Keeping my manual Viper, so auto for me.

 

C'mon Guys..........

Give A Shift....buy a Stick

 

At the end of the day automatic transmissions are better than manuals, both in efficiency and speed. But do we buy our cars to be as fast as they can be to the 100th of a second, or do we buy cars for the enjoyment of driving, and rowing gears. I know ill be shifting for as long as I can.

 

Exactly!

 

i define enjoyment a different way.. and i realize i am in the minority.. but i am having a hard time understanding why.

I love the way automatics effortlessly and reliably just jump off the line at a light. With a stick when the light turns red i have to clutch in, shift the gear, release clutch correctly.. sounds like simple stuff, but when you do it hundreds of times a week, being human, i will mess up. even if that means being a little slower, it is frustrating to me because i am a really really impatient person.. who hates getting nipped off the line by a minivan every once in a while. Yeah, some of you will say I suck, but i just finished first in the SS autocross event last sunday and was 9th fastest of 145 entrants. So i am not too too shabby at least

Speaking of autocross, there are sections where i really need to get in first to jump out of a slow section.. 2nd gear is just too friggin slow at certain speeds in my c6 z06. I would benefit from shifting many times on a lot of autocross courses. Each shift costs time, so it is frustrating to me to have to depend on getting the shift perfect. And even if i do get the shift perfect, i still seems to take an eternity and i will lose time any way you slice it. Because of this, all the experts tell you just put it in second and keep it in second, you will be a lot smoother. Well, i would like to shift at the proper times AND be smoother, and the a8 will make that amazingly fun.. especially when i see my times. I plan on having a lot of fun shifting that a8 up and down like a video game. So the choice in autocross is either no shifting at all in a stick, or lots of shifting with the a8. It seems the latter is a lot more fun and involving.

People say what is the point of driving if you don't shift.. I don't understand that because there is sooo much else going on when you drive.. these things called corners.. and braking points.. and carefully feathering the gas back on the gas at the right time, and looking ahead to figure out what line to take, and on and on.. it's really complicated.. and i would much rather have two hands on the wheel while doing all that.. and most importantly I ENJOY getting all those things right and getting a super fast time.. and shifting just distracts me from doing all those things better.. i need my hands on the wheel at all times to have a more fun race.

A lot of this is true for driving around town.. when i want to pass someone, i want to do it right now, not have to wait to drop into the ideal gear (harder than it sounds to do it really fast at a moments notice..). Having the shift happen quickly and the same time every time brings more predictability to driving around town. To me being able to do what i want exactly when i want it is much more satisfying than rowing another crappy clunky manual.

The ones they put in my c5 and c6z are not very good, which takes a lot of the pleasure out of it. The one in my c5 sounded like a can of marbles EVERY time i get the car going into first, i.e. on take off. This was considered normal! Ok, so i get a c6z, surely that problem is gone. NOPE! Same old clunky crap. There are lots of other examples of the lack of refinement of that tranny.

I am taking a leap of faith with the auto, fingers crossed. At least having been designed and made by GM, they have complete control over it to make it perfect for the Z, instead of depending on frickin Tremec. Oh yeah, and since this is a daily driver for me, stop and go traffic will be much less annoying... less displeasure is a net increase in pleasure in my book

 

From one Autocrosser to another, very well put and spot on. Going back to "Needforspeeds" post though, he needs to consider the hundreds of dollars folks spend on engine and drivetrain mods to gain that 100dreth of a second more. How many clutches are smoked, gears missed, reaction times lost due to "human error" and sticking with the shift? Driving a "paddle shift" can be very "connecting" too, you just don't need to get your left foot involved. Bottom line - "Different Strokes for Different Folks". It's all good.

 

A8 for me and I will keep my 13Z to keep my 70 year old left leg in shape.

 

Man, you have the best of both worlds! I wish I could keep my 427 & have the Z06 vert. Either way I'm rowing, cause I enjoy it more. The 8 speed is without a doubt faster & easier, but I prefer the 6 speed manual above all, 2-3 hang-up n all.

 

I agree totally!! It's a man-you-elle all the way for me!! and always will be..I want to drive the car not the other way around but glad they are offering the A8 for those who want that sort of thing....

 

So much awesome in that video!

 

It seems as though we forget about the members that have personal defects which complicates them as far as driving a manual. I myself have a very difficult time holding the clutch for a substantial period of time. I actually have to relax my leg in order to relieve it from pain, tension and blood circulation. Sometimes, I am surprise when I here about some of the members......saying "only a real man drives manuals." Let just say this........The A8 is for a purpose and it's not for everyone. And another thing, I like drag racing and unfortunately the manual just could not do it for me in a long shot. Both cars are going to be awesome, however just keep an eye out on the A8 for drag racing. Then again, some members could care less about drag racing.

 

I hope to buy a Z07 in a couple of years and the main reason is because it can be equipped with an automatic. I am very capable of upshifting or down shifting a manual without using the clutch so my choice is based upon my desires and not my abilities.

 

 

clint eastwood would drive a stick
obama would drive an automatic
you decide

 

.........just say'n

Clint Eastwood, the legendary cowboy of Hollywood western flicks will never ride a horse to reach his helicopter in real life (don't worry! he knows how to fly the winged jet). Rather, he has his favorite vehicle 1992 GMC Typhoon (limited edition). He prefers driving this SUV to reach the helipad.
1992 GMC Typhoon is not renowned for it's flashy, stylish looks. In fact, one can hardly find any such features. It is a rugged, powerful, and one of the fastest SUVs of early 90s era.This SUV is fitted with a turbo 4300cc V6 engine. It features 4-speed auto transmission facility. Acceleration is 0-60 in 5.3 seconds. In fact, it can hit one quarter mile in no more than 14 seconds at a speed limit of 153 km/h. The Typhoon costed around $30,000 during early 90s.

 

Eastwood is too old to lift his D**K and Obama never had one

 

Kate Upton drives a stick or is that rides a.....Nahhh never mind I was thinking of something else......

 

I know the auto will be faster, but it's like having a model wife who doesn't put out. Give me the stick shift all day

 

If the 8 speed auto in the ZO6 has the same heat problems as the 6 speed auto in the Z51 C7 then it will be useless on the track. After about 15 minutes of fast lapping a C7 with the current auto the car goes into limp mode because of overheating auto trans. Already cases showing up here on CF. If you are not going to track your car I am sure the new 8 speed will probably be just fine for the street.

 

Depends on what you're into.

Road Course - Manual
Drag Strip - Automatic
Waxer - Whichever floats your boat