Warp Factor

The Dodge Demon offers only that, apparently with some success.
The automatic ZO6 may have had some heating problems on a track that long. The ZR1 may have that solved, we don't know yet.
Naw, the A8 has five clutches, whereas a dual clutch only has two. How are you defining inferiority?
I'm not terribly concerned with how fast my A8 shifts at 3K rpm. Most of my "just cruising around" shifts on manuals at 3K have been kind of lazy too. What's the sense of urgency at 3K? If one is trying to go seriously fast, what the heck is up with having engine rpm's at 3000?
How so, beyond your personal opinion? Both the Porsche DCT and the A8 involve a little bit of a learning curve, to learn how to use either one to best advantage. My old Muncie "rockcrusher" transmissions didn't quite prepare me for either of these. That doesn't mean that the old Muncies were better.

davepl

And not all DCTs are equal. The PDK is generally brilliant, I'm told, whereas the Audi S8 Spyder has terrible programming. So to say "All DCTs are better" seems a stretch. Had you said "The best DCTs are better than the A8" I might agree.

My BMW SMG is archaic but can upshift really hard and fast at any speed, which I don't find to be a thing I ever want to do!

Z0HS1CK

Does it have success? It needs a ton of power to offset what the trans can lack, or will lack. And isn't it a cheaper route as well?? It is a dodge after all lol

Right. We don't know. But as of right now the manual is probably still a preferred route if doing an endured course run.

Easy. The TC route is slower plain and simple

You might not be concerned but others might. It's like having a really expensive car and you get fake carbon fiber bits. lol

If it's not really a big deal, why do car manufacturers offer the DCT at all?

So you're saying, if you're not racing, you're driving like grandma?

There's no in between in your driving? If i wanna merge on the highway, does one really need to redline it? I can easily get into highway speed, maybe even faster, just by shifting to 4k.

My personal opinion along with the rest of them. It seems like the only one defending the TC's, are the ones who own them.

I've had automatics before, not in a Z but i have been in an automatic C7. The shifts are dog slow except 3-4. That was really quick. The rest aren't.

I did read about the A8 learning curve. It seems that people have better luck if they leave it in "D" LOL.

Sure sounds like fun to me

Warp Factor

There ya go, maybe you just answered your own question.

Z0HS1CK

Yeah, which proves my point that if i had an auto, i would want it to shift fast at ANY rpm, not only going WOT.

But at least you sort of indirectly agreed with me

Seannyc

Warp Factor

Yeah, computers can sometimes do things better than people can. Imagine how you'd do at manually making all the constant adjustments that the engine control computer does, while you were driving.

Z0HS1CK

The computers in the modern day era of cars do an incredible job you're right.

However it seems that GM still didn't get it right with the 8 speed trans

At least there's hope with the manual.

You know the saying, "if you want it done right, you have to DO IT YOURSELF".

Z0HS1CK

Let's say you take identical cars.

Stage 1 aero M7 Z vs stage 1 aero A8 z stock vs stock and do a highway pull and the M7 will walk away from it in the higher speeds.

The A8 makes a great drag car, we know that. But the subject is highway rolls and the M7 is just better. Unless you have an incredible crazy amount of power, then it doesn't matter if the A8 might shift a bit slow on some of the shifts, because there's soo much power to cover ground anyway.

But the same could be applied to the manual as well.

BlueDevilZ51

My money is on the A8 everytime. Easy money!! I always put more of a hurting on stock M7 Zo6s then i do on stock A8 Zo6s when roll racing.
If you're saying different you have never run them from highway rolls yourself. I have many times.

Z0HS1CK

2 things are probably happening. Well 3.

I bet you're either racing M7 Z's with the stage 2 or 3 aero kit.

You're racing an M7 driver that starts in the wrong gear (our gears are long so maybe the driver doesn't know?)

Or you're not racing to a high MPH enough to actually notice the difference in the M7 vs the A8.

The A8 falls flat after 4 gears. It's an incredibly fast car 1-4 gears. And unless you're heavily modified, you're not moving that much faster after 4th. So a stock A8 Z, hits a brick wall at about 110mph or so. And a manual Z will continue to pull.

I mean ask the guys who build these cars for a living, they'll tell you the same thing.

BlueDevilZ51

My friends that I've raced have stage 1 aero. One has an M7 another an A8, both stock. I have an A8 Z51 with a stage 2 E force blower with other boltons as well. I'm not sure if you are aware that the standard mph everyone uses for highway roll races is 60-130mph. My friends with those Zo6 are both excellent drives, we have all been racing since the late 80s.
The Zo6 A8 is faster in the 1/4mile and roll races then the M7. If you were talking about a road course I'd give the edge to the M7, definitely better better cooling with longer races.
Even using no lift shift you're not shifting faster then the A8, not even close. So 60-130mph roll races A8 is the way to go if you want to win. I do agree the M7 is more fun to drive.

Z0HS1CK

Yeah, your friend is probably in the wrong gear when racing. Or can't make the 2-3 shift fast enough.

And there is no standard mph for highway rolls lol.

The faster the car, the higher you can go because you're covering ground much faster.

The M7 just got out of 3rd at 130 whereas an A8 you're shifting into 5th correct?

That's where you guys fall flat. Try racing your friend to 150. Not all highway rolls are the same.

BlueDevilZ51

Wrong.

tail_lights

My A8 shifts into 5th at 125. You are correct that from 0-125 it is blistering fast. After that I think the M7 may have an advantage but the better gearing 1-4 puts a well driven auto ahead of the M7 and at that point the M7 needs to run down the A8. Still no easy task. What is the 1-1 gear in the M7?

BERETTA

4th gear is 1 to 1 in the M7. I think 6th is 1 to 1 in the A8.

Seannyc

Warp Factor

I sure do miss my Model T, with the hand-crank starter, and the spark advance lever on the steering column.

Do you think it's coincidence that all the fastest times with the ZR1 (including those on road race tracks, now that the cooling issue has apparently been solved), have been set with the A8?

Z0HS1CK

Yup. Which is why i think A8 guys only wanna run to 130 or so lol.

Like i said, drag racing, A8 hard to beat. Everything else, M7 is a better choice.

Z0HS1CK

Not coincidence lol

It's the same slow trans used in the Z. It has more power to offset what the trans lacks.

The cooling definitely helped obviously, so the car doesn't overheat lol. Can't run fast times if you're overheating, auto or manual.

But manual never really has this problem