Is it even possible to be competetive with the A4 tranny? I would love to do auto x and open road racing stuff but i don't want to sink money into the suspension stuff, chassis stuff, tires, etc, if the tranny isn't going to do me any good. I would naturally assume it would not be a good choice but am i wrong?

 

Autocross, yes. Road Racing/Open Track - maybe. The problem with an auto on road racing courses is that there is no way to soften the blows to the drivetrain when you downshift (which you will manually have to do to get decent lap times). I blew out my old IROC's A4 tranny tracking it.

Autocross - the FS National Champion car was an A4 in 2002...

 

I've done a lot of hot lapping with my A4 equipped '97 TA. A couple of comments for road race:

1) You will slow your lap times by shifting manually. A shift kit will insure you get good quick positive shifts. Just put the car in D and leave it there.

2) Auto "drift" is not a safe thing. This is why autos are not legal in street car based racing. You must be aware of this and compensate for it. It is a distinct disadavantage vs. a manual which you can use to slow the car.

3)A shift kit with a mild performance setting is good. Harsh settings will upset the car too much during upshifts.
This will also keep your tranny from overheating by shifting quickly. Slow stock shifts generate heat/wear. I use the Trans-Go kit, a lot of folks seem to like it.

For autox:

I love it!

 

What do you mean by Auto "drift"?

 

When you let off the gas, if I understand this correctly (please correct me if I am wrong), the converter spins freely (not engaged) and the car will zing ahead of manual trans cars doing the same thing on the track. I get an unpleasant, uncontrolled feeling when this happens. Try it with a friend who has manual - see who drifts down the hill faster with foot of the gas pedal.

 

So it's kinda like you didn't let off the gas?

I havn't installed a shift kit yet but do have a good size cooler. That should help a little. I might just have to give this a try.

 

This is exactly why I made the point about how hard the manual downshifts (in an automatic) are on the tranny. You can avoid this by manually shifting, but it hammers the tranny to pieces.

 

If I am understanding you right you are basically talking about "engine braking"......You definitely do not get as much engine braking with an A4 as with a manual, but you should get some, depending on your speed on the track during the lift. At Mid-ohio at 115mph down the back straight when I lift, I get a fairly decent amount of engine braking...however in turn 4 at 45 mph, it is not that noticeable. Theoretically when driving a track you should not be relying on engine bracking much anyway...."If my gas isn't on then my foot is usually standing on the brake or vice versa"

If you are a person that manually shifts his A4 alot, you will burn out the overunn clutches and then you will get NO engine braking....which is exactly why you should not manually shift your A4, unless rebuilding tranny's is a hobby you enjoy.