A Drive in the North Georgia Mountains
10-13-2013, 01:00 AM
#1
A Drive in the North Georgia Mountains
My best friend and I took a drive this morning. I have included some of the video that was taken, but it is only a short clip and I have much more. I'll put it up as get it edited.
There are a great many things I can document about the Stingray on this first drive through the mountain roads. I will do a more detailed write up as I get time, but for now here's a summary:
1. The Stingray is an awesome car, make no mistake about it. It is blisteringly quick. If you think you need more power, I'd like to hear the reasoning behind that.
2. The A6 transmission and software are beyond anything previously seen in any GM car. It is simply fantastic. It mimics the behavior of a DCT in many ways including shift speed, and in quite a few areas it actually *exceeds* the performance of a DCT. It's behavior adapts beautifully to driving conditions and driver behavior. It's scary-good. The Sport mode is spectacular, almost psychic in its ability to anticipate and execute gear selections with perfect rev-matched downshifts every time. Track mode is absolutely insane. I saw and felt this thing doing exactly what I would do if I were driving a manual, only it was even more dynamic and forceful than I would have been. It is quite simply the most aggressive programming I've ever seen in a street car transmission. If you have not studied "Performance Shift Mode", then you should look it up. There has been a lot of talk about this gearbox, mostly negative, and all of it from people who don't have a clue what they're talking about.
3. This is a $100K car. I say that because I've driven cars that cost that much and more, and they weren't as good as this. The performance I saw in the mountains this morning could not be matched by any car less than $100K+. This car makes it relatively easy to do amazing things. My friend with his $82K Boxster S, one of the best handling cars in the world and can easily match the performance of a 2013 GS, was not able to stay with me, neither in the curves, nor on the straights. I was able to enter turns braking later, hit apexes more precisely, go off-brake and on-throttle sooner, and accelerate harder and faster coming out. This car is amazing.
4. I clocked 32 mpg @75 mph on the way home. Enough said.
More to come. Watch this space.
Mountain Crossings, at Neels Gap on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia
There are a great many things I can document about the Stingray on this first drive through the mountain roads. I will do a more detailed write up as I get time, but for now here's a summary:
1. The Stingray is an awesome car, make no mistake about it. It is blisteringly quick. If you think you need more power, I'd like to hear the reasoning behind that.
2. The A6 transmission and software are beyond anything previously seen in any GM car. It is simply fantastic. It mimics the behavior of a DCT in many ways including shift speed, and in quite a few areas it actually *exceeds* the performance of a DCT. It's behavior adapts beautifully to driving conditions and driver behavior. It's scary-good. The Sport mode is spectacular, almost psychic in its ability to anticipate and execute gear selections with perfect rev-matched downshifts every time. Track mode is absolutely insane. I saw and felt this thing doing exactly what I would do if I were driving a manual, only it was even more dynamic and forceful than I would have been. It is quite simply the most aggressive programming I've ever seen in a street car transmission. If you have not studied "Performance Shift Mode", then you should look it up. There has been a lot of talk about this gearbox, mostly negative, and all of it from people who don't have a clue what they're talking about.
3. This is a $100K car. I say that because I've driven cars that cost that much and more, and they weren't as good as this. The performance I saw in the mountains this morning could not be matched by any car less than $100K+. This car makes it relatively easy to do amazing things. My friend with his $82K Boxster S, one of the best handling cars in the world and can easily match the performance of a 2013 GS, was not able to stay with me, neither in the curves, nor on the straights. I was able to enter turns braking later, hit apexes more precisely, go off-brake and on-throttle sooner, and accelerate harder and faster coming out. This car is amazing.
4. I clocked 32 mpg @75 mph on the way home. Enough said.
More to come. Watch this space.
Mountain Crossings, at Neels Gap on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia
Last edited by mike0804; 10-15-2013 at 11:52 PM.
10-13-2013, 06:28 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
Great post on the A6. Tadge and others in the know said there were big improvements in the C7 A6 and yes there are more than a few who don't know WTF they are talking about as always.
10-13-2013, 11:16 AM
#9
Great little clip, I imagine some extralegal speeds were reached 
It seems you understand performance, would you say the A6 can out perform the 7speed? I know the PDK Porsche can out perform the manuals in most conditions, just wondering about the C7.
It seems you understand performance, would you say the A6 can out perform the 7speed? I know the PDK Porsche can out perform the manuals in most conditions, just wondering about the C7.
10-13-2013, 11:49 AM
#10
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10-13-2013, 11:55 AM
#11
10-13-2013, 12:00 PM
#12
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He said "match the performance" and went on to identify that as performance in the curves and on the straights. Did you read his post??
10-13-2013, 12:00 PM
#13
Pro
Great demonstration of the car. Thanks for the video. Where was the Heads up Display? Wish you had turned it on. I wanted to see how it would look in this situation (and see what speed you were going).
10-13-2013, 12:13 PM
#19
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10-13-2013, 12:14 PM
#20
Burning Brakes
Great write up and a beautiful video. That is what this baby was born to do !! I have an A6 also, and took it on similar roads in central Missouri in Sport and Track modes and the transmission was just amazing !!
Don't you love the way the EEC and the transmission work together on downshifts as you come up to a curve - it sounds better than I could do it with a manual. A thing of beauty !!
Don't you love the way the EEC and the transmission work together on downshifts as you come up to a curve - it sounds better than I could do it with a manual. A thing of beauty !!