[SuperSound]

Originally Posted by sprtplt

Not just auto publications, this trans has been out there in everything from the Stingray to the Silverado and the problems reported by owners are legion. Harsh shifts, odd cold behavior, odd warm behavior, shift lag, shift hang, numerous outright failures.

Beyond overheating issues, every problem you just mentioned can be found in essentially any online forum for a car with automatic trans. Not saying these problems don't exist, but people always take to online to complain. Rarely to say they have driven for 100k miles with no issues.

But in particular, I've heard these same complaints in the BMW forums and some in the Mopar ones.

And I believe one of the first problems with the 6th reported on this forum was a M6 that failed. Food for thought.

[SS 1LE]

Originally Posted by GretchenGotGrowl

You control throttle in both, and both have a lag. If situation you described above didn't apply to manual transmissions, there would be no need for shift lights.

Shift lights are simply so you know when to shift without having to look at the tach...

Originally Posted by GretchenGotGrowl

What inherent faults?

Automatics in general have flaws being tracked. Do we really need to go over them again and again?

Originally Posted by GretchenGotGrowl

OR USE MANUAL MODE IN THE AUTOMATIC .

Everyone I know who tracks their cars cares about TIME. If you have an automatic and use manual mode with it's delay (no matter how small you may think it is), it will slow you down, that is a fact. If you care about time, leave it in drive. If you are just doing fun track days, and not interested in time, then so be it...shift away with those paddles.

[GretchenGotGrowl]

Originally Posted by SUMMIT WHITE SS

Shift lights are simply so you know when to shift without having to look at the tach...



Automatics in general have flaws being tracked. Do we really need to go over them again and again?



Everyone I know who tracks their cars cares about TIME. If you have an automatic and use manual mode with it's delay (no matter how small you may think it is), it will slow you down, that is a fact. If you care about time, leave it in drive. If you are just doing fun track days, and not interested in time, then so be it...shift away with those paddles.

Shift lights are adjustable for a reason. You set them to the RPM you want so you have time to shift before you get out of the power band or hit the limiter. That's different for each person, and it doesn't matter if it is a manual or automatic transmission being manually shifted.

On the second point, evidently we do since you really haven't really detailed the actual flaws. No one, including me, said there was no lag. What we said is the lag is less than shifting a manual car. If you want to have a fast SINGLE lap, then leave it in fully automatic mode. If you want a full day of consistently FAST lap times, use manual mode. Tadge has said this, Rick Malone instructs this way, Randy Pobst confirmed it. I have also experienced full days in the Nevada desert using manual mode in an automatic Z06 and it works. Amazingly fast shifts and near perfect gear selection. I've never hit the rev limiter, either. So, I'm not sure where the flaws lie...unless it is the lack of a pedal.

[MikeyCamaro]

Any time I see an auto versus manual thread, I see it as a toss-up. There are benefits to both. Any argument you can come up with can be countered by the "other" camp which is why these threads go on forever. If your concern is paddle delay, you can make up for that small delay on the straights where the auto shifts faster than the manual anyway. Plus in the vast majority of situations, you can learn to anticipate the shift and compensate for the delay: very seldom do you have a "random emergency" situation where you suddenly have to change gears in an instant without warning. You can argue that you have "more control" with a manual. But the other side of that coin is that you can actually have more precise control with an automatic because your right hand isn't leaving the steering wheel all the time.

Every point has a counter point. So I say run what you brung and use the tools at your disposal, whether it be auto or manual. Manual drivers might not "like it" that you equalled or beat their time in your automatic because you "had less to do". So be it. One is still not inherently better than the other.

Mike

[GretchenGotGrowl]

Originally Posted by MikeyCamaro

Any time I see an auto versus manual thread, I see it as a toss-up. There are benefits to both. Any argument you can come up with can be countered by the "other" camp which is why these threads go on forever. If your concern is paddle delay, you can make up for that small delay on the straights where the auto shifts faster than the manual anyway. Plus in the vast majority of situations, you can learn to anticipate the shift and compensate for the delay: very seldom do you have a "random emergency" situation where you suddenly have to change gears in an instant without warning. You can argue that you have "more control" with a manual. But the other side of that coin is that you can actually have more precise control with an automatic because your right hand isn't leaving the steering wheel all the time.

Every point has a counter point. So I say run what you brung and use the tools at your disposal, whether it be auto or manual. Manual drivers might not "like it" that you equalled or beat their time in your automatic because you "had less to do". So be it. One is still not inherently better than the other.

Mike

Exactly. They are both excellent transmissions. The OP was pointing out how outstanding the A8 is, and I have to say it is a huge improvement over the 6L80 and 6L50. Saying that isn't taking anything away from the M6. If anything, it may speak to how little there is left to improve upon it.

[SS 1LE]

Originally Posted by GretchenGotGrowl

Shift lights are adjustable for a reason. You set them to the RPM you want so you have time to shift before you get out of the power band or hit the limiter. That's different for each person, and it doesn't matter if it is a manual or automatic transmission being manually shifted.

On the second point, evidently we do since you really haven't really detailed the actual flaws. No one, including me, said there was no lag. What we said is the lag is less than shifting a manual car. If you want to have a fast SINGLE lap, then leave it in fully automatic mode. If you want a full day of consistently FAST lap times, use manual mode. Tadge has said this, Rick Malone instructs this way, Randy Pobst confirmed it. I have also experienced full days in the Nevada desert using manual mode in an automatic Z06 and it works. Amazingly fast shifts and near perfect gear selection. I've never hit the rev limiter, either. So, I'm not sure where the flaws lie...unless it is the lack of a pedal.

You are so engulfed in defending what you bought, that your glaze over what may work better under certain situations.

[GretchenGotGrowl]

Originally Posted by SUMMIT WHITE SS

You are so engulfed in defending what you bought, that your glaze over what may work better under certain situations. Enjoy manually shifting your paddles on your automatic transmission...

Let's be clear about who is defending what. I'm simply pushing back on misinformation posted about one of the transmissions. That is in contrast to those that say don't get it, get the manual. Nowhere have I said don't get the manual (it is flawed, Joe Blow had a problem with his, etc...), get the automatic. See the difference?

And I do enjoy manually shifting my Z06.

[WoodBoss]

Where the A8 will really shine is drag racing. Put the car in manual mode, don't use the paddle shifters, let the car shift by itself just as it hits redline. You will bang through the gears and leave the manual shifting guys behind. My A6 is awesome for this.

[SS 1LE]

Originally Posted by WoodBoss

My A6 is awesome for this.

Stock for stock the 5th gen manuals are quicker/faster then the automatics...so unless you are racing a guy who can't shift, you will be seeing taillights.

[pkincy]

The reason that C7Z06s with the A8 have been manually shifting is to short shift. Simply because the 8L90 is programmed so aggressively in D that the car overheats very quickly and much more quickly than the 7 speed. Remember packaging on the Corvette doesn't allow the room for cooling that the Camaro or ATS-V have. Most have reported that they can get double the hot laps in before dangerous oil temps in a Z06 by short (paddle) shifting the 8L90. Also the one case of an A8 owner switching to a manual I know of was not because the car with the A8 was not very fast on track but because of the overheating issue. Yes, that was a Florida case.

Rather than endlessly debate this you might spend some time on a C7 forum and you will get lots of actual experience to help you make a decision. At this point the Camaro6 forum is mostly speculation.

Edit: I withdraw my recommendation re: the C7Forum. They have a similar thread over there that is as bad as this one is. Lots of people defending their own choice with little data or ability to see the other sides point.

[Zxmustang]

If you guys think the paddles are fast in the camaro, you should drive the Challenger SCAT pack with the A8 and paddles. There is NO delay in the paddes and shifting. It truly feels like a DCT.

[ussj4brolli]

That remote start system though...love it!

[SS 1LE]

Originally Posted by pkincy

The reason that C7Z06s with the A8 have been manually shifting is to short shift. Simply because the 8L90 is programmed so aggressively in D that the car overheats very quickly and much more quickly than the 7 speed. Remember packaging on the Corvette doesn't allow the room for cooling that the Camaro or ATS-V have. Most have reported that they can get double the hot laps in before dangerous oil temps in a Z06 by short (paddle) shifting the 8L90.

This is why the manual is better suited (as per GM as well) for track work. Short shifting slows you down in manual mode (and has shift lag), and leaving in drive mode can overheat it...so you're screwed either way lol. GM needs to fix this...

Originally Posted by pkincy

Also the one case of an A8 owner switching to a manual I know of was not because the car with the A8 was not very fast on track but because of the overheating issue. Yes, that was a Florida case.

Well I know someone else in FL who did the same thing. But, it was not due to overheating (as his car didn't, but it wasn't given a chance to) it was due to the fact he was told to use manual mode so it didn't overheat, but he didn't like the response from the paddles...

[SS 1LE]

Originally Posted by Zxmustang

If you guys think the paddles are fast in the camaro, you should drive the Challenger SCAT pack with the A8 and paddles. There is NO delay in the paddes and shifting. It truly feels like a DCT.

It was much better responding in the Charger Scat Pack I drove then compared to the GM cars. But, there was still a slight delay, and sometimes it would turn off of manual mode and upshift for you if you left it in the same gear too long.

But in all honestly, you shouldn't by an automatic for how it responds in manual mode (buy a manual then), you should by it for how well it works in full automatic mode, which the GM A8 does very well.