Auto versus Stick

[RonJ]

All things being equal, with the average driver behind the wheel, will an automatic transmission or 6 speed turn a better time on a quarter mile?

Ron ... :confused

 

[6 Shooter]

Oh boy - This type of thread always gets deep !

1. All things being equal . . .
2. Average drivers behind the wheel - Not competitive/skilled drivers . . .
Q - Will an automatic transmission or 6 speed turn a better time on a quarter mile?

A - Automatic . . .

Change that to competitive/skilled drivers - I'd go with the Stick.

With all that said, it's hard to beat a 6-Speed for sports car driving fun.

Later . . . . . .
6 Shooter

 

[TheAnarkist]

"Average" driver makes it tricky!! I drive for a living and I always say and my wife (who doesn't drive) agrees that being an "average" driver is NOT a good thing. An average Vette owner on the other hand may be a different matter as you'd think he/she'd be more conscientious of what they're doing.

All things considered, a standard is always faster. Unless you're a REAL bad driver. LOL. Then the Auto'd be faster. Then again I'm biased as I prefer a stick.

Point is with an Auto you only have to hold it againset the brake, launch and keep it straight. Heehee. though modern Auto's are getting better and better and of course if you have an aftermarket (built) tranny, um, it get's harder to define.

There are SO many variables that my HONEST answer would be a matter of which you prefer.

 

[TheAnarkist]

"Average" driver makes it tricky!! I drive for a living and I always say and my wife (who doesn't drive) agrees that being an "average" driver is NOT a good thing. An average Vette owner on the other hand may be a different matter as you'd think he/she'd be more conscientious of what they're doing.

All things considered, a standard is always faster. Unless you're a REAL bad driver. LOL. Then the Auto'd be faster. Then again I'm biased as I prefer a stick.

Point is with an Auto you only have to hold it againset the brake, launch and keep it straight. Heehee. though modern Auto's are getting better and better and of course if you have an aftermarket (built) tranny, um, it get's harder to define.

There are SO many variables that my HONEST answer would be a matter of which you prefer.

My God, I sound like a Motor Trend comparison test. (Where NO ONE wins and no conclusions are drawn.). LOL. But I still say the Stick.......

 

[warren s]

The stick has the potential to be faster. The auto would be faster with an average driver, but after some practice with a stick you may not be an average driver anymore.

And the differance is not that big. (Yeah - I know races are won and lost over less than 10ths.)

 

[Tom73]

Auto wins by being more consistent.

 

[Edmond]

I think the auto is more forgiving. IMO, average driver vs. average driver, I would go with the auto.

The movies have made standard look easy to drive, so have video games. I know a guy who thought he was going to shift a Mustang GT like The Fast and the Furious. When he stalled the car 4 straight times, he knew better than to ever talk about his driving skill in front of me. :L

 

[jrose7004]

Auto wins by being more consistent.

I would have to agree!

 

[JJS]

I read an article, and I believe it might have been a post in the CAC about a young guy that entered his automatic C5 (I believe) in an event out west somewhere. If I remember correctly, he was at one of these events, and after watching the times being posted (1/4 mile?), he thought he could do just as well with a little practice.

He not only entered, but walked away with the first place trophy (and check) from the next event that he entered. If I remember correctly, he won the first heat in the finals, was disqualified for a false start in the second heat, and he won the third.

Like I said, I read this somewhere so I can't vouch for the validity of it. But I could see it happening of someone could get their timing down.

 

[DRTH VTR]

Auto wins by being more consistent.

In bracket racing, a person has to predict his elapsed time. The slower car leaves the starting line sooner. The person coming closest to his predicted time ("dial in") without going faster, wins. It is a little more complicated than that, as reaction time plays a part, too. An automatic will be more consistent from run to run, so it will generally be better for bracket racing.

I thought that the automatic transmission caused more drive train power loss than the stick, but can shift gears faster than the manual.

 

[RC135_Tx]

Hmmm. Maybe it's just me. All this discussion centers around up-shifting. I greatly prefer the 6-speed because automatics, to me at least, seem to NEVER want to smoothly downshift into the correct gear going into or coming out of a corner (& in many other instances where you might want to vary your speed). If you slam on the brakes going in and stomp the gas going out, I guess it doesn't matter, but if you need a little more 'touch', being able to select the right gear in advance then feather the gas as necessary on the way through & out seems better.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Unless the driver is reallky bad, six-speed cars accelerate quicker than automatics, regardless of which rear axle they have. Why?

1) Better gear ratios
2) More torque in some model years
3) No torque management at shifts.

Now, if you want to talk consistency, the mother's milk of drag racing, then the automatic is a better choice. Of course, if your bracket racing, who cares what the e.t. is as long as you run on your dial-in every pass.

 

[Tigershark_11]

6 speed over auto..

Id go with a 6 speed. I have a 2000 6speed and it has the performance 3.51 gears in it. The Auto's dont come with the performance gears. Thats probally why I beat the guy at the track with his auto.. Also that was my fist time at the track so I would rate me as a regular driver.. 6 speed all the way...

 

[Baron138]

I've seen it a lot when average drivers are concerned. Autos end up winning because an average driver usually misses shifts, or is just off on timing.

 

[Tigershark_11]

They must be terrably drivers.. The vette was my first sports car that was a manual and I was running better times than guys that had auto's. Thats why would go with manual over auto.. Also the manual came with the performance axle, which was a 3.15 gears and the autos have the standard 2.75 gears.