I'll preface this by stating what is probably already obvious, I'm a die hard manual guy. With that out of the way, I've been shopping for a fairly particular Corvette for a while. One of the stipulations being an M7. Fed up with how difficult it is to find manuals, let alone in the spec I want, I broke down and test drove an A8, hoping the manual mode would be enough to keep me entertained. I absolutely hated it. The delay in shifting is profound. Trying to upshift through the gears and there feels like damn near 2 seconds worth of delay between pulling the paddle and getting the gear I want. The downshifting? Equally bad. It's as if the car is programmed by someone that has never heel-toed a downshift ever, they've only been told what it's like. going down through the gears, the car revs far too high and then engages the driveline, causing huge lurches on each downshift, again, with horrible delay between the paddle click and the actual gear getting selected.

I complain about all this in hopes that others feel similarly and have potentially addressed these things? Can anything be done via tuning or something? I've looked but haven't come across much.....maybe I'm searching the wrong things. I really wanted to be okay with the auto, but if these downfalls can't be mitigated, I fear I'm doomed to search for quite a while longer for the right manual car.

 

I recommend you trying the automatic with a Soler Throttle Controller attached. For me, that little change made the auto better than the manual.

If having a manual is not at the top of your list, bump it above whatever specs you crave....or widen your search radius if you haven't. They're out there...

Either way, buying a 7 in any trim now, will cost more than it would have a year ago.

Here's a search for 2014-2019 manuals within 500 miles of Dallas, TX.

https://www.carfax.com/Used-Chevrolet-Corvette-Dallas-TX_w112_c18864

Good Luck!

 

There's a slight learning curve but it's not tremendous to make the switch from MN to A8 - for one thing you keep the accelerated planted when shifting up... I've been rowing gears since 1957 - 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 on tree, on floor - don't miss my MN7 at all. If I feel that I just HAVE to push a clutch I've got a 32-year-old Ferrari in the garage... for 99.99999999% of my driving I don't miss the MN at all.....

 

Here we go again....................
Another let's bash the A8, because I just can't accept that manuals are a thing of the past thread.

 

Not my intention at all, especially seeing as I may own one someday. I'm simply asking if there's something out there that can be done to mitigate the short comings of the auto.

 

Do not have the problems you mention with my A6. Works just fine in manual mode and shifts are crisp and quick.

But if what you truly want is a manual tranny, then expand your search area as mentioned. There has to be one out there, although finding one with the options/color that you want may be a challenge.

 

I've heard mention of that controller.....does it have any effect on the shift delay I described? I'm having trouble seeing as how it changes anything other than throttle sensitivity? What about lurchy downshifts?

As far as the search, used car prices are through the roof, especially convertibles (what I'm looking for, coming from an MX5) So my purchase is likely a year or so out, in hopes the market calms down.....though my MX5 is fetching more than I bought it for currently, so maybe I'll just bite the bullet.

 

I also do not have that problem. The shifting in Manual is crisp. I am an old manual guy in fast cars and motorcycles.

You do not mention what year you have. Check and see if the Tripple Flush has been done to the Tranny. If it has not, get it done immediately!!!

The other thing I do, having been a two stroke road racer, is to keep the R's up. I also down shift about three gears in Manual, depending on the R's, to get off the dime. This works well for me.

 

I can't say that I experienced any shift delays at all....even before I installed the controller. I don't like how the transmission is in a hurry to get thru the gears, so I stay in Manual mode at all times.

Maybe you just had a bad apple. Have you driven the manual 7 yet?

Does your MX-5 have the skip shift feature? I am thinking of picking up a preowned MX-5 RF this summer.

 

My advice: keep looking... or, just drive it like any other automatic.

 

I'm a long time manual fan, have owned dozens of manuals Corvettes over the years and one of my daily drivers is a manual. However my C7 GS has an A8 and I love it, however I let it shift as an auto is designed to shift 'automatically' and it shifts like lightning.
Manuals are all but gone. No matter how unfortunate that is, whining is not going to bring them back.

 

Buy the Corvette YOU want. The automatic is what it is and it’s not a manual, neither good or bad just very different. I bought a manual convertible as it’s the last manual trans and last of the soft tops.

 

Difference of opinion it seems with the general crowd here....

I've driven a few M7s, loved them. Auto just can't scratch my itch it seems.

MX5 has no skip shift feature. The RF is a great car and I would definitely recommend it. I'm still a big fan of the previous generation (NC3) club with the full power retractable hardtop. Gives the full convertible feel instead of just the targa-like RF.

 

No whining, just trying to see if there is a way to improve upon the automatics shortcomings.

 

Shift delay and "crispness" of shifts change depending on which driving mode you are in - shifts in Tour are delayed & soft, shifts in Sport are improved, shifts in Track are quick & firm. Move into the hidden performance driving modes beyond Track (NOT recommended for anything but tracking) and the shifts @ 5500-6000 will snap your neck.

Try Manual mode in Sport and see if it feels better.

 

I was driving in track mode.

 

Just sold my manual Stingray to Vroom it will be on market soon the Corvette is perfect in every way no nicks just a perfect Corvette with 3725 miles

 

Gotta be a convertible, unfortunately.

 

Here we go again...then bash someone because they might have a different opinion than you. Nice.

 

It’s heel/toe shifting that is a thing of the past!

Hold out for a manual convertible. They exist, and the rev match paddles are outstanding, a feature I had not focused on when I was looking but now it’s among my favorite things on the car. The throttle blips are perfect.

Kevin A. Jones is correct, manuals are dead and we will all have to accept it, but for now why not forestall the inevitable for one last hurrah?