[raptor5244]

Hey guys, considering a ZL1 but was curious to get some feedback regarding the gearing on the M6. With such tall gears do you still find it fun to row through them on the street? If you short shift 1st gear at low speed do you still get a ton of torque in 2nd at say 25-30mph?

Thanks

[kaamacat]

No issues at all in any gear considering the tq of the car. I think it gets into the comparison that the Ax models just have so many gears... the Mx cars appear to be "tall". The reality of it is that overall the ZL1 does not have the same end-game/top-end due to the gearing.

[ZED SLED]

Yes, they will pull in every gear. Even 6th.

[Tim202]

I'm probably not driving the car right, but I don't understand how the gears seem too tall. I'm lighting up the rears in first as it is. I wouldn't want them any shorter.

[1LE Red Dragon]

The car will hit 62 mph in 1st gear. It is extremely tall first gear.the rest are pretty tight gears and pull great. The only downside to a 1st gear that pulls from 0mph to 62 mph, is I believe it's partly responsible for the difficulty in getting the car moving in regards to the complaints with stalling from life long clutch users. That coupled with the dual clutch.

[jjgi5150]

I love tall, extra close ratio gearing in a manual trans. It is what a "road/track" car is all about. The A10 is an obvious for street racing. The ZLE should have had a 3.91 rear end ratio, like the Z/28 did, and should have kept the Torsen LS, in my opinion. No matter the weight of the 1LE, it has plenty enough torque to start from a dead stop, even in a cut timing reduced power mode.

I believe the stalling issue is 100% software related. It's idle is set too low, and it bobbles it's off idle transition however it feels like, no matter what you do with the throttle.

GM will never admit or fix the issue, it'd be too costly for them to reprogram all the cars produced. Very cheapass business practice, IMO

JJ

[Koldunic]

No problem here shifting from 1st to 2nd under 2k rpm.
Immense torque.

Hugely prefer this over my M6 GT with short gears and low low-rpm torque.

[stkshft]

Absolutely and positively the funnest manual car I have ever owned. I read lots of people rave about the A10 and I am sure it is great...but it's still an automatic. That and the holy grail of Camaros, the ZL1 1LE, only comes with a manual. That should tell you something

[raptor5244]

Thanks for the feedback. I was concerned that even though it has 650lb ft of torque that we would lose some of the seat of the pants feeling if I was at say 25mph in 2nd gear and then nailed it without downshifting back to 1st. I am used to the shorter gearing on my Stingray M7.

[Johnjan]

My first post on the forum...

Interested in this discussion because I too have had difficulty getting the car rolling in first. I've been driving a manual since I was 16, in 1977(!). Recently, within the last 10 years at least, I've had a 2005 GTO M6, 2009 Z06 M6, 2017 GT350, and my current cars are a 2018 ZL1 M6, 1962 Ford Galaxie with a 390 and 4 speed, and a 1968 Camaro with a 383 and Tremec TKO600 5 speed.

The ZL1 is the most difficult car to get rolling from a stop than any manual trans car I have ever driven. To honor the OP, I don't think the gearing it too tall. I agree with one of the other contributors that it is a calibration issue. This opinion is based on the fact that it is not consistent from situation to situation. There are situations where I can pull away with not even a second thought. There are other situations where I will be advancing the throttle literally to the floor while releasing the clutch, and the engine will die. 90% of the time it requires way more thought that it should. Once rolling, the ZL1 is a dream come true.

I am going to continue addressing this with my dealer while the car is under warranty. I hope others are doing the same.

BTW - easiest manual trans car I've ever driven? My '62 Galaxie. That's the go to car for teaching someone to drive a stick!

[nighthawkra]

I daily drive mine, and owned only for about 5 days so I'm very new to this car and platform.
Overall very fun and once rolling very easy and smooth and a heck of allot of fun!!
Just getting going from a dead stop sometimes it bogs and i stalled it once so far lol

[Slate993tt]

I wouldn't trade this Manual for anything. It really is a blast to drive and just knowing Manuals are soon to be extinct makes me appreciate it all the more.

No issues with it being a tall 1st. I also prefer a close ratio trans. The TQ on this car is basically everywhere so for me its really easy to drive fast on the track. Around town or in the mtns the car is just as fun.

[gotroost]

I guess coming from a cammed 5th generation with stock gears, the ZL1 is easy. Took some practice to find the sweet spot, but easy now. Just give it some gas and let the clutch out easy or practice getting it rolling at idle in a parking lot. I find the launch bog BS. Just need to practice with a beast that make 650 TQ at 4K RPM. GM is just trying to save the drive train and you can roast the tires through speeds that will cost you a trip to the local jail. Love this beast. Full disclosure: Not a drag racer but a track guy.

[collinms]

I'm sensing regret from people not getting the A10. I think the a10 makes the car special. There is a reason mclaren, Ferrari, and Lamborghini etc.no longer offer a manual transmission.