yellowray

Over a third of us ordered/will have an A6, I would think there would be more interest and info as to how this trany functions in different modes, but little info out there.

Two resent reviews refereed to the A6 with ambiguous comments such as a "romantic comedy" and "scrapbooking" whatever the heck that means.
Another said the trany was too eager (early) shifting. The funny thing is I believe they were all driving the same base non-Z51 car in Monterrey CA. Was there something wrong with that car, was it in the wrong mode(eco), or that's just the way it is?

How does the different Driver Mode's effect shifting in Auto or Manual?
When does it open the performance exhaust (NPP option)?
What is speculation, what do we know?

musclecar6

I have a 12 Cadillac CTS-V sedan with the A6 tranny which is very similar to the A6 I had in my 06 C6. The improvement from 2006 to 2012 is huge & it is a very nice tranny with very quick upshifts and rev matched down shifts. The C7 A6 is supposed to be even better with if I remember correctly, 35% faster shifts than the 2013 C6 A6.

yellowray

That's what I'm talkin about! Encouraging info and that I've not seen.

Thanks

gthal

The issue is more that there is WAY newer and WAY better technology out there today and that causes people to compare the A6 to what it "could" have been. The A6 may be very much an improved transmission over previous cars with it but it will not be anywhere near as good as a DCT or the A8. So, what you will see are reviewers comparing it (whether consciously or subconsciously) to what the C7s competitors have and it will generate negative comments.

Owners of the A6 will probably be OK with it as they don't have anything to compare it to. If someone has never owned a DCT or a new auto (A8 as an example), then it will probably be just fine. If you have experiences with better and more modern transmissions, it might be disappointing. My bet (and others here) is that GM will replace it with the A8 or a DCT at some time in the C7 run when it can. What that also then tells me is that if the A8 were ready today at a reasonable price, the A6 would not be in the car. What that also tells me is the A6 was a compromise. Maybe a good one but not the ideal transmission for such an upgraded car. Having owned a DCT and an MCT (both fantastic), I would personally have a very hard time going back to an auto that had less performance and feel.

yellowray

I like manuals, but my knees aren't thrilled about it in traffic, so......

harley2

I personally will be very happy with good driving A6!

Don't plan on tracking, just enjoying the car!

Don't know what benefit 2 more gears would give me, for a daily driver!

dcbingaman

This is a poor assumption based on incomplete data at best. We KNOW that the original 6L80 A6 which everyone knows and loves could only handle about 410 ft-lb of torque when introduced in 2005. We KNOW that the entire transmission has been completely re-done at least TWICE to handle higher torque since then and can now handle over 500ft-lb of torque. We KNOW that GM has bought and taken apart the "God-like" ZF 8-speed and examined its guts. We THINK, (based on a blogger input) that they have run two of them behind an LT1 into a water dyno and they both BLEW UP.

To think that GM has not reverse-engineered the ZF 8-speed and updated the 6L80 A6 to take advantage of the ZF's magic, after spending several hundred million dollars on the C7 and KNOWING that the A6 will outsell the M7 by 2:1 over the C7's production run, is just head in the sand thinking. The LT1 needs 8 speeds like you need an extra hole in your head. What it needs is a responsive 150 ms shifting A6 that can handle the torque.

We KNOW that Tadge has said, several times, that they have done just that to the 6L80. To think that he is prevaricating on this one point, when he has been crystal clear and vindicated on every other claim about his car, is just foolish and a little disingenous.

If you WANT to buy an M7 to track your car and keep the little women out of the driver's seat, thats OK. But admit that the A6 just COULD be the best transmission for most drivers, for Grand Touring, AND may even be a bit FASTER than the M7 from 0-60 and in the 1/4-mile. That was the history with the 4L60, 4L65 and the old M5 and M6 in days of yore.

JerriVette

It would be better if gm did in fact at this point give us some actual a6 data.....

I prefer manuals and the rev matching feature has me intrigued.....

Still ...the guy from fastlane probably would have accelerated faster in his latest video had he been driving the a6...

Amazing that he didn't get a video of that but then I'd imagine his ego would have been altered...

speedlink

That's because almost all the C7's given for testing are 7 speed Z51's. GM is giving the best configuration for car mag's testing.
That's not to say Auto's won't be good. They just want the mag's to see and feel a track type car first. The auto's will follow soon. We are all anxious to see the reports.

Mike O'Daniel

Not into trany's personally, but lets see a pic.

DRLC5

I currently have a 12 CTS V and have had 3 C6s all with autos, and like posted above GM has improved them over the years, and even with a trans tune they just don't compare to a PDK or that style of trans. I have owned PDKs they are simply amazing, crisp superfast up and down shifts in my opinion they are night and day over the GM trans, Hopefully the new Z06 or what ever they call it will come with a new style of trans? Hell the new GT3 from Porsche no longer comes with a standard shift. The quote from the engineers at Porsche is that the PDK trans is so much faster and superior than a standard trans. Also Quicker around the track,0-60 and every other test they put the car thru so a no brainer.

JerriVette

I drove the CTS v at the monte cello track invitation and was impressed.

I prefer manuals yet I await reports on gm s update to the torque converter 6 speed. Also I am hopeful a new PDK transmission would be offered for corvette yet I think that's been proven to look like a pipe dream...

Maybe fords upcoming mustang gt due in NY for April could have the dct transmission ?

Doesn't look hopeful a DCT will be coming to corvette soon but the performance might still be stronger in a corvette so this begs the question.....

Do you want the faster sports car or do you want the faster shifting transmission?

Hard to argue with that logic at the end of the day....

Corvette wins every time...

DRLC5

I want the faster C7. and by the times I see from the PDKs they are not only faster shifting but also the car runs faster times. so a Win Win all the way around. The video talks about the PDK trans. I know not C7 related but it is trans related and were talking about trans.

2K3Z06

If GM wanted a DCT they sure as hell could do it. Its a money thing, not a technology issue.

Whole lot cheaper using all the old transmissions, in the brand new, tech halo car..... yeah right.

NEVERL8

What do we know about the A6 trany?
It won't be around long

2K3Z06

Driven a few DCT and Ferrari F1 boxes, lightyears ahead. And about 1 - 2 seconds faster on a road course, than an antique manual.

IF the corvette team had a Porsche in sights for devlopment, they missed the most important part of modern Porsches.

jb_va2001

Do not google that subject at work.

Shaka

If my memory serves me well, Tadge said that the 4L60 outperformed the A6 but marketing suggests 6 or more ratios.
With 4 cyclic gear/clutch packs, the ratios can be made closer which means that the LT1 can basically stay at idle from 0 - 70 with the cam at full retard. I think economy is main reason for the A8. Faster acceleration comes with HP and not torque so the closer you can keep it at 7 grand the better.
It is likely that a number of manufactures will be looking at this new ZF8 speed for their hot rods.
The beauty of the Corvette design, is that it is not a transaxle, so the same gearbox can fit in a Viper.
When the GS arrived, it took many Z06 sales with it because there are some who would prefer and auto Z06.

Shaka

Describe in detail why DCT in a Vette is not a technology issue, why don't you?

musclecar6

Driven BMW DCT'S many times. Better fun tranny than the A6 no doubt.