Mark Ca

Thanks. I grew up just up the road from you in Vernon(ski areas). Nice to be able to drive the vette 365.

obzidian

No manual = garbage.

I just cannot process the fact thst you folks want a true sportscar with a shitty automatic.

DCT's are faster???

Tell that to all of the GTR's and 911's ive out hustled with 3 pedals and a 4th gear that goes 160mph.

I swear.. im so OUT if this car is DCT only. GM: pay attention and give us a manual transaxle and dont be a follower, be a trendsetter.

Corgidog1

If the C8 does not offer a manual, I will keep my C7 stick and save some money. I drive on streets and fun is way more important than an extra bit of speed.

vetteman41960

Just one guys opion but a well sorted DCT is a lot of fun to drive.

In fact you have far more control of when to shift and the speed of the shift is exciting.

I am not saying it's a challenging as a stick just that it is as much fun as a stick.

The only thing holding back the C7 is that there is no DCT option.

I have Callaway Z06 z07 A8 and the weak point of the car is definitely the transmission. If I had to reorder and build another Callaway I would go with the M7 like I had in my 15 Z06.

Unfortunately I read everyone opinion on how close the A8 was to a DCT and believed the GM and hype from other A8 owners.

Definitely disappointed. I also have a 15 458 with DCT and it the most fun and best transmission I have ever driven in a lifetime of owning sports cars.

The mid engine must offer a DCT if GM want to steal the occasional Porsche, Audi, Ferrari or Lambo owner.

I have my deposit in for 2 years now and look forward to the C8 with world class performance but WITH reliability and maintenance cost. Again a DCT is a must to compete with the best sports cars offered regardless of price.

That's always been Corvette calling. World Clas performance that everyday guys can afford.

I have 1 spot left in the garage and can't wait for the C8.

I just hope GM breaks with traditional rollout and offer a high performance model right from the get go so us car guys who want the best performance don't have to wait 1 or 2 model year to get the equivalent of the Z06 BUT IN MID ENGINE.

I do expect 3 or 4 years before we see the ultimate C8 but I not one to wait. Life to short to worry about 1st year bugs . I jsu don't want to have to by a base and trade in 12 month for a high performance model.

I had to do that with the C7 buy a z51 in 14 with the 383Rd car off the line then trade for 15 Z06 number 560 off the line and again trade for the 16 Callaway.

I guess I fell for GM plan to keep my wallet open.

Hope everybody get what they want weather it's. DCT or a M7 in the C8

elegant

There sure are many who buy a Corvette in the first year of a generation, then up-trade for a higher perf version a year later (some with more patience wait longer for that move).

Others have patience to not buy until year two. I have been that way for the last three generations, but this time I am going to instead get a very early, first-year.

SBC_and_a_stick

The only reason I'd be in the market for a C8 would be the manual. The C7Z dissuaded me from believing in the Corvette as bang for the buck. You get what you pay for:
*the wheels were weak (cheap, non-forged) and bent them easily
*GM skipped on cooling the powersteering. Later the option was to pay for cooling duct but my SUV comes with naca ducts stock and it's a no option mid level model. The GM solution was not authorized for street use which I presume costs money to figure out or engineer.
*HVAC is disaster. GM had a software upgrade that hardly did anything. Vent simply doesn't cool ever, you need A/C on. AC markers on the screen have little to do with what the HVAC actually does, definitely not optimized. Finally it broke when I needed it most, in 100*+ weather
*GM skipped on trans cooling for auto Z51s
*GM skipped on engine cooling on, effectively, nearly every model except arguably Grand Sport M7. For Z06 M7 you had to pay for labor parts to increase cooling, but arguably still far below what the competitors offer
*GM didn't optimize squeaky targa top until years in despite being a problem on earlier generations
*GM didn't optimize the front brake cooling leading to CCBs falling apart in a few track days, far behind the ducting competitors have
*the infotainment was all sorts of low quality grade, USBs would overheat, and eventually it died completely
*software for speed sensor was not calibrated properly needed an update out of the box
*car had sloppy assembly
*perhaps the airbag recalls had nothing to do with GM but the seatbelts broke anyway just after I bought it
*sparkplug wire burned out on new engine fairly shortly
*there are poor seals in the clutch that lead to dirty fluid and apparently goes back many generations, system is not designed for easy flushing either

It costs money to optimize software, provide auxiliary cooling systems, use high grades electronics, and even design base systems like HVAC, clutch, speed sensing. Since GM obviously pinches pennies left and right the least they can do is offer something other competitors don't: a manual.

SBC_and_a_stick

What makes you think I didn't buy a (stick shift) Porsche? Or, for that matter that I am not considering a (stick shift) Gallardo as well?

JerriVette

Good ....you bought a Porsche or gallardo but your on the corvette
forum ?

Now I understand your perspective and you made that much clearer..

Good to know.

Enjoy

SBC_and_a_stick

Now that I don't have a C7 I'm no longer qualified to discuss modern Corvettes despite the fact that as far as I can can tell you never put any of your money in one.

I owned the C7 Z for nearly 3 years and toasted at least half a dozen sets of tires. While I owned it I wasn't qualified to dis it on the basis that my car was somehow different than the ones available to purchase.

I'm not exactly sure what cuts the proverbial mustard, but if I had to guess it's feel-good-fake-feedback. Well sorry Jerri, you are not disagreeing with me but with the mechanics who wrenched on it.

pdiddy972

DCTs are pretty sweet, so I might be willing to let go of my M7 for a DCT-equipped C8.

Shaka

Nice post as usual. Splain the clutch seal problem.

ByByBMW

My one fear is that GM wont give us a DCT as well thought out and sorted as the Porsche PDK.

pdiddy972

Porsche isn’t the only company that has good DCTs. The Mitsubishi Evo I drove years ago had a Getrag unit and it was lightning-fast.

Michael A

I rented a Lexus QX30 that had a DCT. The DCT worked fine, but in the end, it was still an automatic transmission. Pretty boring. One reason manuals are fun, is it takes some skill to drive them well. DCTs might give a very slight gain in performance, but so would taking out all the sound deadening. I wouldn't want that either. It's the journey, not the destination that counts.

JerriVette

I drove a Porsche with the dct /PDK and it was an exciting drive. As a manual driver for 40 years I think I'd be happy with the PDK in my next new corvette.

It was lightning fast and had a direct drive connection feeling very much like when I'm in gear in my present manual corvette except it shifted faster.

Rapid Fred

That’s what I wanted to hear. Automatic operation when you want it, crisp driver control when you want it, no slushiness...

I too have driven only manuals (ex the occasional rental) the last 40 years. PDK sounds intriguing...

Big Lebowski

Yes, but $100k - $120k intriguing? Because that will be the cost to test drive one.

We know from history, that no dealer is going to allow test drives of the next generation Corvette when they hit showrooms. When the C7 hit, I was barely aloud to sit in it...and I told my salesman AFTER I bought my 2014 C7 that I would have haggled much less had he let me test drive it first!

Therefore, IF the C8 is offered with both a DCT and a manual, are you going to give the C8 DCT a try based on “intriguing”?

Rapid Fred

Oh, it wouldn't cost me anywhere near that. I could just ask one of my "gotta be the first" Vette buddies to let me play with their Zora/C8 for 30 minutes or so, which I am sure would be enough to determine my feelings about whatever automatic the Zora/C8 comes with. That's how in 2010 I tested a C6 6-speed auto GS with the paddles -- which I did not like very much.

Plus, I always buy USED -- and never the "top shelf" model (if the ME turns out to be that pricy). I haven't even driven the C7 8-spd yet, though it is on my to-do list for this summer. I am certain it is better than any automatic I have previously driven, but if the least bit "slushy" I'll probably dislike it and go for the 7-spd when I finally get around to buying a C7...

Big Lebowski

elegant

I am totally with you “vetteman” on both of your points! Let’s hope the 4.2L, 32V, DOHC, TT, V8 is offered in the Corvette ME in year one! I don’t need the estimated 5.5L’s 800 HP for a later year’s ZORA, and would be happy with around the 550 HP/627 TQ that the Cadillac’s version of the 4.2L would provide. With a DCT, and the better acceleration of a ME (motor right over the drive wheels), the 2020 ME Corvette would rival the Z06’s performance, and in many circumstances beat it.

Please GM!