uae_83

i was just wondering what are your impressions on the Auto trans?
i mean i wanted to go with the manual, but cancelled and thought lets try the Auto trans?

Cruiter

I ordered my Torch Red Z51 two days ago with the automatic. Had nagging feelings and finally found some photos from the Geneva intro showing the auto shifter in a coupe and it looked really cheap IMHO. Called my dealer yesterday and changed back to 7spd manual and woke up this morning feeling good about the decision. That being said, of his current w/deposit 32 orders, he said about 40% are auto w/paddles which I think speaks a lot to the age bracket of those buying the 1st ones.

JoesC5

Which age bracket would that be?

Cruiter

Last week 'in the reading room', I was looking at a photo in the back pages of Autoweek. There was a photo with a large arrow pointing to the drivers window of a C7. In the arrow was the quote "behind that glass sets a balding late middle age male". Is that close enough ??? It's what took me over the edge to place an order.

LPE385

Just hope GM doesn't do the same as they did with the 2005 C6. They rolled over the 4 speed Auto from 2004. Then in 2006 came out with the 6 speed Auto, revamped it in 2008. I would imagine in 2015 model year car you will see a different Auto. History usually repeats itself.

Outside of the above do you want to shift gears or not?

ZZR1200

Changed to a 6 speed in my C6 and regretted it. The constant shifting and clutching in traffic was not enjoyable at all. I guess if you live in the middle of nowhere you don't have to deal with it, but in the LA/OC region it is a killer even on weekends.

uae_83

Hell yah i do , so i guess i'll go for the manual trans...unless i change my mind, traffic is being a b**** day by day over here

papillion

F1 cars, the most technically advanced race cars in the world, are universally paddle shifters. Not most all. Must be a compelling reason for Ferrari, Red Bull, McClaren, Mercedes, et al to make this choice.

We will go with with Sebastian Vettel, Ferdinand Alonso, Kimi Raikonnen, et al. We want the driving to be less work more play. And yes we fit squarely in the old folks category.

For those that are so disparaging of this category you will either be there one day or wish you had been. Though perhaps not your ex wife who always hated the manual you bought. And eventually you.

Lighten up eh?

DAFFYDRUNK

Nothing wrong with wanting an auto, but the transmission in the auto Corvette cannot be compared to an F1 car. Cannot be even compared to a Dual clutch style trans. Sure it might have some paddle shifters, but it's still a slush box.

Anyway... My experience with the 6 sped auto is from driving family member's G8s, but it's decent. I prefer it in "sport mode". The manual shifting, at least in the G8s is a little slow to react. You will use this about as much as you use the DVD player in your computer to watch movies. I've driven stick all my life so not my thing but the 6 speed auto will get the job done. Toss a higher stall in it and I even find it entertaining.

Sin City

If you ever drive an F1 style robotized box or a DCT, you'll never go back to a slush box, no matter how improved.

Manual for me on the Vette. I'll deal with the traffic issues.

JoesC5

Sounds like that guy(balding late middle age) is younger than I am. I drive a manual transmission in two of my Corvettes(1956 & C6 Z06) and an auto transmission in a third Corvette(1964) and in my daily driver Mercedes.

I was concerned that I would be in the wrong age group. Looks as if the "youngsters" need the auto. What a relief!!!!!!!!! Hopefully, the A6 in the C7 will better than the two speed powerglide in my 64.

RBLUVETT

You can put paddles on any automatic, it doesn't make it a good transmission. The "auto" gear boxes in Porsches , BMW M cars, F1 cars etc are a far cry from the antiquated automatics in our beloved Corvettes (and I have one). If you have never driven a PDK (Porsche) or a DCT in a BMW you would be amazed at how good an automatic can be. They shift on 80 milliseconds; thats at least 10x faster then ours. ZF and Getrag both make DCT's that will handle the torque of the Vette, they just won't fit (according to Chevrolet) in the Corvette platform. Or maybe they won't fit in the budget either. So we will have to wait, apparently, for the new joint venture (Ford/GM) transmission. God help us--another product that has to be all things to all people, all brands and all types of vehicles. You may be able to get paddle shifters in you new F150.

rsmarti1

I'm on the fence here too, the auto versus manual.

The main problem with the manual (for me) is the CAGS which "may" be included in some form on the C7. Yeh, there have been work arounds on earlier generations, but my major concern are any warrantee issues should the dealership/GM challenge me on a blown transmission or something.

I loved an automatic trans on my former Ram Air IV GTO. It caught rubber on shifts during hard acceleration. If the paddles on the C7 do likewise, I'd go with the auto.

Bill17601

In my opinion automatic and standard shift are not so much an age thing as a location thing. If you drive California freeways , 95 around Balt & Washington, the roads around Miami or other examples you probably want the automatic. The standard my get expensive using clutch discs.

JudgeNjury

Manual transmissions are more fun to drive. Automatics are easier and usually quicker off the line and at the drag strip.

NICK YOSKIN

This part hasn't been discussed yet but I am curious how the 6l80e will react with the new E92 ecu operating it? I now that its still a slush box but improved electronics may make a substantial improvement over c6 version. Just a thought.

JudgeNjury

Interesting new development for gm transmissions!

http://drivelinenews.com/transmissio...paign=June2013

JudgeNjury

....GM has something up its sleeve..




GM Explores Torque Converter DCT
June 20, 2013


Initial version of GM study incorporates a torque converter in the pressure chamber ahead of the dual clutches; benefits include improved launch and NVH
Though dual clutch transmissions have been very successful in sports- and performance-oriented passenger cars, the feedback from buyers of luxury cars and family vehicles has not always been so positive. Criticisms have centered on drivability and launch performance, particularly in North America, where drivers are accustomed to the extreme smoothness of planetary automatics and CVTs.

Intent on combining the DCT’s fuel efficiency with a conventional automatic’s ultra-smooth driving characteristics, GM engineers presented a paper at this year’s SAE Congress proposing a seven-speed DCT working behind a hydraulic torque converter in place of the conventional flywheel. As well as improving launch quality, the DCTC arrangement would also counter the other perceived drawbacks of DCT − its lack of sustained creep ability on grades, and its launch shudder and limited thermal capacity. The GM researchers also cited as a benefit the proposed transmission’s lower demands on its lubricant when compared to a conventional wet clutch DCT (wDCT): “Additionally, for wDCTs, high quality lubricating oil is required to achieve adequate friction and cooling characteristics which requires interval changes, leading to increased initial and routine maintenance costs.“

Operating Strategy
In terms of operating strategy, the torque converter (TC) is only used when launching from rest in first gear. After that, the lock-up clutch (TCC) remains engaged, although there is flexibility to allow slip of around 75 rpm to mitigate gear rattle and facilitate the use of low engine speeds for improved fuel efficiency.

The TC design investigated by the GM engineers is smaller than a conventional TC, but the housing containing the TC and the twin multiplate clutches is about 25 mm longer axially than on a standard DCT. In addition to the main benefit of eliminating the risk of launch shudder, as the shifting clutches do not slip, the authors cite other potential advantages of the arrangement. These include improved transient response and acceleration (thanks to the reduced inertia), the decoupling of the engine and transmission to allow engine idle without the aid of a clutch, and torque multiplication to improve engine starting under stop-start operation.

The latter will help ease some of the complex compromises surrounding dual mass flywheel design and NVH under restart, say the engineers, and DCTC users will perceive quicker vehicle acceleration response following an auto restart from rest.

On the all-important question of fuel economy, GM accepts that there will be extra energy losses in any torque converter. However, the paper shows that with the extra flexibility provided by the TC, the final drive ratio can be adjusted to derive maximum benefit from the TC’s ability to deal with NVH issues and to allow lower engine speeds through controlled slip. This is a useful advantage for the latest-generation downsized and downspeeded engines.

“Steady state operation at lowered transmission input speeds and high loads is made possible by controlled slip to attenuate rattle or provide NVH isolation which is not possible with dry clutches without loss of torque transfer or thermal concerns,” says the paper. “Drive quality is enhanced further in the engine downspeeded region by means of the torque converter facilitating improved torque transfer compared to dry or wet clutches alone. When a downshift is necessary while operating at low speed (around 1000 rpm transmission input), the TCC can be fully released, causing engine speed to flare, lower SR (speed ratio) to create torque multiplication, all the while engine torque capability is increasing. This leads to improved vehicle acceleration when requested, but also enables operating in a region that improves fuel economy.”

Conclusions
Overall, says GM, the most extreme of the final drive ratio options investigated allows the DCTC to actually improve (by 0.25 percent) on the fuel economy of a dry clutch DCT, with further potential improvements utilizing still-taller final drive ratios. Compared to a six-speed planetary automatic, the economy benefit is between 1 and 2 percent but, as the engineers explain in their summary, more is possible:

“The improved drive quality possible with the DCTC’s torque converter can enable aggressive shift and TCC pattern constraints that were shown to provide a 0.25 percent increase in fuel economy. A further increase in efficiency for a DCT utilizing a torque converter would be to relocate the shifting clutches of the DCTC concept to inside the transmission structure. The DCTC concept or use of a torque converter with shifting clutches internal to the transmission structure has the potential to be an enabler for DCT technology to achieve improved fuel economy and drive quality.”


Relative fuel economy for 7-speed DCT with DCTC vs. 6-speed planetary automatic on combined FTP city-highway schedule; various final drive ratios



Now this is getting interesting .......


Here's the link

http://drivelinenews.com/transmissio...paign=June2013

Rubble2240

The auto trans in my ZL-1 is great, no issues. Nice and smooth around town and when you get on it there is instant giddy up. I believe the trans to be similar as what will be in the C7

Big Hammer

My wife wants to drive it. The last time she drove a stick was in my very much modified 71. I told her to give it a LITTLE gas and ease out the clutch. She punched it to the floor - then sidestepped the clutch petal.
I am getting the auto because I hate the smell of burning clutch plates and tires (not to mention the franklins associated with that).