I just want to apologize to the guy at the gas station with the C4 Corvette...

I am sorry. While filling up my brick I looked over and said "Hey, I like the car guy" because I could tell it was my favorite C4, a 96 with the cool wheels and I saw that your ride had the ever so shiny desirable silver paint. I could tell you took good care of it and as a fan of the C4 no matter what anyone says I didn't mind boosting your ego. Nor did I worry that you might think I was gay and that I was hitting on you.

But when I asked if was a 6 speed and you said no it's an automatic surely you noticed my initial wince. I hope you were ok with that. And when I said, "oh man, you wimped out!" I thank you ever so much for not getting upset with me and beating me into oblivion. Again, I am sorry for making such a comment, it just slipped.

Don't feel bad, it was his wife's.

Yeah, automatic Corvettes really SUCK!

That's not too bad. I once let slip "an automatic sports car is an abomination," with a slight hint of disgust, when a saleslady asked me if I was looking at an automatic or manual. My fiancee always says I need to be more subtle. The saleslady said "thank you" in a way suggesting that she totally agreed with me, and she acted much more relaxed after that. Weird... didn't expect that. Probobly a tactic, but next time I saw her she proudly showed me her new manual Mazda3.

I always let things slip as well, don't feel bad!

mtn wrote: Yeah, automatic Corvettes really SUCK!

Exactly. Edstrom's 'vette often takes FTD at MSCC events, and it's an automatic.

In reply to JoeyM:

That doesn't mean it's more fun to drive than a manual!

Coinkidink? Yesterday on the way home I was in the hammer lane, a 'Vette was in the center. As I eased past in heavy traffic, he looks over and mats it; car makes that ugh sluggish automatic downshift noise and then jets. He only went 10 feet before getting stopped by the truck in front of him.

My wife chuckles as we go by again, the guy is fuming. She says "what was the point of that?"

You wouldn't understand, it's an automatic Corvette guy thing.

I don't understand either....

OK you were talking a 96 so I can't talk specifics but the earlier L98 Vette's I would honestly rather have the auto than a manual and I mean that both for the old 4+3 and the later 6 speeds. The relatively low power and massive torque of the L98 make is perfectly suited to the auto. They are a joy to drive. Real genuine FUN cars. The auto's are responsive kick down well and can hold gears. Trust me coming from England when I first landed in the States I was of the closed narrow minded opinion that the only reason to own any car with an auto was if you were missing a limb or two. But even I've grown up. There's nothing wrong with a GOOD auto so let's move on. Try a new Mustang Camaro etc they work as well.

I forget exactly what the number is, but I think the vast majority of Corvettes sold are automatics. Mostly has to do with the people who buy them, naturally. I wonder if the C6 is changing that trend any.

My aunt has a car exactly like the OP described. Silver '96 with the cool wheels (I think it was called the Special Edition or something), and it's an automatic. My uncle bought it new and passed away about 5 years later. She still has the car. I think it has something like 32k miles on it, maybe less.

At one time, auto Vettes were practically unheard of. In 73, my school teacher bought one, and wanted an auto. He had to wait 6 weeks for it.

Oh how times change, for the worst.

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: Oh how times change, for the worst.

This makes me sad. I'm in my 20's, so I have a long life ahead of me (i hope, anyway) to watch manuals slowly work themselves out of the automotive gene pool. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't a stick-shift-extremist. Death to Automatics! J/K my brain isn't working today... stoopid insomnia.

Said it before and I'll say it again, as long as manuals give way to DCT transmissions that are as nice in the new M3s.

I'm all for it.

When my buddy John bought his '03 Vette new, he had to special order the MANUAL and it was a $600 upcharge! Nothing wrong with a good auto, but I still prefer to row my own.

z31maniac wrote: Said it before and I'll say it again, as long as manuals give way to DCT transmissions that are as nice in the new M3s. I'm all for it.

Never driven one. I'd love to give it a go, though! but only as long as it actually stays in the gear I want it to stay in. I HATE manual settings on manu-matic boxes that will shift on you anyway, even more than I hate automatics.

z31maniac wrote: Said it before and I'll say it again, as long as manuals give way to DCT transmissions that are as nice in the new M3s. I'm all for it.

And I still say three pedals only please.

914Driver wrote: Coinkidink? Yesterday on the way home I was in the hammer lane, a 'Vette was in the center. As I eased past in heavy traffic, he looks over and mats it; car makes that ugh sluggish automatic downshift noise and then jets. He only went 10 feet before getting stopped by the truck in front of him. My wife chuckles as we go by again, the guy is fuming. She says "what was the point of that?" You wouldn't understand, it's an automatic Corvette guy thing. I don't understand either....

In all fairness it could have been a manual still... my 4+3 has that stupid automatic kickdown sound when I push the gas too much and that "wonderful" doug Nash OD unit kicks down.

Our C4 has a slushbox - I'd rather have a 6 speed but the wife can't/won't drive a stick (yet) and given that it's an 87 the autobox is the better choice. I do like the 6 speed in the later C4s though.

And yes, it's still a fun and sporty car to drive as is.

I can't help but be an a hole about some car things as well, like camaro's with 305'sm mustangs with 3.8's and 4.6's that aren't supercharged, and automatic cars that were supposed to be quick. My friend bought a mustang with the old 5.0 in it and I was kind of excited for him, until he told me it was a 4 speed auto. bummer.

The later 6 speed in the C4s (my parents have a '94) isn't the best example of a manual. The T56 is stout, but shifts like garbage. I'd still take it over an auto, though...

BoxheadTim wrote: Our C4 has a slushbox - I'd rather have a 6 speed but the wife can't/won't drive a stick (yet) and given that it's an 87 the autobox is the better choice. I do like the 6 speed in the later C4s though. And yes, it's still a fun and sporty car to drive as is.

Same here. My wife won't drive a stick. We have over 20 vehicles (cars and bikes) and a mixture of manuals and autos. I like them all either way....

I actually did a manual trans conversion for my 72 455 Firebird....in the end it's cooler, I guess, but the end result wasn't worth the hassle in my opinion. I just did it because my 78 T/A had an auto and I didn't want two auto 2nd gen f bodies at the time.

If someone came up to me at a gas station and said something like that I'd probably chew them out....sure that particular car might be an auto, which doesn't make it a bad thing imo, but you have no idea what other cars the guy might have.

Does Ferrari even offer a traditional ( 3 pedal) manual trans in any of their cars these days?

93EXCivic wrote:

z31maniac wrote: Said it before and I'll say it again, as long as manuals give way to DCT transmissions that are as nice in the new M3s. I'm all for it.

And I still say three pedals only please.

Go drive one.

Cotton wrote: Does Ferrari even offer a traditional ( 3 pedal) manual trans in any of their cars these days?

Nope, two pedals only these days. Not that I put much value in what Ferrari do or don't sell.

I like sticks in my cars, but currently I only own one, and it is road worthy. That being said, though, if you've ever driven a really fast car (like 10's fast) with a hard shifting automatic, it really does work to your advantage. I can also understand how a big turbo would be much happier behind a traditional auto between shifts, but I've never driven a stick car with one to compare for myself.

There are places and purposes for each.