Not a single test on the Automatic transmission C7
 

Folks,

I am growing frustrated. I have in hand the motortrend car magazine from September, the Automobile magazine(September issue) and CAR AND DRIVER car magazine(September issue) as well and none of them tested the Auto transmission.

This is a deal breaker, I want to order my C7 vette this coming week but I will not order until I see a test of the Auto transmission.

Everyone swear up and down on the previous tremec TR6060(that is what I had on my 08 Z06) and it was garbage, "ever wonder why when I sold it the car had 4 other owners in less than 4 years?"

I look for any videos with the Auto transmission and I have seen a couple but not a real test yet. Like I said, this is a deal breaker, I am just waiting for a test.

Yeah it is certainly very frustrating. I read somewhere they expect to sell 80/20 autos to manuals. So why in the world would you not have the mags test an auto as well? They even pushed out the manual's EPA numbers first, and we still haven't heard the numbers for the auto. Very frustrating.

I could be wrong and as far as I know there is no actual proof but it seems to me the mags etc. choose to test standard transmission versions when there is a choice and complain about the lack thereof if there is no choice.

I would also be concerned about the long term validity of the test in that it appears there will be an eight speed automatic offered. If there is to be a published test of a Stingray with an automatic transmission it should be of the eight speed version.

Laborsmith

Hmmmm. What makes you say this about the 8 speed? I will cry if I end up with one of the only 6 speed auto C7's. I may need to act really fast though, so please hook me up with some more info about this. I really do not like the idea of getting a placeholder transmission. I was okay with the 6 speed thinking it had been well thought out and used for a reason. Now thinking it is simply the only thing around for now is making me a bit upset.

C7 is 6 speed only for now.

I somewhat agree with the for now statement, GM/Ford are working on a joint transmission project even though each will manufacture their own final product. The first 8 speeds which would be a standard configuration would go in trucks and cars with the traansmission directly behing the engine. So with that said I don't see the 8 speed integrated into the Corvette for a few more years and not in the 15 or they would not have charged for the auto in the 14, some what like happened in the first year C6 when they knew the next year their would be a change. Just my thoughts.

I suspect they don't want autos being reviewed because the magazines would (1) compare it to real DCTs in the competition and complain, and (2) be tough on the car because it isn't a manual. Reviewers are generally very pro manual and anti auto so the reviews will likely be more favourable in manual form.

I would bet that we won't see any auto reviews until another transmission (8 speed, DCT, etc) is available in the future.

Ford and GM are working on 9/10 speed transmissions.

GM is doing an in-house 8 speed that might work its way into Corvette in a few years, but for now, GM's official statement on the automatic is a 6-speed.

Thank you, Fenwick.

I see the eight or great auto trans coming into play for the 2016 model year during the period when the carbon footprint regs take effect. Which means anyone buying a C7 equipped w/auto trans this year will be driving a dated (but not obsolete) C7 three years from now.

Laborsmith

I'm kind of in the same boat on this but leaning towards the manual, luckily my wife knows how to drive a manual.

Way to rain on anyone with an autos parade gentlemen.

Still looking forward to my vette in a several weeks!

I did read somewhere a review of the auto trans C7 and it was a very positive review. In light of that, and because my C7 will be a DD, I'm considering the 6-spd auto trans. If this were just a weekend fun car, it would be the 7-sp manual. I'll see if I can find the link to that article- they were quite impressed with it.

I read a similar if not the same review, but given the number of reviews I have read, I have no idea which one it could have been.

Laborsmith

They test manual and auto here but they don't say much about the auto for some bizarre reason.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...t/viewall.html