C8 or M2 Comp stick
- Thread starter C8Luvr
- Start date
ddgermann
Power User
Many of us are having the same dilemma 
Although the C8 doesn't have a manual transmission, driving a DCT car isn't the same as driving an auto. It's fast, the gear changes are crazy fast, and you still have complete control over what gear the car is in. The only thing you can't really do is slip the clutch while launching.
- Thread starter
- #4
It's interesting that that Chevy chose a DCT. Although it's supposed to be super fast at shifting, and it certainly seems that way from the C8 reviews, Audi and BMW have chosen to ditch their DCT transmissions in favor of normal Automatic by ZF. Seems like the ZF is faster and smoother shifting than the DCTs that they have implemented.
I was adamant that my next car would be a manual. Until I cracked my hip...
An Audi (unless you're talking about the R8) and BMW are not really comparable to the Corvette. The former are regular, luxury sedans and coupes that have been modified to be high-performance variants. Their primary goal is comfort and regular travel. The latter is a high-performance sports car that has the primary focus of putting the fastest lap times on a track.
A DCT would be more reliable when pushed at track pace, lap after lap than a ZF. The ZF 8HP is designed primarily for fuel efficiency, not performance. The more equivalent transmission would be that which is in the C7, the 8L90.
The PDK transmission Porsche makes (that the Corvette transmission was reverse-engineered from) shifts faster than 100ms. The ZF 8HP shifts in 200 ms. Probably no preceivable difference, but still a difference.
geeZe EJ, UR A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE !!
Definitely not giving up my 2019 C7 manual until GM reintroduces a manual...which may or may not ever happen. Not in any rush...
At the track the DCT will probably be great. I think where I would miss the standard is the street, just driving around. M2 Comp is a great car - that's a tough decision.
ddgermann
Power User
Are you trying to explain the difference to us???
Thanks but there is a lot more difference that that. It’s about the feeling of driving the car; which is one of the greatest pleasures for some of us.
Please don’t go into the tech and time stuff. Its been well hashed out here before you came along.
Nobody is debating the efficiency of the DCT over the manual and human response time lacking... pulling that gear and rolling on the power is one of the most amazing feelings of control and dare I say, freedom to choose left for us.
It’s a real decision for some of us.
My 2 cents...
Should be able to do this, sort of, if you pull both paddles, it puts the transmission in neutral so you can rev it up before letting er rip!
Not to get this into the manual/auto debate, because it is all personal preference, but I thought I could do the DCT, but then hearing another car with a DCT and imagining all the driver did to change gears was pull a paddle left a bit of a pit in my stomach....and I know cars are getting more electronic and the physical connection between the driver and car keeps disappearing, but as Derek mentioned, there is just something about feeling the clutch start to grip as you let the pedal out and try to modulate the throttle, balancing the grip of the tires, the engine speed, road conditions, etc, knowing when you get going, you have to time the movement of the shifter with the clutch pedal (just letting off the gas for a second if you're a chicken like me) in the perfect sequence to hit that 1-2 shift, and repeat for as fast as you want to go..... and pulling a paddle just can't replace that. So, if I ever upgrade Corvettes, so far my options are maxed out with the C7, which is fine even though it would be so cool to have the newest Vette with the engine out back.
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- #12
Riley, well said!! I couldn't have explained it better.
I remember a few years ago, I was driving an Audi S5. It was fast but I had absolutely no enjoyment....very boring to drive. Can you believe I instead got a Civic Si (cause it only comes in manual)? It was the pure fun factor. Rowing through the gears and balancing the clutch against the accelerator for each shift is super fun. Not to mention rev matching.
I'm trying to decide if the new look of the C8 is worth giving that all up....
I remember a few years ago, I was driving an Audi S5. It was fast but I had absolutely no enjoyment....very boring to drive. Can you believe I instead got a Civic Si (cause it only comes in manual)? It was the pure fun factor. Rowing through the gears and balancing the clutch against the accelerator for each shift is super fun. Not to mention rev matching.
I'm trying to decide if the new look of the C8 is worth giving that all up....
Fully agree. There was a well written opinion piece on this in one of the auto ma
Fully agree with both of you. I've always said myself that I'd rather drive a manual Honda than an automatic exotic of any sort. There is no substitute...at least from a driving enjoyment point of view, of being able to shift your own gears with a proper manual shift & clutch. At the time of my former C5, about 25% of Vette's sold were manual's...with the C7 at the end it was 22% I believe from the final production stats. GM was trying to convince people that demand for manual's kept dropping and that's why they didn't bother to offer one in the C8. In 20+ years that doesn't seem to be much of drop to me...rather there is a core group of enthusiasts who insist on a manual in a sports car. I've been driving sports cars for 45 years now, from an MGB to the 3rd Vette now with the C7, and a few others inbetween - one of them I bought with an automatic (Camaro) and regretted it not long afterwards. Never did that again and don't plan to in future.
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