Question: C6, Manual vs. Automatic

Hi LR,

I strongly recommend the 6 speed. Once you get used to a standard, you'll never go back (although I'd recommend the auto if you have physical disabilities that would make it hard to drive a standard).

The 6 speed will give you:

o Much more control over the car! o Much more *fun* when driving, and to me that's a big deal. o Better fuel economy o Better performance o It will increase driver skill over a slushbox

Autos should be reserved for Toyota Corollas, not Corvettes, I think.

After having driven 6 speeds for years now, I wouldn't want an automatic Corvette no matter what the price. It just isn't a proper sports car that way. It's no coincidence that the high performance Z06 model is *only* available with a 6 speed.

Hope that helps you.

xanthor

What are your manual 6 speed transmissions in?

I wouldn't be to smug about the Z06 being a manual, my money is on the 6 speed automatic already being in a Z06 mule.

Sorta like the GM V10 they have built.

C5Z Vette & Audi S4 (got that one used, vette was bought new). The audi shifter is like butter. The Vette's is not as smooth, but it is a much higher performance car, and I still can't imagine wanting an automatic in it.

Maybe in a mule, yeah, but I highly doubt they'll ever sell a "normal automatic" (non-paddle shift) Z06. Dave Hill has said repeatedly there would not be an automatic Z06, and I believe him. Of course with a new guy stepping in that could conceivably change, but I won't want to bet on it.

Paddle shifters are maybe some midway point. The high end (Ferrari

430's and such) couple paddle shifters to real dual clutch trannies. The K-mart cheeseball route is to stick paddle shifters on an automatic tranny.

Both made by/designed by the Germans but it's smoother in the Audi, odd?

I highly doubt they have a "normal automatic" available now, just one of those "cheeseball" paddle shift automatics. They will be in the Z06 not just the Z51.

Dave Hill may have headed up some of it but doubt very much he made the decisions on all of the options. His one claim to fame as I see it is he was able to breath enough life into the product to keep it from going the way of the Camaro.

One of Dave Hill's decisions?

Much smoother, yeah. I'm not sure how odd it is - it's a much different engineering situation in the vette.

Or maybe the beancounters!

Now you're catching on.