Some one please educate me....where would anyone use 7 or 8 gears on the street (has anything been said about the rear end ratio)? I know GM does it to get better mileage in front of the regulators, but is there really a use for a 7/8 speed trans on the street?
I rarely even use 6th gear unless I'm on the freeway. Can't imagine needing 8 but hopefully they have an optimum first gear so a lower differential won't gain much if any acceleration for drag racing even with sticky tires. And too hopefully with 8 closer gears. The less rpm drop at shift equates to better ets.
I would choose the manual (and voted for manual) - but if we got one I think hubby would want the automatic (he has some health issues that may prevent him from 3 pedal driving - or at least make it much more difficult for him).
If an auto would allow him to enjoy it more I would concede (I'd still have the Cayman R for shifting). I love the manual in our C6 Z06.
I say GM gets big props for offering both and allowing their customers to decide for themselves (unlike Porsche who made the decision for all which I disagree with).
Will not decide until I see how each perform in testing. This auto is a big mystery, as it is not a DCT and I think a wait-and-see attitude is in order. And my wife is scared to death of cars like this, so she will never drive it anyway but for an emergency....
P.S. If you have never actually driven a PDK Porsche but think it somehow degrades the driving experience, I would encourage you to do so. I think their automated manual is just a blast to drive. I hope this new 8 speed auto is just as much fun....
Showed my wife 30+ years ago how to drive a manual trans and she hasn't driven an automatic since. Did the same for my now 20 year old son a few years back.
I'm sure in many ways the 8 speed will be better than the manual but I prefer a manual. The best way to improve the manual's would be to find a better gear set for 5th and 6th gears. Something more like .85 and .70 in the last 2 gears would make them more usable than. .70, and .50 which is pretty much useless.
I have read that the 6-speed auto is faster than the 7 speed stick to 60 (non Z06).
I am pleased that we will get a choice with the C7 Z06. I'm leaning towards the automatic as this will make the car more wife friendly (which increases the chance she will support the purchase). Leg room on the passenger side will also be a factor. Our C6 Z06 does not have the leg room of our C5. I married a leggy woman!
Made the purchase and selected the auto. The combination of the supercharger and the auto is awesome. I can't imagine not having both hands on the wheel when this rocket launches. BTW - First gear is 4:56 and Second is 2:97. No need for steep rear gears.
Rowing gears in town sucks. Out on the "open" road, a stick is dandy. Since the LSanything and the new LTanything have so much torque everywhere, it makes zero sense to have 6, 8,10 or 12 gears. A 4 speed would be quicker as less time is wasted shifting.
Lastly, I've heard the new "automatic" shift speed. It's a lot faster than a human can do it. A lot faster...
Sorry guys bit it ain't about the speed of the shift to me. Rowing gears in a hi performance car has a special feeling all of its own and the fact that an auto can shift faster doesn't mean a thing to me.
sorry guys bit it ain't about the speed of the shift to me. Rowing gears in a hi performance car has a special feeling all of its own and the fact that an auto can shift faster doesn't mean a thing to me.
Manual sure does have a fun factor that the auto does not. As long as you aren't in a lot of heavy traffic often or if you drag race, the manual is a great choice. Traffic and drag racing you just can't beat an automatic. I've owned both and love both. Right now I have a 2012 Z06. At the drag strip I did not et nearly as well as my 08 auto with much less power, about the same weight.
Well, it's been great the past 13 years with my `01 Torch Red ZO6 shifting to my delight...what a joy!
Pumping my left leg and shoving my right arm has had great benefits. I swear my left leg is twice the size of my right, and my right arm well you guessed it is twice the size of my left.
But what fun!
I like to think that as I have gotten older, I am a little smarter from all my life's experiences, and my ZO6 has certainly helped in that way.
When my new `15 Black ZO6 shows up it will come equipped with the new dual mode 8-speed automatic. No more pumping my left leg or shoving my right arm as this transmission will not only shift for me, I can shift it myself in manual mode. By pumping my thumbs on the paddle shifters located on the steering wheel I can make my baby climb up and down that rev meter as I desire.
Only problem I can think of now, is that in a few years my left and right thumbs are going to be about the size of my big toes from all the thumb pumping.
Oh my.....I guess that's the sacrifice of having all that fun pumping my thumbs.
Yes, about 8 years back I noted that when the auto came out, I would be interested!
Well, it has been a long wait but I am back and ready....to each his own.
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