I found this on another site and thought iit interesting enough to share.
Bill
1996 Grand Sport #670
Z06 Info
I played golf today with a good friends son-in-law who works for a Foreign Manufacturer's Racing Team. He had the opportunity about a month ago to drive a Z06 mule. He indicated to me that the GM Guys told him the car was pretty much done as far as the engine and drive train, The Body had everything but the vents on the side.
The interesting part was it was a 7.0 Litter engine ( 427 ) with 500 hosepower but had a six speed automatic transmission. They were bringing the car back from desert testing and my friend got to drive the car in LA. He says the car is very tight and in his words awesome.
He is in town for the holidays, I hope to talk to him again and see if I can find out any more. I asked him if they were planning a paddle shifter, he did not know. The car He was driving had the six speed auto.
Our Corvette Club president's daughter works for GM. There is a 6 speed auto in the works but my understanding it is for the standard coupe and vert to be available on the 06' models. I think that you will see the manual as the only tranny for the first year or so in the new Z then probably the paddle shift will become available a couple of years.
Maybe they were just testing how much abuse the new 6 speed auto for the coupe an vert can take. Ya know like killin two birds with one stone and possibly lookin to the future with paddle shifting as well.
Maybe in 2007. MN12 tranny/ clutch is going beefed up considerably to handle the power of the LS7 motor. Automatic Transmissions are considerable easier on drive-trains than standard transmissions.
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