Originally Posted by LBear

GM would do whatever it felt like to sell cars. Remember in the mid 1980's when GM sold a 140HP car and called it the Olds 442? I can site about 20 other examples.

GM could give a rats a** about you and your manual fetish. GM will do whatever it takes to sell a car. If GM knew that it could sell thousands of units of Z06's if it added an auto trans option, GM would do it. If GM knew it would sell thousands of units if it painted the C6 with polka dot's, it would.

GM doesn't hold to some archaic notion or some type of manual trans sports car creed. It does whatever it takes to sell cars. You are being naive.

Originally Posted by Never Say Never

Obviously they are different animals. However, they are both animals and very fast. They also should have the same and most important mission of all to sell. See a car cannot survive if it does not sell and nobody wants one. A car that nobody wants is a complete failure. The Cadillac team in part by offering a automatic in the V cars helped ensure the car would succeed in its most important mission sales.

Again, it is obvious people would buy a Z if it had a automatic. Therefore Chevy would undoubtedly sell more. A ZO6 auto would tear up the 1/4 mile and make consumers very happy. Selling more Z's would certainly help the cars most important mission. Yet, sadly we are witnessing the Z die a embarrassing death with very few consumers wanting it and therefore failing it's big & most important mission of all.

Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim

The A6 certainly would reduce acceleration a little, which could be a deal killer for serious competition. But if you install a simple cooler, it should survive pretty well. I know that even the clunky A4 in our 2001 with a $50 cooler did a lot of track weekends and autocross, never any problems. I sent a sample of the tranny fluid to Blackstone each year, they said that wear appeared to be normal.

Originally Posted by Never Say Never

The only reason we all own Vette's is due to the automatic. When offered as a option close to 70% of Corvettes come with the automatic. You can bet your Vette without a automatic the Corvette would die.

Sadly, you feel the automatic is not only wrong for you it is wrong for others. Some people like to race in circles, some people like to race the 1/4, some people do not race, some people live in heavily populated areas and, some people like yourself are a reason the Z06 has failed its most important mission.

This antiquated way of thinking is part of the reason GM is in trouble. Fortunately, for GM the guys at Cadillac are on the ball. If the entire corporation was run with this old tired thinking (boy racer) the corporation would be doomed. Don't let advancement leave you behind.

Originally Posted by Spectre-13

There certainly is a market for an auto Z06 but to do right, the trans would need to be upgraded to a "true" DSG paddle shifting auto. Simply dropping in the current A6 wouldn't really match the caliber and spirit of the Z06 as a road track car. A drag strip car is a different story.

I owned a modified C6 Auto (A6) and the only thing I didn't like about it was the A6 in sport mode.

Originally Posted by redzone

The first gen V was only available with a manual,and it sold pretty well. I drove a new gen V a while back with the auto though & it impressed me.

Originally Posted by AirBusPilot

The Z06 is hardly a failure in sales. ALL corvette sales have tapered off significantly since the economy died.

To state that it's dying an embarrassing death due to not offering an automatic is ridiculus.

Originally Posted by Never Say Never

Yes, all Corvette sales are down. However, the Z06 sales are a embarrassment to a great car. It has failed it's #1 mission miserably.

I love the ZO6. It is truly a great car in many ways. However, backward and short sided thinking of the Corvette team have not only embarrassed the model it has possibly doomed it as a complete failure when it comes to the sales mission.

Originally Posted by LBear

The point was that auto's can be made to handle high-HP. Also, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Ferrari makes a Tiptronic that is .5 seconds faster than the manual in the same car. It can outshift and outperform the manual hands down on both the street, track, road coarse, drag strip or wherever.

Originally Posted by AirBusPilot

Actually, GM made that decision already.

When GM finally introduces an electronic manual (like Ferrari, Lambo, BMW, Nissan, etc) THEN that transmission will fit the bill. But the slushbox will never be offered in the Z06, now or in the future. It's just old tech and way too inefficient for the narrow mission the Z06 was designed for.

Originally Posted by Xedes

You with this "ZO6 mission" stuff. I'll bet 90% of the Z's sold have not, nor will ever see a track. Just like most SUV's never see any type of off-road adventures. Most people want the biggest or baddest thing put out simply for chest thumping and ego boosts.

Originally Posted by warren s

Not flubbing the launch, not missing any shifts or bouncing off the rev limiter would be great. If Z-06s started to be sold with automatics, there would be a lot of owners making low 11 second passes, not videos of crashes because someone turned off the traction control and attempted to speed shift.

Originally Posted by AirBusPilot

GM knows the A6 wouldn't last on a real track. Autocrossing is not the same thing. That's why you don't see a dry sump in the GS unless it's a manual. They know that no one would try and campaign an automatic on a road course, and therefore the dry sump is not needed. The car would be slower, and the transmission could not survive the heat.

Originally Posted by AirBusPilot

Actually, GM made that decision already.

When GM finally introduces an electronic manual (like Ferrari, Lambo, BMW, Nissan, etc) THEN that transmission will fit the bill. But the slushbox will never be offered in the Z06, now or in the future. It's just old tech and way too inefficient for the narrow mission the Z06 was designed for.