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It's your shifting Are you new to the C7? The gear selection is a little more finicky than a lot of cars due to the addition of the 7th gear and takes a little extra time to get used to.
The M7 has a spring centered four speed selector. To find fifth let the spring center the lever, now position it about 1/2 inch to the right as you slide forward into the fifth gear gate. There is a feel you will acquire. Seventh gear takes a pronounced effort forward and to the right to acquire the gate. Sixth gear is found by positioning the lever to the right and following the edge of the assembly into its gate (don't worry about the reverse gate as it is blocked when the car is in motion). Again you will acquire a feel. All in all, the selector works really good.
My aftermarket modified Hurst makes it easier to find all the gears.
I had a little problem on my C5 6 speed because it required more effort to shift to higher gears, but on the C7 I have never had a problem with this shifter.
Same shifter in both cars, literally. I moved it from the C5 to the C7.
5th is a slight push to the right, 7th is a very deliberate push. Play around with moving the shifter to the right and feeling the resistance of each detent spring. It just take a bit of practice, I got 1100 miles on mine now and I can hit every gear with confidence. 1 to 2 is still a bit notchy when cold but otherwise I'm really growing to like this gearbox.
The M7 has a spring centered four speed selector. To find fifth let the spring center the lever, now position it about 1/2 inch to the right as you slide forward into the fifth gear gate. There is a feel you will acquire. Seventh gear takes a pronounced effort forward and to the right to acquire the gate. Sixth gear is found by positioning the lever to the right and following the edge of the assembly into its gate (don't worry about the reverse gate as it is blocked when the car is in motion). Again you will acquire a feel. All in all, the selector works really good.
That is good advice and knowledge.
Like the OP I missed 5th several times too, but I seem to have overcome this now that I have a better feel for the transmission and gates. I have had no issues with 6th, just 5th and 7th.
The OEM shifter works great and is very predictable once you get familiar with it. I missed a few shifts here and there intially, but I can't remember missing a shift since. Like everything else with practice, it will soon become a natural reflex you won't even have to think about.
Thanks for the input. Anxious to try the above suggestions.Although 4th gear is 145mph , I usually drive 1st to 3rd to 5th & quickly engage 5th at a more modest speed.
Think I'll just try adjusting to this shifter before considering a replacement
For some reason, I remember having an issue find 4th while downshifting. I kept hitting something that wouldn't let me get it into 4th. Very weird!! I have to keep practicing the angle of all the gear slots I guess come Spring Time!
I think the biggest problem most people have is not driving these cars often enough to get to know them well. Mine gets driven 4-5 days (about 300 miles) a week, summer and winter, rain or shine.
Been shifting gears 61 years - the C7 has the most vague shifting of any car I've ever owned.
Originally Posted by Foosh
I've been shifting for 48 years on more than 50 vehicles, and I could not possibly disagree with you more. It's one of the best.
I'm (seriously) glad it works well for you, it does not for me - just too vague. 68 cars including Porsches and a Ferrari - and five (5) previous Corvettes (I have more than 600K miles in Corvettes) so it's certainly not a lack of experience.
37,000 on my C7 in two years. And I put about 10K a year on the Ferrari.
Last edited by 4thC4at60; Feb 21, 2017 at 05:27 PM.
I believe it was the well-known (on CF) Ranger who suggested shifting with the car off, sitting in a garage. After all, you're looking for the feel of where the shifter is, as well as the foot, pedal, etc. Just a suggestion.
I have put all of 500 miles on my new 2017 Stingray over the past three weeks. I love the manual gearbox and (so far) have no regrets about not opting for the A8. I am pretty good with the gears, but have to make a conscious effort when making the 5th to 6th upshift.
It seems as though the car WANTS me to hit 4th gear instead. I believe this was designed that way for when you want to DOWNSHIFT from 5th to 4th. It makes sense from a performance standpoint, as you need a burst power at highway speeds that you can't get from the tall 5th gear. If I give a slight "nudge" to the right, I eliminate the problem.
I have driven many manual transmissions - from a "three on the tree" in an old Chevy truck & a four-speed Chevette to a Freightliner big rig with a non-synchronized 10-speed. I have also had four Mustang GT coupes with stick-shift.
The manual gearbox in the new Corvette is quite nice. It's notchy in comparison to a BMW, that that's to be expected. Enjoy them now, though, as manual transmissions seem to be going extinct quite rapidly.
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.
Are you new to the C7? The gear selection is a little more finicky than a lot of cars due to the addition of the 7th gear and takes a little extra time to get used to.
