is the 6 spd significantly faster?

 

I've heard that it isnt. The A4 is a worth competitor as far as i know. Put a big stall in it and it will be better except for the gearing. I dont really know, i prefer manuals myself, but this is my first auto and she'll do a burn out from a stand still till 65mph basically stock with Z rated 245's and posi 2.73 rear end so i figure that cant be far behind a manual.

 

Not really...I think its just a common misconception by people that don't know any better.

 

Maybe if you have an import with 150 ft/lbs of torque Otherwise, I would prefer the auto. I just happened to buy an M6 because I wanted this car

 

Drivetrain loss on the manual is like 15% on the Auto its 18% (from what ive always heard) on a ford...yeah there is a huge difference..however thats not the case with GM.

The M6 stock for stock should run a couple tenths faster and 1 or 2 mph more in the 1/4 with perfect drivers/perfect conditions, etc.

 

so the car is seriosuly faster wit hthe auto in it? i have always prefered a Manual

 

It only becomes a huge factor when you hit single digits... not too many keep the manual trans once they go into the 9s.. I dont know of any in the 8s?? (Doesnt mean im right)... but that has more to do with the difficulty of shifting every 2 seconds.

 

Probably a tenth or two on a stock LT1.. if you don't blow the launch... and you don't miss a gear. The thing about autos is that the ratios are wider, so if you have a narrow powerband, you'll get dead spots with it. With an LT1 and most other V-8s you don't really get that much of that. Having switched from auto to manual on the same car I say the manual is slightly quicker with a competent driver (not me ), but it's not nearly as much as some people make it out to be. A Honda with a manual is probably a full second faster than an auto.

 

Autos have lower ETs, while M6s have higher traps. Stall the A4 and its faster in a quarter mile. One is not faster or slower than the other. They are mainly personal prefrence. When you start to run serious times, automatics start to shine as well as being more consistent. If anyone tells you that automatics are slower are just stupid and uneducated.

I personally prefer manuals, but honestly i fear automatics more because usually those guys have something to prove (not an insult by any means, but mostly to shut up idiots).

If you are trying to chose which to buy, then its a coin toss. Just dont listen to idiots who think autos are for pussies.

 

Actually there's almost always a difference. Things like traction, gear ratios, level of hp and powerband are the main issues. The point is that the manual does not always conquer the auto, contrary to popular belief or most people. But most people don't know squat about cars anyway. Here's some quick pointers:

More power = auto is better
Gear ratios = Manual has more gears, so you have closer ratios
Traction = It's harder to launch a manual than an auto, so more traction is advantageous to the manual
Powerband = A flat powerband is great news for an auto.

The only reason I switched from an auto to a manual is because the 4L60E took a crap on me. I do think it is more fun though, and it is certainly more intimidating to your average driver on the road.

 

ive heard from several people that the auto in these cars are better than the 6.

just the opposite for the mustang.....dunno why , just what ive heard from diff sources.

 

The T56 is stronger than the 4L60E, thats no secret. But as to which is better... it depends on your goals. But saying a blanket statement that autos are better than M6 is just ignorant.

I know a guy with a head/cam LT1 dyno'ing 420 rwhp that runs mid 10s. He has a beefy M6 with 488s through a 9" on ET drags. He launches from 6k rpm and pulls sub 1.5 60' times.

So... it all depends how crazy you wanna get.

 

a manual will give more rwhp at any given rpm compared to an auto, and more gear shifts mean you can keep your car closer to peak HP while accelerating.

Stalling an auto will give it an initial advantage in acceleration as you can keep the rpms up higher for most given speeds in 1st gear than you can with a manual. This advantage disappears after the first gear shift on the m6.

If you want to race from a roll (say 35mph or faster), the m6 will outperform the auto assuming same rear gear, tire size, flywheel HP etc. For the purposes of the quarter mile, the auto has an advantage as the race is off a standing stop and shifting is instantaneous.

 

I almost always get torn up in the first 1/8th mile at the track but will catch up in the last 1/8th running against stalled A4's. This is because 6 spd... especially with street tires.. isnt easy to launch at all. Autos are also a lot more consitant because all you really have to do is press on the gas pedal.

 

as far as a bone stock car is concerned, especially if your fbod( like mine is) is your second car, its nice to have a manual transmission, because its just plain more fun to drive. just driving from light to light is more fun when you can shift it. i had a 92 rs with a 170hp tbi 5spd, but it was more fun to drive than my 86 irocz that has a 305tpi with an auto.

im partial to the 6spd transmission. i believe that the manual transmission is right up there with the tv remote as far as mans greatest creations are concerned.