My brother is looking to get a F-body and I was looking on auto-trader for him (he wants a street-strip car in the mid/low 12s) and we have been looking for an auto so he could harness the power of the tourqe converter. My two roommates overheard us talking on the phone and told me how much autos suck (their both import guys ). I asked them to prove it and they said they run 2+ seconds slower than sticks. When I told them that most of the fastest carsin the 1/4 use an auto, tehy both said it was because they were too lazy to shift . They are gonna read this so let's see some responses.


BTW: I am not one who likes auto vs. manual debates both have their pros and cons. I just need you guys to help prove that autos can be just as fast as a manual.

 

Just so we don't have to type the same messages all over again.

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...hreadid=186052

Imports will always run slower with an automatic because they don't produce enough torque with those tiny, short stroke engines to utilize a torque converter properly or produce enough power to operate the hydraulics so they'll just use up more power going through an automatic.

Just tell them that you can build a 12 second naturally asperated v8 car for a lot less money than they can with their cars.

 

My bad, I didn't see that thread when I did my search.

 

Ahhh for the good old days when the family station wagon with soft suspension could be loaded full of camping gear and kids. Have a holiday trailer hooked on to the back and go crusing down the highway idling at 80 mph powered by a big block producing lots of torque.

Now-a-days you need to spend $40,000+ on a minimum of a 3/4 ton truck to do the same thing.

Try finding a car now with a trailer hitch. New cars although they may have HP, don't have the torque to do any work especially the imports.

 

See below, and my s***'s slow.

 

11.0's spinning with a 4L60E and 10-bolt.

 

Wow, so very very true. No one markets torque numbers in cars. It's always the horsepower.

 

best time in sig below. with an auto, yeah, its slow

 

Always the new CL65 from Mercedes. Highest torque of anything remotely close to a consumer vehicle. 738lbs-ft. Wonder what it could tow?

As far as manual versus automatic, I agree with what everybody said here. As far as imports with turbos, an automatic can make a big difference as well. Ask a Supra owner.

-B

 

Tell your buddies they are correct, in their world at least. I'm sure a Honda Civic with 120whp & 70wtq (or whatever they make) would do much better at the strip with a manual than with an auto. It probably is the difference between them running 16's instead of 18's

A torque converter probably doesnt work too well in a car when it has no torque to convert

 

My car was a stick a few years ago, but it was no faster than with the auto it just trapped a higher speed, and it was inconsistent as hell.

Now talking about tq and big blocks, my tow vehicle is a 04 GMC 2500HD with the 8.1L and allison tranny and man is 450 lb/ft od tq nice.

Randy

 

And that's stock. Gotta love it!

 

automatic corvette's run faster quarters than manual vette's. (well, c5's anyways)

 

Yeah, 13.4 stock is embarrassing.............damn that auto tranny!!

Ha, it's so true about the whole HP vs TQ comparison. Torque is simply not a word in the import world............I guess they couldn't fit it on the boat!!!!!

Even though I'm an auto guy, I know that automatics only dominate in the 1/4 mile. Road racing / Auto-x = standards dominate.

 

How true. I'd never use a manual transmission in my drag car however I got to play with a Legends car in the spring. Zipping around on the road course shifting up and down is the only way to do that kind of racing. I got dizzy doing 10 laps around the oval track.

Something about go fast, brake hard, turn left, repeat, just doesn't turn me on but autocross type racing is much more of a challage.