Turbo-Geist

The statement that it takes more skill to drive a manual is not an opinion, it is a fact. The automatic transmission allows less skilled drivers to participate when they otherwise would have been an also ran. Congrats, I see a self-driving car in your future.

ByByBMW

Only if I am forced into one. But I don't foresee that for me in my lifetime.

KnightDriveTV

There is always the factor that one can "drive" a manual, and then one can truly "utilize" a manual. If you can drive point a to point b, maybe do a little quick shift or power shift under acceleration, you can drive a manual. If you can match rev downshift, heel-toe at the threshold, left foot brake, clutch kick...then you can truly "utilize" a manual. That said, newer automatics are quite tempting, especially if you develop your left foot braking ability on track. You can accelerate deeper into the corner because you remove the transition time, plus you can run the tire closer to the edge of adhesion by being two hand precise.

I think it's clear that removing the manual gear lever and third pedal is FASTER, but if you can truly drive and fully utilize a manual gearbox, you put yourself in a very small category.

TBIRD57

i rarely even use the auto paddles

Turbo-Geist

You are now moving the goal posts of the conversation. The above quote is where you mentioned that a PDK is no different than driving a car with a manual transmission. All that time driving the PDK is beginning to sink in. You've even started believing it is a true manual and that your skills are the same and haven't diminished.

fyreline

I have owned, driven and raced Corvettes for over 40 years, and I have always specified a manual transmission. I could not even imagine enjoying a Corvette with an automatic transmission.

I was wrong.

My C7 is an absolute delight with the automatic. And yes, if you really want to get the most out of it, there is still a learning curve. There will always be those who will cling to their manuals - I was one of them for decades - but it's time to acknowledge progress and product development. The "state of the art" has moved on. Time to move with it. Just my opinion, of course - but it's an informed opinion.

NY09C6

I drive a manual well but I am not a world class manual driver. I know I would be faster around a road course with an auto. But I do not want one as 99.9% of the time I street drive my car and I would then be overly bored. It is enjoyable to drive a manual on the street without getting stupid with speed and causing danger. I do not get this same enjoyment with an auto. My car is a daily driver.

ByByBMW

I have to add another issue I have with a manual, and I am narrowing this down to Corvette manuals for a reason. The manual transmission in my Z06 was the absolute worst manual I ever owned. I have been driving over 50 years and never had ANY issues with the other manual cars I owned other than needing a new clutch itself on occasion. In the C6, if you didn't do constant flushes your clutch fluid would turn black (contaminants entering the system) in a short time. Never had that problem in any other car. My Z06 clutch would sometimes hang on the floor especially during hot pedal to the metal acceleration runs, think drag strip. Again, never had this problem in ANY other car.
Since I haven't owned or even driven a C7 I can't comment on them. But the C6 manual tranny left a huge bad taste in my mouth.

NY09C6

My car is nearing 10 years old. No clutch issues. I change my clutch fluid every 3 years
Along with the brake fluid. They should both actually be every 2 years but this is working for me.

Mcrider

FACT you made up.

gthal

You are over rating the skill required for a MT... it really isn't hard to master and once someone does, it's second nature and doesn't require much more thinking than a DCT. I say this having spent hundreds of hours on a track in cars with both transmissions.

"Driving skill" and "operating a clutch pedal" are not necessarily correlated. A driver's ability to manage grip, contact patch, weight balance, limit braking, throttle management, etc has nothing to do with their ability to use a clutch. Some of the MOST skilled drivers you will find at a track day will be in a DCT. Your conclusion that only skilled drivers can operate a manual is not accurate. Nor does the ability to operate a manual mean you are a particularly skilled driver.

0Chuck CoW

NONSENSE........ While a fully automatic C6 upshifts extremely well for what it is.... In AUTO or PADDLE mode, and fantastically better after I've tuned it up....

Don't think that you or any real professional "DRIVER / "SHIFTER" can out SHIFT a C7 with a proper tune.... IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

And that is why GM isn't going to make a stick any more..... Now-a-days.... You CAN'T out do the computer and for those of you who think you're AMAZING

stick shifters.... All you're doing is grinding and breaking 100 year old technology synchronized manual transmissions into bits so your car can come off the

road sooner to have major repairs made......Again, REGARDLESS of how good of a "shifter" you think you are..... the antiquated synchros are like aggressive

race brake pads destroying your rotors with every touch of the pedal..... While the new Automatics will last way longer, shift faster, and win more races.....

That's why there will be not more sticks.... it's 100+ year old silly stuff.

NOW, I wouldn't want an AUTOMATIC C2 or C3 Corvette..... but again, the automatics are sooo far advanced now you're insane no to have one.

You can't even buy a stick shift truck any more either..... cause they fall apart prematurely..... OLD SCHOOL STUFF.....

Chuck CoW

Michael A

That's very difficult putting the auto in "D".

MitchAlsup

You failed to achieve the desired goal. The desired goal was to take the car out of 6th gear, brake for the turn while the car remains out of gear, then drop it into 2nd at the proper moment in the turn.

Yes, I have driven and owned a DCT, I prefer the manual. I like to pull away from a stop sign, run the car up to Redline, then shift into top gear without using any other gears.

I know the DCT gear shifts are faster, sometimes one wants to take a few seconds between gear engagements. Nor do I care about ultimate track speed, it has a lot more to do with being involved with the car, and the driver being made to excise control over the car. Nor do I particularly like the car blipping the engine on down shifts, take the car out of gear, brake to a stop, engage 1st gear about 3 feet before stopping and be ready to go when the light changes. No blipping avoids constabulary observations.

Racer X

Not to be disrespectful, but getting every shift right in a manual is a skill that is beyond difficult to master, I would say it is near impossible in very high pressure situations. Prior to the advent of auto mated manual shifting in F1 many races were won when someone missed a shift in a race. Those mistakes in racing doing things that are second nature is what decided many races. Those were greatest drivers in the sport and they still made mistakes. All of the drivers aids in racing today are part of what makes it boring.

I don't race for a living. When I drive on a track, I want to know that the reason I was able to achieve the time I did, was in large part due to my driving, not the cars automated systems' driving. Not everybody is like that. Some just want the best time. I like the tactile interaction that a manual gives. I am old enough to remember the difference in feel between a car with mechanical secondaries and vacuum secondaries. Now you get the dead feel of the pedal with drive by wire.

Everyone is different in what is important to them in the car driving experience.

SBC_and_a_stick

I have bad news for DCT lovers. DCT will bite the dust only a day after the 3 pedal H pattern stick. Automakers now believe full electrification is the future with hybrid only a stopgap measure. It is already hard enough to have gear choice with DCT in a hybrid, and I suspect many hybrids will ditch it as well.

Believe it or not, DCT is in the same can as the stick - to be read as, it's going to be canned.

The other thing that's going to bite the dust with the "OLD SCHOOL" stick, is going to be tuning. Tuning is going to be "100+ year old silly stuff" with fully electric cars.

ByByBMW

Darn you Debby downer.

sjhanc

Got news for you, tuning will not 'go away' with electrics, there's always a better battery, more voltage, higher amperage, a different wind motor, changing the curve on the electronic speed control (ESC), tuning the drive-train for better traction, gear selection for the type of competition, buying lighter components, more efficient accessories to be able to use more of the available power for speed and duration, this is stuff I am already doing with my electric 'toys'.

ender2664

I highly doubt GM would kill the manual altogether. They are one of the few compaines that still makes some models only in manual.
Porsche tried to kill off the manual GT3 but there was a massive uproar and the manual is here to stay. I'd expect the exact same thing to happen if GM tries to kill off a manual vette.

people can say/prove an automatic is faster as much as they want but the fact is manual people just don't care and I for one will never drive an automatic sports car regardless of how much faster it is.

Racer X

I would guess you never did slot cars as a kid, or RC Cars today. Tuning with electric cars is very possible with electric cars. People used to rewind the motors in slot cars to make them faster. In RC cars today, electric is the hot setup. There are many choices of replacement electric motors. Also controllers can be replaced to allow more voltage and amperage. Also the controller may control how quickly voltage/current is ramped up to control the violence of acceleration. That could also be "tuned".

All that said, I am not suggesting the Corvette will go all electric anytime soon.