Why do you drive an automatic?
#21
I thought about getting manual in this Corvette and then thought realistically if I have the advance skill or could get the skill to use the manual to its full potential and decided the A8 was the best for me. I am more of a motorcycle guy and have spent a lot of time getting my skills up on those so I am comfortable running my Triumph up to 14,000 rpm redline and speed shifting that but not the Corvette . A manual car in traffic has not been an issue for me
#24
Race Director
I've owned many high performance cars over the years and the ratio of auto/manual for me has been roughly 50/50. Sometimes it was just the driving situation, if I had a job that put me into heavy stop and go traffic for instance. That was the case with my 98 Corvette when I bought it, as I was spending a couple of hours a day in downtown Toronto traffic (and that car was my only car at the time). In the last couple of years with the C5 I changed jobs and really found myself wanting a manual badly again (after test driving a few manual transmission Lamborghinis and Ferraris) so when I got my C6 in 2013 it was manual. My wife was bummed out when I got that car as she enjoyed driving the C5 and has never driven a manual. So I made her the promise all those years ago that "our next Corvette will definitely be automatic" Since I'm a man of my word, that's the number one reason I chose automatic for my C7. But there are a couple of other reasons too. I'm planning on keeping this car a very long time and even though I'm still relatively young (48) and in perfect health with no aches and pains, that could change in 15-20 years and I might not be able to comfortably shift a manual by then. My second reason is going to sound silly but I just felt that 7 speeds is too many gears for a manual and I felt I'd probably spend more time "fishing around" trying to make sure it's in the right gear. To me, the 6 speed in my C6 was perfect and I had no trouble finding any of the gears.
There is also one thing about automatics that I love over manuals though, and that's when you're cruising along and want to pass someone so you go full throttle and it downshifts many gears and just leaps forward instantly. With a manual you never really feel 100% sure that you can downshift that many gears, so you don't quite get that same "instant thrust" at a moments notice.
There is also one thing about automatics that I love over manuals though, and that's when you're cruising along and want to pass someone so you go full throttle and it downshifts many gears and just leaps forward instantly. With a manual you never really feel 100% sure that you can downshift that many gears, so you don't quite get that same "instant thrust" at a moments notice.
Last edited by Patman; 01-15-2018 at 12:38 PM.
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Italianfox (01-17-2018),
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#25
Team Owner
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Location: cookeville tennessee
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Faster, better, smoother, not an old man, traffic, more gears, awesome multigear kick-down, paddle shifting, holding hands with the wife, eating an ice cream cone, scaring school children with performance shift mode, annoying M7 owners, participating in A8 v M7 threads and winning.
#26
#28
Race Director
Traffic and more consistent for bracket racing.
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Mike Campbell (02-23-2018)
#29
Racer
No traffic to amount to anything here, but I'm just tired of shifting. Yea, I'm lazy.
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Rebel Yell (01-15-2018)
#30
Le Mans Master
Faster,by what, a 10th? You drag race a lot? better definitely not, smoother nope, not an old manhuh?, traffic good reason, more gears I don't use all the ones I have, awesome multigear kick-down I can skip gears if I want, paddle shiftingno thanks, holding hands with the wifecan't do that with a manual?, eating an ice cream conethis is a joke, right?, scaring school children with performance shift modeditto, annoying you mean justifying toM7 owners, participating in A8 v M7 threads and winningnobody has won the argument yet.
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Corgidog1 (01-16-2018)
#32
Le Mans Master
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We enjoy taking our car on long road trips usually averaging 5K+ miles. Traveling that many miles ensures you that you will hit several heavy traffic jams. So, that's the main reason. The other is the many small towns we search out along the way.
Disclaimer: I have a manual car for my DD. That feeds the need for three pedals just fine for me.
Disclaimer: I have a manual car for my DD. That feeds the need for three pedals just fine for me.
#33
Race Director
Member Since: Jul 2000
Location: Out Where the Buses Don't Run, Eglin AFB/ Niceville FL
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2022 Corvette of the Year Finalist -- Modified
2021 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I have bad knees, 12 traffic lights and 5 stop signs with a top speed of 45mph on my commute to work, I don't track, I take trips on the interstate. No reason for me to shift in any of these scenarios.
FWIW I learned to drive via a manual trans. I have owned three manual shift cars but all of the rest have been autos. Only one of the 7 Vettes was a manual, my formerly owned 2013 427. My knee couldn't take it anymore and I'm not ready for surgery yet.
FWIW I learned to drive via a manual trans. I have owned three manual shift cars but all of the rest have been autos. Only one of the 7 Vettes was a manual, my formerly owned 2013 427. My knee couldn't take it anymore and I'm not ready for surgery yet.
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Woodson (01-15-2018)
#34
Race Director
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Location: Bonneville Salt Flats, 223mph Aug. '04
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I'm in my eighth decade and I've bought only one automatic in a "performance" car. That was purely to maximize foot room in my 1966, Series 1, Excalibur roadster.
Last edited by Avanti; 01-15-2018 at 01:24 PM.
#35
Pro
Because they are a hell of a lot better than they were when I graduated from high school in 1964.
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Italianfox (01-17-2018)
#36
I sold my MT 335i and bought a PDK Macan, thinking it would be best of both worlds. I missed the MT overall, but not in traffic. Then I added my MT Vette and scratched that itch. PDK or auto just isn't the same as MT. Yes, I live in an area where there is head-banging traffic every day, so I drive the MT to work only 1-2 days a week, plus weekends, and just live with it.
#38
Burning Brakes
I learned to drive in a 1947 school bus on the Navajo reservation in 1959/1960 with a floor shift that needed to be double clutched. I prefer a stick shift. My wife knows how, but refuses to drive a stick shift. Her car is always an automatic. I go either way, but in an emergency both of my feet hit the brake on an automatic.
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c6nomad (01-20-2018)
#39
I don't.
Only poor babies like the wimp in Chicago that was b*tching and moaning about traffic and his wife needing the auto.
Only poor babies like the wimp in Chicago that was b*tching and moaning about traffic and his wife needing the auto.