A couple more tidbits

[LMN8R]

1: GM is putting $300,000,000 (that's alot of zeros) into the Willow Run plant to build 6 speed automatic transmissions for "future RWD performance vehicles." Now, I am a manual tranny kinda guy, but the fact is that the majority of Corvettes are sold with autos, and this would probably be a nice step up from the current 4-speed, lovely as it may be.

2: Expanding on one of the other posts, the new Motor
Trend issue, in the article about the SS, states that they were "right on" on their original C6 rendering that came out several months ago, but now the design team has gone back to work on some minor cosmetic stuff. One would assume that this is a direct result of Lutz's "design czar" influence. This should give us a bit more hope that they won't screw it up like we know they're capable of doing.

 

[kfehling]

In addition to what LMN8R stated in the Motor Trend article, the SS also featured paddle shifters. Hmmmmm. Maybe testing it for the new C6? I hope so.

 

[LMN8R]

Paddle shifters would be nice, but they still have the automatic feel, which is against my personal preference. It does seem like they will put the 6-speed auto in the C6, and paddle shifting on that thing would probably be pretty cool.

What would be more cool, at least IMHO, would be to design the 6-speed manual like Ferrari (and, oddly enough, Toyota with the MR-2) with an automatic clutch. That would give both the true benefits of a manual and paddle shifting without losing power to the automatic transmission.

I do not see this happening. That is a pricey proposition, and I'm surprised that Toyota was able to pull it off.

Greg

 

[JBsC5]

Just so you know, a car with drive by wire like the C5 ..it would only cost about $200 dollars more to produce than the standard C5 M6..

the new Audi TT V6 has the newest technology on this computerized clutch standard shift that gives seamless automatic mode and in the standard shift mode allows for 50 millisecond upshifts..

That technology is also coming the Porsche 911 in 2005...its amazing what the dual clutch computer clutch unit is capable of..

It will even revolutionize the BMW SMG II..as it is planning to evolve to dual clutch in a similiar fashion to Porsche and Audi..

Its that much better than single clutch units..

 

[JBsC5]

"The big technical news is Porsche's embracing of an automated manual gearbox, a belated move for a company that pioneered teh technology with the sportomatic in the early 70's. Unlike the Ferrari F1 set up Porsche is adopting a double clutch system that essentially the same as will be used in the VW Golf R32 and the Auid TT v6 early next year.

Known internal as PDK for Porsche Duppelkupplung the idea is to have one clutch for first, third and fith gears and the other for second fourth sixth and reverse, so there is no interruption of power, and the gearchanges are seamless. Ceramic brakes already offered on the Turbo will become more widely available. "

 

[Mako]

Known internal as PDK for Porsche Duppelkupplung the idea is to have one clutch for first, third and fith gears and the other for second fourth sixth and reverse, so there is no interruption of power, and the gearchanges are seamless. Ceramic brakes already offered on the Turbo will become more widely available. "

Exceptional technology, but what are the penalties in rotating mass, over all weight and power handling capability?

It's no big woop to stuff a Mcleod dual friction disk into a T56 or a Muncie for example and hold a sick amount of power for under a grand.

What happens to the trick clutch and tranny setup when you pump up the volume on the next generation C6 motor 30-50% or more as you just know we are going to do as soon as we can get our hot rodding meat hooks on one?

I foresee significant (rhymes with expensive as hell) challenges in modifying such a tranny setup to hold the nasty motors in the pipeline for C6.

CYa!
Mako

 

[ROCKETBLOCK]

I will stick with my gear stirring spoon.