'19 ZO6 A8 Changes ?
 

Very interested to hear replies to this, getting ready to buy a new or nearly new C7 and all the A8 posts are worrying me.

Love my A8. If you do buy it, get the range device right from the start.

Range device
 

I had a 19 a8 and just traded it for a m7 car. I have had 3 c7 z's all we're manual till my 19 and i decided to buy a a8 for taking to the strip. The a8 really shines there for sure but for me normal driving was very boring and the shifts when you are driving normal we're less than ideal to me. I thought they were sloppy and slow. I then had the trans tune done to the car and it was amazing at wot but still I was not happy with normal driving. Please keep in mind when you tune it your tuner has alot to do with driveability. I think my biggest problem was I was looking for it to shift like my pdk in my turbo which I know is not possible so alot of mine was mental for sure. I would really suggest you go drive both for a little while, not just a couple miles, and try and get a feel for what you like. I ended up going back to the manual because almost all my driving is street driving and track time ended up being minimal. Hope my opinion helps.

The device they are speaking of takes away the cylinder deactivation which is one of the most annoying features of the a8 and can cause converter issues in some cases.

Maybe I'm confused with the discussion here, so how many modes does the Z06 A8 transmission have and which modes allow for cylinder deactivation? I thought it was four modes (Eco, Tour, Sport and Track) and only the Eco mode allowed for cylinder deactivation when the engine load conditions were low. Please explain....thanks!!

In the stock tune the touring and sport models change the shift feel/speed especially at WOT upshifts.

it's a slushbox auto. No way to fix it. Maybe put a set of 4.10s out back lol. That's about the only way to do it. The rear gear has a lot to do with it.

thanks CAFE.

I think I have my answer, based on the owner's manual, regarding the various driving modes and when the cylinder deactivation feature chimes in with the A8 transmission. In my opinion, the owner's manual could have been written a little bit clearer, but here is what I think it says on page 200....
With an A8 transmission, the cylinder deactivation feature can occur in any of the driving modes when the transmission is functioning as an "Automatic" transmission. When you operate the transmission in "Manual" mode with the paddle shifts, the cylinder deactivation mode is shut off except if you have the driving mode in ECO.

So, even though my car has a whopping 2 miles on the odometer, that cylinder deactivation feature will drive me nuts, so like Rsharpatx above, I just ordered one of these range devices.

A8 already shifts lightning quick when it matters, faster than most DCTs. It sucks as an on-demand paddle shifted trans but why would you paddle-shift an 8 speed with 650 lb-ft of torque?

This is an old, well beaten argument, but the A8 upshifts near instant at WOT under load when it matters.

It certainly shifts a lot faster than any mullet manual, that's for sure. Manuals might tickle your fancy, but they serve no meaningful purpose these days. You might like them and want one and that's super, but they're not used in racing and aren't superior in any metric. And while the A8 in the Stingray is a bit weak, in the Z forums I see more complaints about the manual being notchy than I do about the A8. And everyone needs an MGW shifter right away...

BTW, I say that as someone who owns a DCT, SCT, TKO-600, M-20 and M-21 (no M-22 though). Each has its place and era. I just don't think a manual belongs in a modern car, but if you only have one fun car and want a manual, screw what I say and get what you want, that's all that matters.

People that think it bears any relation to "slushbox" or a Powerglide are merely telegraphing the fact they've never driven one, or the last one was an A6 maybe. They sucked.

I'd like to drive the Merc 9 speed for some comparison, but never have...

[Edit: The A8 had it's issues in the base case, but this is the Z subforum.]

Any reco's on brand(s) of range device?

Actually, the overall ratio in first gear is much lower on the A8 than it is on the manual. 10.98/1 (auto) versus 7.83/1 (manual).

You can learn the lag. Shift execution on a manual isn't instantaneous either, and requires some learning.

The Range Device is sold on eBay, for what that's worth. I just ordered one and the cost was $143 and change, including tax and shipping. I'm sure I won't run the car with the paddles that often, I never did with my GT-R, but that was a twin clutch transmission. Regarding the Mercedes Benz 9 speed, I bought a new, 2019 C coupe with the 9 speed automatic. It shifts great in traffic and is pretty quick on full acceleration. My previous toy was a Jaguar F type R (supercharged 5 L engine, 550HP, AWD) with an 8 speed automatic (not a twin clutch unit). That shifted great, about like the M/B and if the Corvette's A8 is as nice, I'll be thrilled.

MMD says......."Hate to burst your bubble but the Range device they sell online at Amazon are the old version of the Range and were problematic. You will need to return it or send the unit to Range Technology to get the upgraded firmware installed. The old version was known to have a higher parasitic draw on the battery when the car is not running."

You may or may not have burst my bubble. I bought mine on eBay and it was titled...."Range Technology RA003 Active Fuel Management Disable Device for GM Vehicles" and it is eBay item # 123381302381. It sure looks like the newest and greatest that Range Technology manufactures, maybe you can confirm that for me. Amazon's product appears to be the "Blue" one which is the same unit that the manufacturer's web site shows. Is your information from a reliable source?