[Drnick]

Impo, if you live in a congested area with a lot of stop and go, and f it’s a daily driver, get the automatic, resale will be better, because more potential buyers for the auto. But, if U
Want a “ Toy”, and it’s a weekend warrior,go for the manual .
Personally, my other “Toy” is a Supra, and it only came with an 8 speed
Auto ( my first ever sports car with an auto) and I love it!

[pauly1119]

Originally Posted by JBones81

Definitely agree. But seems here that some manual guys are complaining that this particular one is difficult to live with when not actually playing around. That concerns me.

The other thing that hasn't come up too much yet is which transmission is better when modding. I would think that the Auto would be better when you get to the 750+rwhp area, no?

I honestly don’t see what they are complaining about. The first day I got behind the wheel of my ZLE I was thoroughly impressed with how the 6 speed felt. I have owned a lot of manuals through the years. All cars take a little self adjustment but the Camaro is smooth as butter. I also have a 6 speed in my Corvette and honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. My daily is a auto but it’s also a GMC Sierra. I’ve driven the 10 speed a few times now with a SS not a ZL1 and thought yea it shifts nice but now what. Just a little boring, my truck has a 10 speed and I never even think about it shifting. They are fast and will out perform the 6 speed in the 0 to 60 and 1/4 mile metric but this isn’t the right car for that in the first place in my opinion. I think either way it will be an amazing car it’s your car your choice. Someday that choice won’t be there.

[TXCSSU]

Originally Posted by JBones81

Damnit guys...after negotiating with local dealer for a couple weeks, I was ready to put the order in tomorrow. I went back and forth over all the options, but was stuck most on color, PDR and transmission. Decided on Satin Steel, no pdr (I won't track this) and manual. Now reading this I'm unsure again!! This car will just be a toy for around town and taking my son to car shows, but most of the roads here in the Bay Area are short, congested, and full of stop lights. I want the manual because they're getting harder and harder to find, but the autos are so good now. The transmission in the rs3 is amazing, and I never wish it was a manual. However, I had a 2019 grand sport auto and it was really boring, and the AFM was super annoying too. For me, it's easier to justify spending $70k on a ZL1 when I have the excuse of, "Well, v8s and manuals are going extinct soon..." than it is to just get it as an automatic.

Am I crazy to stick with the manual choice, or crazy to NOT get an automatic in this particular car?

I won't be driving my ZL1 in bumper to bumper traffic nor in a stoplight rich area. It sounds like you need more of a daily driver, in which case I would consider something other than the ZL1. The ZL1 with the auto may make for a nice daily, but I bought mine to drive when I have a special destination in mind not the strip mall. The special destination will let me row through the gears in an engaging way, not in a way to penalize me.

[Scottyz]

Love my six speed in my ZLE. I drive autos everyday so this was a no brainer for me as this is my fun car. My other fun car has an auto. But I must admit that 10 speed seems like one hell of an automatic transmission.

[JBones81]

Originally Posted by raptor5244

I hear you, it is a tough choice, the issue for me with this particular car is the tall gear ratios of the M6 required to handle the power of the LT4. The feedback I got from some folks that own both is that the ZL1 M6 does not necessarily "feel" much quicker down low then an SS with an M6 due to the shorter gearing in the SS.

The good news in the ZL1 is there is no AFM with the auto like you have in the Corvettes and Camaro SS. The other thing is that the A10 is noticeably better than the A8. It shifts better and it has improved ratios over the A8. The A10 helps you to maximize the performance from the LT4 as it shifts quicker and always keeps you in the power band.

See here for the actual ratio comparisons between the A8 and A10.
https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/...0speed-gm.html

It is a tough choice with this particular car. If the A10 was a traditional slush box I would tell you to get the M6 and be done with it. However, the A10 is really, really good and makes this car a superstar. You just have to decide what you think you will enjoy more. Regardless of what you choose you will probably have days where you wished you had the other.

Thanks again for the replies. I read them all carefully! I think this one hits the nail on the head - no matter which one I ultimately decide, there will be days where I wish I had the other. Maybe I should flip a coin

[CW3SF]

Originally Posted by JBones81

Thanks again for the replies. I read them all carefully! I think this one hits the nail on the head - no matter which one I ultimately decide, there will be days where I wish I had the other. Maybe I should flip a coin

FWIW I have had the M6 ZL1 since July 2019 and I have never once wished I had an A10. Never even close and not for 1 second. But I don’t daily drive it or drag it 1/4 mile. It’s a weekend and road course car.

If I totaled my ZL1 tomorrow and I could only find an A10 to replace it I wouldn’t buy another one. I’d go back to a Viper.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by CW3SF

I’d go back to a Viper.

I'm surprised you left Viper.

[raptor5244]

Originally Posted by JBones81

Thanks again for the replies. I read them all carefully! I think this one hits the nail on the head - no matter which one I ultimately decide, there will be days where I wish I had the other. Maybe I should flip a coin

They should invent a way to have both.

I actually searched for an M6 ZL1 but none of the dealers near me will order an M6 for inventory. They all say it takes longer to sell the manual cars since you limit the number of potential buyers. If you want a manual you have to order it.

While you give up some engagement with the A10 I find the ZL1 has so much power you just give it a little juice and you light up the rear tires and kick the tail out a bit, yeehaawww.

Also, as mentioned don’t forget about the A10 Performance Shift mode. One of my favorite things about the M6 is being able to hold gears and control the exhaust note. With the A10 this is aspect is subdued a bit when just cruising around but all you need to do is stab the accelerator real quick and the trans will downshift to the ideal gear based on your speed and hold the rpm. When the mood strikes you get in this mode and as long as you keep driving in a spirited manner it will keep playing along. The best is as you approach a stop it will keep downshifting and keep the revs up giving you all the exhaust burbles you normally inducing naturally with the manual.

If you drive around in Sport or Track mode it will also enter performance shift mode based on g forces. It is pretty cool when you come off highway ramp a decent speed, late brake and A10 automatically starts downshifting to much lower gears and keeps the revs up as it anticipates you getting ready to accelerate again. It is the excellent programming of the A10 that makes it seem so much better than the A8 SS I had in the past.

IMO, the A10 makes this car have a bit of a dual personality. If you put it in Comfort mode and just feel like cruising it behaves like a sporty Cadillac. Flip it into Sport mode and put your foot in it and it turns into a beast.

Good luck, either way you will be smiling.

[Higgs Boson]

Originally Posted by JSH

I'm surprised you left Viper.

Vipers are good for two things. holding as an investment and watching someone else cruise down the highway in one. they are HORRIBLE to drive.

[jvandy50]

Originally Posted by JBones81

Damnit guys...after negotiating with local dealer for a couple weeks, I was ready to put the order in tomorrow. I went back and forth over all the options, but was stuck most on color, PDR and transmission. Decided on Satin Steel, no pdr (I won't track this) and manual. Now reading this I'm unsure again!! This car will just be a toy for around town and taking my son to car shows, but most of the roads here in the Bay Area are short, congested, and full of stop lights. I want the manual because they're getting harder and harder to find, but the autos are so good now. The transmission in the rs3 is amazing, and I never wish it was a manual. However, I had a 2019 grand sport auto and it was really boring, and the AFM was super annoying too. For me, it's easier to justify spending $70k on a ZL1 when I have the excuse of, "Well, v8s and manuals are going extinct soon..." than it is to just get it as an automatic.

Am I crazy to stick with the manual choice, or crazy to NOT get an automatic in this particular car?

I hope my post being critical of the M6 does not sway your decision, i do not like all the new safeguards but they do make the car pretty dummy proof. I still would pick the M6 and like CW3SF, would not be interested in an A10 ZL1. I fully believe it’s an awesome tranny, i love hearing the 1-2 shift brief pause, it’s just not for me at this time. The TR6060 is still the best manual I’ve ever driven, just the off idle stuff is a little ridiculous. I actually got this ZLE because shelby announced the DCT. I’m a mustang guy at heart

[JBones81]

Originally Posted by jvandy50

I hope my post being critical of the M6 does not sway your decision, i do not like all the new safeguards but they do make the car pretty dummy proof. I still would pick the M6 and like CW3SF, would not be interested in an A10 ZL1. I fully believe it’s an awesome tranny, i love hearing the 1-2 shift brief pause, it’s just not for me at this time. The TR6060 is still the best manual I’ve ever driven, just the off idle stuff is a little ridiculous. I actually got this ZLE because shelby announced the DCT. I’m a mustang guy at heart

I used to be team Mustang, for years...Had a bunch during the 90s and then had a supercharged GT/Saleen clone that got me a ton of attention (female) in the early 2000s...went from that to an 03 Cobra, and got it up to 501rwhp, back when that number was still very impressive for a street car. I then discovered GMs and went with the z28 to c5 to c6 etc etc...However, I did pick up a 2016 GT back in January of that year and sold it like 8 months later. It was an auto (not the good autos the mustangs have now) and it SUCKED. I loved the way it looked and the sound (res delete with flowmaster outlaws), but the base interior was crap and the auto was so bad. Honestly, I should have just kept the 17 SS 1LE. I really liked that car, but I wanted to get a c7 before they were gone, but then messed up by getting the auto again.

So you can see why I'm losing sleep over this decision. I really don't want to spend $70k on a car I'm not totally happy with, but looking at all the other options in that price range the ZL1 seems to be the best choice overall.

[jvandy50]

Originally Posted by JBones81

I used to be team Mustang, for years...Had a bunch during the 90s and then had a supercharged GT/Saleen clone that got me a ton of attention (female) in the early 2000s...went from that to an 03 Cobra, and got it up to 501rwhp, back when that number was still very impressive for a street car. I then discovered GMs and went with the z28 to c5 to c6 etc etc...However, I did pick up a 2016 GT back in January of that year and sold it like 8 months later. It was an auto (not the good autos the mustangs have now) and it SUCKED. I loved the way it looked and the sound (res delete with flowmaster outlaws), but the base interior was crap and the auto was so bad. Honestly, I should have just kept the 17 SS 1LE. I really liked that car, but I wanted to get a c7 before they were gone, but then messed up by getting the auto again.

So you can see why I'm losing sleep over this decision. I really don't want to spend $70k on a car I'm not totally happy with, but looking at all the other options in that price range the ZL1 seems to be the best choice overall.

Everything you just typed says get the manual IMO lol.

It is a big decision. If you said you wanted to be faster, or hadn’t been displeased with other autos, I’d be up in the air too…but you seem to want the fun factor. Btw, the M6 has no-lift shift and rev matching so the chassis doesn’t get upset if you suck at heel/toe(I’m not that great). So it is buttery smooth and has tech out the yingyang. I’m just nitpicking the off idle feedback.

This car has made me rethink brand royalty, i cannot deny I’m getting so much more out of my money, as it is the best bang for buck overall performer no questions asked.

I also had a 16GT 6spd i loved, but then a GT350 that sucked soooo bad…then poof, a bow tie appears in the garage amongst all my blue oval and mustang decor lol

[CW3SF]

Originally Posted by JSH

I'm surprised you left Viper.

I’m getting old. My Viper was 660whp and it was raw, nasty, loud, smelly, rough riding and tried to kill me when I put the hammer down. The technology in the car consisted of electric windows, radio with CD player and air conditioning that didn’t cool the passengers. It was the best 12 years of car ownership I’ve had in my life.

I switched to the ZL1 for the mag ride, stability control, traction control, Car Play, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, PDR, better M6 and approximately equal power with respectable road course prowess. I loved my Viper but I don’t regret the move. It was time.

[collinms]

The A10 is faster. I bought a performance car for performance. If you don't mind getting beat by a mustang or Subaru at a stop light, sure get the manual. Alot of these discussions are from people that haven't experienced both cars. Just go drive them both and it's clear.