JIM5.0

Despite my love for manual transmissions, I have to agree here. The automatics are definitely power houses. The new 6R80 six speeds are taking some very serious punishment and are not breaking.
I cannot remember who said it, nor where they got their info from, but a modder claims the new 6R80 is rated to take in excess of 600 BHP crank (or is it 600 ft-lbf crank?) If that is true, that is pushing over 200ft-lbf more torque than its manual brother, the MT82's rating of only 380 ft-lbf crank.
Hell, if I remember a car mag article, I believe JPC preferred a TKO600 over the MT82 because the TKO can survive what the MT82 cannot.

rocket237

I'll be driving my manual volvo truck tonight, keep'em coming good stuff here.

forensicsteve

I'll be replacing it with a built 4r70w

Automatics rule at the strip. I swapped the 5 speed manual for the 4r. I sold the 4r last year to a mate, when we decided to go from a 3 speed auto to a 2 speed auto (powerglide). With some extra boost and the 4r, he went from 11.8 in the 1/4 to 10.3 first pass.

I prefer the convenience of an auto in traffic (my daily commuter is an auto Ford Escape with 130,000 miles). There is no automatic for the srt10, only 6 speed. I take it out about once a week, usually on the weekend when there is less traffic. Clutch is really heavy and shifting is tight and precise. It would make for a lousy daily in heavy traffic.

jdmcbride

There is a reason that SRT10 Vipers, Boss302s, and Shelby GT500s don't come with automatics... hell, you can't even get a Mustang GT with the Brembo brake package with an automatic!

Seriously, it is hard to beat an automatic at the drag strip for consistency. But on a road course, a manual would school an automatic.

I don't do either, but I enjoy rowing the gears on straight line acceleration runs and holding/downshifting gears in the twisties.

808muscle

My Vipertruck is a 6 speed manual and a blast to drive on the street but it's horrible in traffic jams and at the strip.

Mustang is an auto and was purchased to race at the strip. It won me 2 events last season. you want to win races, better get an auto.

Owning both is getting the best of both worlds.

JIM5.0

I have tried my hand at a road course, well, some twisties back roads, pretty much abandoned.
I cannot agree more. The stick rules when on such maneuvering.

Automatics will dominate the drag strip with a good tune for the shift points, but it is possible to get some seriously sick-fast time slips on manuals too.
You just have to be skilled in moving your feet and the stick damn fast. Otherwise, you are better off in an automatic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1dP4B7DVcQ

MrSandman

Maybe I'm getting old.. (37), but id love.. just love.. an option for the car to start in first without the clutch.. and then need the clutch from 2nd to 6th. It would make traffic and launches so much easier.. I said option.. so for when I'm not feeling lazy.. I could have my full control back again at the flip of a switch

pdonket

I have an automatic, but mostly just because at the time of purchase (and still to this day) need to learn how to drive a stick, but didn't really want to buy the mustang hoping I'd enjoy stick driving.

Part of my still regrets getting an automatic, but I'm sure on the longer drives I would be thanking myself for the auto. Later in life I want to have a manual in my sporty car that isn't for daily driving, then an auto in my daily driver, probably a truck.

pascal

The French already invented that in the Citroen 2CV, lol.
It's called centrifugal clutch.

rocket237

course a B&M quick click, would solve alot of issue's I'm thinking. I installed one in a 72 challenger r/t. It had a fairbanks racing transmission installed, so the shifting was manual (no drive). It shifted all the way down, for 1st, then ya clicked your way up to 2nd and 3rd. You had too downshift (manually). Back too 1st. So in esssence, ya had a manual, but no clutch. . The valve body was designed this way in the replacement tranny, btw.