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Speed question
I have a 09 coupe. Does anyone know the max speed for each gear on a six speed? I wanna make sure I dont mess up the trans or engine. I know the manual recommends certain speeds to change gears but whats the max you can go on each gear without damaging anything?
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
1. Does your car have the Z51 option package? The gear ratios are different than a non-Z51 equipped manual tranny.
2. You are talking about a manual transmission, right? The C6 automatic transmission is also a 6 speed.
If your manual tranny C6 has the Z51 option package, the top speeds in each gear are 50, 72, 104, 148, 190, 190.
If your manual tranny does not have the Z51 option package, the top speeds in each gear are 56, 83, 114, 148, 190, 190.
2. You are talking about a manual transmission, right? The C6 automatic transmission is also a 6 speed.
If your manual tranny C6 has the Z51 option package, the top speeds in each gear are 50, 72, 104, 148, 190, 190.
If your manual tranny does not have the Z51 option package, the top speeds in each gear are 56, 83, 114, 148, 190, 190.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
The speeds I listed above are the speeds with an OEM tranny and rear axle at 6500 rpm for each gear.
Note that the speeds for 5th & 6th gear may not be exact.
Note that the speeds for 5th & 6th gear may not be exact.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 238
Likes: 0
From: SOCAL CA
if you run each gear till redline on the road then you really dont need anything past 3rd...
im sure many owners can atest to that
VET4LES; i swear ive seen you driving around avrey pkwy, crown valley and la paz before
im sure many owners can atest to that
VET4LES; i swear ive seen you driving around avrey pkwy, crown valley and la paz before
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Pro
Joined: Sep 2009
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From: Los Angeles California
the "redline" speeds, or more generally the mph per 1000 rpm in each gear, can be calculated from the tranny gear ratios, rear end ratio, and circumference of the tire. In practice you can check them by looking at your indicated speed in a given gear at any nice round rpm number, say 2000 or 3000. In my experience (07 Z51) the numbers posted above match both my calculation and my indicated speed on my speedo. Magazines also publish mph per 1000 rpm and those reports match the above numbers too.
the 5th gear number above is the advertised top speed of the car, which does not occur at redline, but at some slightly lower rpm. For 6th gear, yes it's a gas milage gear and I doubt the car would run to it's top speed in 6th... I don't know how fast it would go, but I'm sure it's not as fast as it goes in 5th.
the 5th gear number above is the advertised top speed of the car, which does not occur at redline, but at some slightly lower rpm. For 6th gear, yes it's a gas milage gear and I doubt the car would run to it's top speed in 6th... I don't know how fast it would go, but I'm sure it's not as fast as it goes in 5th.
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
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From: Tucson Arizona
You'll bump the rev-limiter before you mess up the engine. I wouldn't make a habit of bouncing off the rev limiter...it doesn't take long to go through the gears and learn where the optimal shift points are.
IMO, for all practical purposes both 5th and 6th gears are overdrive gears used for freeway or extended long-range cruising.
IMO, for all practical purposes both 5th and 6th gears are overdrive gears used for freeway or extended long-range cruising.