My car is an A4. Whenever anyone finds out that the car is automatic I always hear, What a waste of a car or why didnt u get stick? To all those people with A4s do you get stuff like this too cause im sick of getting putdowns on my car because its an auto. I wanted a stick in the first place, but im 17 and the only way my parents would allow me to get a car like this was if it was auto.

 

People say the same exact things to me too, they say something like : "Why did you buy an auto? Those are for girls." I too get irritated, but hey when they want to race you one day and they fry their clutch or cant shift for crap, you can laugh at their face and can give yourself reassurance knowing that you have an automatic, and no one can shift faster than a computer.

 

most folks don't have camaros where I live so it doesn't really matter. still i wish it was an m6.

 

I wouldn't mind having an M6. But the old A4 with a vig 3,200 works pretty damn good.

 

Don't worry,they're just jealous because you'll get lower 60' times,lower ET's,etc... The only people who dog autos are usually ignorant and don't know a lot about drag racing.It is true that manuals lose less power than autos,but autos still rule at the track.Simply because 99.9% of humans just cannot drive a manual and shift faster than a computer.Most people who do prefer manuals and know about cars get manuals for the "feel".Just ignore the losers.
Kevin

 

...get yourself a super yank 3500 and tell those guys to blow it out their a$$. Both my cars are autos and I don't mind a bit, f-bodies are for going fast in a straight line and looking damn good. My buddy has an SS (ChriSS) and he also swears by his A4, he's got a high stall converter and kick's some a$$ here in the North West.

Good Luck with the car...

Mike

 

I also dislike those comments but what can we do. All I can say is most of the people that say why an auto....are the people that don't have suck a fine machine and are jealous and the others are just hard core manual guys that think everything should be manual...No matter what its one bad *** 350 5.7L V8 that will smoke almost everything on the road.....

 

I hear ya, but again, you can't let it pi$$ you off..................I sometimes wish I would have got a 6-speed, but since they're harder to find around here, I had to take what I could get, and besides, they're a hell of a lot more consistent at the track (who cares that I'm just trying to justify it!!)

I'm almost 21, and I feel damn lucky to have this car................M6 or A4.........................and I was MY choice --- I mean, I could have held out for a 6-speed, but I'm happy with what I've got now..................you should be too.

 

..were all lucky to have this car, M6 or A4's, soon only half will be on the road because some will be written off, some not cared for so on and so on...

 

I get that sometimes. When my friends make fun of me for it, I'll ask them if they want to drag race me. Then I remind them of how badly my car would slaughter their's.

 

You know ... in over 30 years I don't think anyone has ever criticized what I drive ... maybe how I drive, but never what.

 

I have gotten it before, but not in a while. I have two reasons for the A4,

1) I wanted a pewter Z, the choices I had was one near by (the A4 which I have) and the other (a M6) was about a 2 hour drive. The A4 had 23,000 miles on it (99), the M6 had 59,000 miles on it (also 99), prices withen $1,000 of each other. I chose the A4 because it had a lot less miles on it.

2) I have a remote start system and that works better on auto's, since friends with manuels w/remote start have all drove into walls forgetting to leave the car in Neutral.

Besides better track times

 

I agree with Mike. I run mid-12's in my A4 with a SY3500 convertor and stock manifolds (really, all I got on the engine is a lid, MAF, and crank pulley). It'll only be better with headers.

Most guys who are into serious drag racing fully accept more times than not, especially in the LS1, often the fastest and most consistent cars are A4's. They respond well to TC upgrades and the tranny is usually a little stronger than the M6 (a lot of stock 6-speeds end up replacing their clutches because they can't handle the power and abuse... the 4L60E has slightly better longetivity). Auto tranny cars are often the choice of those who want the best in straight line and off-the-line performance.

I often here the same comments as you do, but usually they come from people who really don't know anything about racing.

Admittedly, the 6-speed is fun too (I'm not knocking it). Often pulls a little more power to the wheels, is better on a winding course, and can be advantagous from a roll. However, informed racers will NOT say negative things about an A4. Usually only motorheads who cling to old 'macho' attitudes and probably don't understand much about performance diss automatics. But, try and convicne them otherwise... I guess ignorance is bliss for them.

 

When you say M4, I am assuming you mean A4 (automatic)?

1) Likely the two will be equal off the line stock. Driver skill will play a bigger roll. If the A4 has a TC and 3.23s, the A4 will likely launch much better, unless the M6 has real sticky tires (ET Streets), an upgraded clutch, 4.10s, and the M6 driver truly knows how to launch. Most of the time, an A4 will take a M6 off the line consistently. An M6 may start to gain a little near the top end.

2) Yes. I have a SY3500, and have had a SLP2600 in the past, and my opinion is that it handles BETTER than stock for normal street driving. Hwy driving you'll lose no mileage. If all you do is city driving, you may lose some fuel economy.

3) Possibly. Stock for stock, yes, the M6 will definitely have an advantage since it can select the optimum rpm better. If an A4 has a high stall convertor, things become very even. For example, I raced a similarly modded LS1 6-speed the other week from a roll (starting at 40 mph) and with my TC, I pulled on him 1 car length at the start and then neither of us pulled each other up to 100 or so. If we were stock, I likely would not have gotten the initial edge and he would have definitely pulled on me as we continued. As it was, he couldn't catch me (though above 120 mph, it may have been different, but I don't race at those speeds...)

PS. Please do not take this as an M6 bashing. Both have there advantages.

 

Alittle at first. The car will still pull your eyeballs into the back of your head though. I didn't care what trans I wound up with. I just wanted the LS1 and the Monsoon. I found a Maroon one I could not take my eyes off of with more than I wanted , and bought it. Auto trans and all. Few regrets, but not when I'm stuck in traffic.

I met a few bracket racers a year ago, and they love the A4. It's consistent at the track.

Have fun and don't take it personal. You have a car that does mid 13's stock, low 13's lightly modded (lid, exhaust, etc...), and with a 3500 stall converter-----> HELLOOOOOO 12's.