Auto vs Manual Performance
Pro
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 539
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From: Southeast Connecticut
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16
Hey...just saw you're from Murrells Inlet, SC. Thinking of retiring there in a few years. Heading down there this summer for vaca to check out. How do you like living there?
Last edited by JAsVette; Apr 17, 2014 at 02:34 PM.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 595
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From: Minneapolis MN
I agree. I chose manual for the fun. I'm pretty sure my 0-60 and 1/4 mile times would be faster in an A6, but that's boring.
Pro
Joined: May 2011
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Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Hurst, TX USA
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 6,442
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From: New Jersey
From what I've read, the clutch on the C7 is very easy to engage and is a joy to drive. I enjoy driving a stick and controlling the shifts-- to me it is fun and I could care less about traffic-been driving a stick to work in traffic for 30 years. If you enjoy shifting for yourself, then go for it-nothing better than a stick especially if the C7 is your fun car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 6,813
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From: Toronto Ontario Canada
The old A6 transmission that was in the C6 is pretty much the same as in the C7 except for some minor changes. It still is an old school transmission that belongs in trucks and boring passenger cars more than in a modern sports car. Curious to see what the new A8 brings to the performance market.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 380
Likes: 10
Assuming one can shift properly, my experience has always been that the manual version is typicaly a little faster in a quarter mile drag race. It seems to me the C7 manual would also be faster in the quarter mile due to the following:
1. Lower gear ratio in manual Z51 (i.e. 3.42 versus 2.73 in auto);
2. Perfomance/lower tranny gears in Z51:
3. You can leave the line harder at an increased RPM, this would especially be true on a drag radial tire.
The issue that comes into play alot is most people are not able to consistently launch and shift a manual tranny, so the automatic tranny cars appears to be faster due to that reason. If you have a driver that can launch from the line the correct way followed up by proper shifting, it has been my experience that a manual car will win more times than not in a drag race.
1. Lower gear ratio in manual Z51 (i.e. 3.42 versus 2.73 in auto);
2. Perfomance/lower tranny gears in Z51:
3. You can leave the line harder at an increased RPM, this would especially be true on a drag radial tire.
The issue that comes into play alot is most people are not able to consistently launch and shift a manual tranny, so the automatic tranny cars appears to be faster due to that reason. If you have a driver that can launch from the line the correct way followed up by proper shifting, it has been my experience that a manual car will win more times than not in a drag race.
Last edited by cg02175; Apr 17, 2014 at 04:07 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: Best Island in the U.S.
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '17
It's been proven many, many times that an A6 C6 will take an M6 in a quarter mile. I doubt that will change in the C7.
As for road racing, I tracked and road raced my A6 C6. It was much quicker, easier and safer to use the paddles at 150+ mph than taking a hand off the wheel to shift at those speeds.
As for road racing, I tracked and road raced my A6 C6. It was much quicker, easier and safer to use the paddles at 150+ mph than taking a hand off the wheel to shift at those speeds.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 380
Likes: 10
The auto launch control feature helps launching an automatic C7, but with the manual Z51 having a lower gear ratio, lower tranny gear ratios and with someone behind the wheel who can get the car off the line and properly shift, I doubt the C7 auto would win in a quarter mile drag race.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 121
Likes: 1
It's been proven many, many times that an A6 C6 will take an M6 in a quarter mile. I doubt that will change in the C7.
As for road racing, I tracked and road raced my A6 C6. It was much quicker, easier and safer to use the paddles at 150+ mph than taking a hand off the wheel to shift at those speeds.
As for road racing, I tracked and road raced my A6 C6. It was much quicker, easier and safer to use the paddles at 150+ mph than taking a hand off the wheel to shift at those speeds.
The A6 in the C7 is totally revamped from the old C6 - new valve body, new torque converter, new shift maps, new parts throughout with very very fast upshifts at redline.
If you live a large metro area and drive your C7 during rush hour you appreciate the automatic!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 780
Likes: 4
For all those who still don't believe that the automatic is faster, do a search on Snorman - his ETs are posted in several forums.
The A6 in the C7 is totally revamped from the old C6 - new valve body, new torque converter, new shift maps, new parts throughout with very very fast upshifts at redline.
If you live a large metro area and drive your C7 during rush hour you appreciate the automatic!
The A6 in the C7 is totally revamped from the old C6 - new valve body, new torque converter, new shift maps, new parts throughout with very very fast upshifts at redline.
If you live a large metro area and drive your C7 during rush hour you appreciate the automatic!
BOOM
Pro
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 663
Likes: 63
From: Ft Myers FL
As someone else mentioned, do a search on Snorman's posts to see his 1/4 mile times. Both the auto and the manual have launch control, but the auto launches easier and quicker. Making the auto QUICKER in the 1/4. Not sure whether it will be faster. There is a difference between ET and MPH. But the A6 should get there first, if that helps.
As far as road racing is concerned, I am not convinced yet that the A6 will have a similar advantage over the 7 speed. Snorman also just posted an interesting thread on running the road course at Daytona. I know he was having transmission heating issues, but I don't know whether that is an issue with all A6s or a specific issue with Snorman's car. When I get back from Spring Mountain I will give you my opinion on the differences that I will see between the A6 and the 7 speed. BTW, my C7 vert is a 7 speed.
As far as road racing is concerned, I am not convinced yet that the A6 will have a similar advantage over the 7 speed. Snorman also just posted an interesting thread on running the road course at Daytona. I know he was having transmission heating issues, but I don't know whether that is an issue with all A6s or a specific issue with Snorman's car. When I get back from Spring Mountain I will give you my opinion on the differences that I will see between the A6 and the 7 speed. BTW, my C7 vert is a 7 speed.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 380
Likes: 10
Thoughts:
1. Maybe snorman can drive a manual properly in a quarter mile run, maybe he can't;
2. The C7 is a different car than the C6;
3. Slap a set of drag radials on the back, launch hard and an auto C7 won't have a chance of catching a manual C7 in a quarter drag race if shifting is done properly;
4. Most importantly: Auto or manual, the C7 is an awesome car, so have fun driving whichever one you got.
1. Maybe snorman can drive a manual properly in a quarter mile run, maybe he can't;
2. The C7 is a different car than the C6;
3. Slap a set of drag radials on the back, launch hard and an auto C7 won't have a chance of catching a manual C7 in a quarter drag race if shifting is done properly;
4. Most importantly: Auto or manual, the C7 is an awesome car, so have fun driving whichever one you got.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,854
Likes: 535
The old A6 transmission that was in the C6 is pretty much the same as in the C7 except for some minor changes. It still is an old school transmission that belongs in trucks and boring passenger cars more than in a modern sports car. Curious to see what the new A8 brings to the performance market.
Did you just use the term "old school" and C7 in the same paragraph? The use of the term "old school" to describe ANYTHING about the C7 is an obvious over-exaggeration.
Last edited by RedC7AZ; Apr 17, 2014 at 04:47 PM.