This is not a thread to find out if Z51 is better or worth it. This is not a thread to find out if Auto or Manual is better or worth it. Just to see which is right for me.

I have an order (still configurable) in for a C7 but I am having a hard time deciding what to do here....

The car will be a street car with maybe an occasional trip to the local drag strip (like 2 per year maybe). I dont forsee it being on a road course.

My wife wants me to get an Auto so she can drive it (and honestly if the Auto can shift faster than me (I can shift pretty fast but I am not a machine) and the paddles are responsive (they have sucked in the past) then I have no issue with getting an Auto....but it sure feels weird to have an automatic Corvette, I am a manual transmission guy through and through....

I could forgo the Z51 if I knew if the base version has an open diff or not. I know the Z51 has the elocker or whatever but I don't know what the base has.

So I need some advice....auto or manual for street and occasional strip. What I WANT and feel comfortable getting is Z51/M7.....But the wife has dropped auto in the mix and I am torn because I hear autos are way cool these days....

Z51 necessary to get "posi?"

I love to modify my cars and this car will have 700 rwhp give or take. What should I get? Thanks and sorry for the lame thread.

 

I have a z51 manual but I would say you would be very happy with base car and auto for what you are saying your goals are.

 

Base car has "posi", just the standard mechanical style, a la C6, rather than the new eDif.

Really hard to say on the trans. History says most guys who are die hard manual drivers have a difficult time going to auto unless there is a compelling reason to do so, like some health/physical issue. The current A6, though reportedly much improved over the A6 in my '08, is often still not responsive enough to satisfy manual drivers. The best advice is to try to find one to test drive to see if it works "for you".

If you are interested, there is a possibility the '15 models will be upgraded to the new A8 which is rumored to be much better than the A6. We may not know about availability until the end of April though.

 

I don't know for sure but I don't expect my car until June. If the 15s will be out within a month or two later then I will gladly wait.

I've decided to stick with Z51 but I am still undecided on transmission. I am trying to find videos of the auto in racing form so I can at least listen to the shift....Maybe that will help.

 

There is a video in here, post 10:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c7-t...ag-racing.html

 

Look I went thru the same quandry when I was looking to get my C6. Well, this is what I did. I got the base A6 at the time since I wanted my wife to be able to drive it in case she needed to. Plus the only real advantage the C6 Z51 with the A6 had over the base was a slightly lower rear and larger brakes and tires that wore out faster. Similar to what the C7 has except the e diff. Now I did take my car to the track a little more than twice a year over all the years I owned it. And one year I went out and replaced the base sway bars with Z51's for $160.00. What I found out was I won plenty of 1/4 mile trips over Z51's. And most of them were with my stock GY run flats that I didn't replace until I had 25K miles on them. Yes the Z51 is a great road track car but for what you've described I'd get the base A6. BTW another reason I went with the A6 is because I didn't enjoy toasting my clutch in my M6 C5 and remembered....the auto's don't miss a shift!

PS: your thread isn't lame.

 

In fairness, the clutch in the C7 is wildly improved from the C5 (and the C6 for that matter).

Not to turn this into any sort of M7 vs A6/A8.

I would wait for the A8 if you decide on an auto (personally, anyway).

 

Higgs, you clearly sound like you really want the manual. The C7 is the smoothest shift I've ever driven. Why don't you talk to your wife about working with her to get her comfortable and proficient driving the manual. I'm female, and couldn't be happier with the manual transmission. Tell her she'll have the time of her life in it. You'll be happier in the end, since it is what you want.

 

Sounds like you need the auto for the wife and the Z51 for yourself. That setup is probably fastest at the track (see Snorman) and it has the open dif. (eDIF) that you can't get with the base. Good luck.

 

I asked my wife if she REALLY actually intends to drive the car and she said, "No but if it is auto at least I have the option."

I changed my order to Z51/M7. Done.

Thanks for the advice! I'm just not ready to go to an auto yet, especially when it is still TC based.

 

You are going to be SO happy with your decision.