7speed or auto?

[oyealiz]

Originally Posted by monicatomokc

I'm 65 and it was a must for me to go with the 7-speed Manual. I was coerced into getting an Automatic in my 2011 Camaro 2SS by my wife so she could drive it and not once did she get in the left seat!! Time was up and she gave in. I love it!! It's a bit different from the old days and the 4-Speed I had in the Chevelle (SS-396), as you would expect. I love the new, much shorter throw and the spring loaded centering.

7 spd manual was the only option for me as well, and yes it's tons different from my 68 manual for sure!

OP...if YOU want an auto that's your business. Does your friend who was laughing at you even have a vette?

[JFJr]

I've had 6 Corvettes, all but one of which were manuals and Z51's. When I had my '95 manual, I had the opportunity to drive the same car with an auto. They were totally different in sound and feel, and I didn't care for the auto version. I've been driving the manual "V" cars for the last 10 years. The next generation won't be out for another year so I'm considering a Stingray. In any event my next car will have a TR6070. I honestly feel that driving a manual all these years has made me a better driver because you have to pay more attention to what you're doing. Drag racing doesn't interest me; I just enjoy being more connected to my car.

Jud

[Richardlord]

I retired from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Criminal Alien Division where I had to drive in and out of DC everyday. If I was still working and driving in and out of DC from where I had a home in the suburbs since sold (20 miles each way stop & go) I probably would have gotten the auto trans. But, I am now in rural Southern Maryland where shifting is a pleasure and not a problem. That is why I got the 7 speed, and golly, I do so enjoy shifting it, having the feel of total control, and making it as noisy as I wish when I wish now that I have figured out how to keep the Performance Exhaust on in all 5 driving modes. I think the auto trans also is great, but I love shifting this car. The clutch is real easy to depress, and the shifting is smooth. I never think about it as it is never so onerous as to be noticeable. My wife loves shifting it and says she is a better shifter (not). I am not sure about the Rev Matching. I do just as well without it on, and I think better. It seems to me to rev when it should not or really isn't needed. It revs up and make lots of noise when I would not have done so on my own, but that is cool if you want people to take notice of your C7 and its power.

[chazysoccer11]

Manual tranny for the win!!! It's nothing like a truck. The shift are fast, the clutch is short and easy. I feel that the auto is cool, but isn't for me. The paddle shift in the auto isn't as fast as I'd like it to be, it kind of lags a little. Whatever you choose, you will love it. Good luck.

[BOBSZO6]

Easy question, easy answer.
Get the 2015 A8; Both paddle shift manual or auto.

The stick is so yesterday, 1900's transmission.
The super car of today uses a paddle....move up to the 21st century.

[Richardlord]

Originally Posted by BOBSZO6

Easy question, easy answer.
Get the 2015 A8; Both paddle shift manual or auto.

The stick is so yesterday, 1900's transmission.
The super car of today uses a paddle....move up to the 21st century.

Nothing against auto trans, but I prefer manual, and partly because I don't have to drive it in everyday stop and go traffic. What I mostly have to stop for are deer. The 7 speed is more exhilarating and atheistically pleasing to me to drive. I feel more apart of the car. It's sort of like my John Deere tractor where I can use the brake to change direction, I don't have to, but I want to because it adds a little juice and zest to the tractor experience. Same with the clutch and 7 speed, it adds a little more excitement, for me. At first I was going to get auto, but said, "what the heck, go for it, go for the total package of the clutch/manual driving experience." Just sayin' and just me, and I am sure I would love the auto as well.

The only negative is with experience I don't trust the "hill holder." Yes, I can put on the brake as also recommended by GM, but I trust in myself more than anything else.

[m3incorp]

I think that "if" you were given a chance to test drive both, that you would come away liking both. That old saying about sports cars should only have manuals was started back in the day when automatics just weren't that great. I must say they have improved a lot and you might want to do a little research on the 2015's that will have the 8-speed auto. With that having been said, I own one car that is a manual, one that is auto and when the BMW M4 comes out, will definitely have it the DCT. Only you will be able to determine which is best for you. Those on the forum are probably spit pretty even as to which is preferred.

[BOBSZO6]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=YBUgVFbDLh4

Any more questions!


http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...911-gt3-gt3-rs

"We get it. Enthusiasts like three-pedal manuals. We like to shift our own gears. We enjoy the feeling of nailing heel-and-toe downshifts a dozen times a lap, lap after lap. It's part of the experience.

Wrong.

It was part of the experience, once upon a time. Just like having a mechanic ride along on track was part of the Indy experience, once upon a time.

Just like skipping the seat belts because it was safer to be thrown free of the car in a crash, once upon a time.

Just like unassisted brakes were the epitome of feel and function.

Once upon a time.

The future isn't with the three-pedal manual. Hell, the present isn't even with the three pedal, if you're serious about racing your car.

What would a professional race team do with a traditional three-pedal transmission in a production-based Porsche 911 GT3? They'd chuck it and install a mechanically or pneumatically-operated dog-type sequential gearbox, most likely.

In fact, that's exactly how Porsche equips its own 911 GT3 Cup car: a sequential manual six-speed dog-type G97/63 gearbox.

Why? Because it's faster and more durable than a synchromesh three-pedal. And yes, it technically has three pedals, but the clutch pedal isn't used nearly as often owing to the gearbox's design--though you still do get the joy of the heel-toe downshift.
The PDK dual-clutch transmission is the closest thing we can get in a production street car. It uses electronics to automate much of the process for both street-friendliness and durability, but in many ways, it's a better approximation of current racing technology than an H-pattern. Especially once you start comparing to the almost fully automated gearboxes in open-wheel race cars.

Better yet, the PDK in the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 isn't your run-of-the-mill street stuff. It's tuned for quicker, more aggressive shifts, modeled after the characteristics of a racing sequential gearbox. The one in the upcoming GT3 RS is likely to be even more high-strung."

[Richardlord]

I am sure I would love auto, and I am sure it shall get even better for someone like me that enjoys the sensation for shifting a high powered car. The best of all worlds for me would be to have a trans that could go from auto to truly manual. Its sort of like when slot machines when from one-arm-bandits to pushbuttons - I lost enthusiasm - And when in a resort, I never play anymore, as I have lost interest. But then (you have to be old enough to appreciate this) I almost lost interest when slots stopped accepting silver dollars.

[LFish]

I have manual trannies in my other cars (E46 M3, E39 540i, and 2004 GT3). The manual in my C7 is better than all of them in tactile feedback, short throw, and ease of clutch use. In my opinion it greatly adds to the enjoyment of driving the car, and the active rev matching works perfectly to obviate the need for heel and toe shifting, if desired. I echo the opinions expressed that relegate the automatic transmission to those living in congested cities, and conversely, those who absolutely are committed to the fastest lap times while racing or doing HPDE events.

[H2OStingray]

I love the 7speed I enjoy shifting and a clutch pedal but it is all about preference.

[mjw930]

M7 vs. A6 it's kind of a no brainer for an enthusiast, go with the M7

M7 vs. A8 is a bit tougher. We don't have any real world experience to go on but if it performs on par with the world class DCT's then it becomes a much harder decision.

The great thing is Chevy is giving us the choice. There's a whole sub-culture within the Porsche community that is hammering Porsche over their PDK only GT3.....

[Steve Dallas]

Originally Posted by mjw930

M7 vs. A6 it's kind of a no brainer for an enthusiast, go with the M7

M7 vs. A8 is a bit tougher. We don't have any real world experience to go on but if it performs on par with the world class DCT's then it becomes a much harder decision.

The great thing is Chevy is giving us the choice. There's a whole sub-culture within the Porsche community that is hammering Porsche over their PDK only GT3.....

I currently have an A8 on my Audi. It's not the dual clutch version, which I've read is very quick and solid as a shifter. I will say that when I am manually shifting my Audi, there's a noticeable lag you have to plan fore between the time you move the shifter and the time it actually shifts. It's not long, however it is noticeable.

For me, with a sports car it's more in the aesthetics of driving. When I shift with a manual, it's a connection to the car that is visceral and primal. I have yet to find an experience with any automatic that does the same thing.

[RidgebackKing]

"Paddle shifting" does not give you manual abilities or feel. To say "Getting an automatic w/ paddle shifters is like having both" is a complete joke. If you want to be one with the car, get a manual. If you want to wear a dress, get an automatic.