corvette coveting

+1
I've been in a C4, and drove it back in the late 80's and I thought it was a pile then. Drove it to the Bloomington Gold event in the mid 80's.

I actually love the C2's (63-37) and think I would buy a C7 or C8. Interestingly enough, I even like the look of the old coke bottle C3's now. I've only driven one C3, a 69 convertible, Big Block, 4 speed, my buddie owned. My 930 would smoke it, so I wasn't ever that big on them, but they do look nice to me now.

 

I hate boxsters. But the spyder...that thing is dope. As close to a GT4 as you'll get without a top.
PDK's work fine, but they are just another boring automatic trans.

 

The pdk is not really an automatic, it's a automatically controlled manual. There is no torque converter,do your self a favor and do a little research.

 

We know what it is...in practice it's not a manual and therefore another automatic..specifically if you don't touch the paddles. The underlying mechanics are irrelavent.

 

It's described as two manual transmissions in tandem with auto controlling, not that much different than an up and down quick shifter. It does not have a torque converter so it's not a true automatic transmission.

 

Stop arguing semantics. If it doesn't have a wiggle stick and a clutch pedal it's an automatic. It may not be a slushbox automatic but it's still an automated change of gears.

 

So if a handicap motorcycle rider, has a bike with a QS and replaced the shift linkage with a solenoid, it then becomes an automatic transmission.

 

i think the distinction is that if the rider does nothing, then the bike will not shift gears, so still manual. if the bike goes 1 to 2, 2 to 3, etc. without any intervention, then automatic.

 

Yeah right.

 

You were dropped on your head as a kid weren't you?

 

Great comeback I'am impressed.

 

Im sorry... but the PDK is one of the most badass gearbox's I have ever had the privilege to wring around a race track in my life. I have been extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity to drive multiple exotics/race cars in my life and the PDK transmission is by far one of the absolute BEST boxes you can get. I love me a fully manual gearbox, and I used to be one of those annoying "must have a clutch pedal" purists. PDK isnt TipTronic or anything like that.. DCT transmission equipped cars are the future (for cumbustion engine powered vehicles anyway) Any car I've driven that I can compare the DCT trans to the fully manual trans as of late, the DCT trans is lightyears better. From 911 Turbo, Porsche Cayman, Audi R8 to even the VW Golf R.. I have driven the manual version and the DCT version of each of those vehicles and I would take the DCT/PDK versions of them ANY day of the week over the fully manual versions..

Also, I got to street drive a C8 Vette last week (only available with DCT trans) Even GM is figuring this style of gearbox out. I was completely taken back about how well it performed. Car is super docile when just cruising around. However, once it's in Track mode, the thing shifts hard, instantly, and fully. All by barely tapping the paddle. It also has amazing interior and instrumentation.. My wife wants me to put a deposit down on one lol.. But I want a Turbo 911 or GT4 Cayman... I'm hoping in the spring I will be able to get some laps in it at Grattan before the car goes under the knife for a twin turbo build (one of my best friends owns a performance shop here in Kalamazoo, the C8 is his car. Once or twice a year we will rent out Grattan raceway for a private day and get to drive a lot of customer cars. More so now that I have sold my race car) Once this terrible dealer markup goes away the C8 Corvette will be 100% the best bang for your buck sports car on the market. Then once the nerds figure out how to crack the ECU, and get the line pressure to increase properly for the transmission (its the only thing holding people back from making 1500+hp with them), these things will be deadly.

Older sports cars? I'll get a manual all day long.

Any newer sports car? If it's available with a DCT trans option, that's what I'm getting.

Sorry, but again you are absolutely SLOBBIN' if you thing a PDK Porsche is a "boring automatic"

 

A pdk or a dsg or any other dct is absolutely not ‘just another boring automatic’. It may not be an old school traditional 3 pedal ‘row your own’ manual transmission, but when shifted manually they’re a very engaging and fast way to drive.

 

We aren't disagreeing. If I were lapping at a raceway and looking for every tenth of a second I could find it would be with the PDK gearbox. That however is not where mine spends most if its time so my preference is a wiggly stick and pedal. On a race track the PDK is spectacular...in traffic it sucks donkey balls.

If for no other reason than for not having to remove your hands from the wheel and divert your eyes even momentarily when bombing around a track at speed the PDK wins.

 

Speaking of semantics..."were".

 

I know not of what you speak.

 

Yeah I like stick's as much as the next guy, until recently that's all I drove, I was just trying to educate, a lot of people think it's just another automatic. For me the DCT or pdk wins hands down at the track, but for the street I would probably prefer the standard manual for durability and cost.

 

Nowadays, manuals are slower, and more maintenance, and well the VW gearbox kinda sucks. The DSG was such a revelation when I went from manual GTI to DSG GTI, I can't think of any reason to NOT get a DSG/DCT.

I must say the 8-Speed ZF Trans found in a bunch of cars is pretty good for a "normal" automatic.

 

That's where the IS-F was a little ahead of the curve for slush boxes. The torque convertor lock up at 4500 made for a fairly quick shifting auto when above 5000 rpms while still being a compliant boring slush box at anything below that. It's not PDK good at shifting or rev matching but it does an ok job when you want to beat on it a little. The ZF is popular for a reason. It's pretty good under the bulk of most normal peoples driving conditions.

 

i remember the first time i drove an IS-F on track, and this is what over a decade + ago, and was amazed how nice it shifted especially compared to everything else.