The Viper is officially irrelevant

[hotrodalex]

Yeah if I swapped transmissions I'd just get a 5 speed.

[280Z Turbo]

Yeah if I swapped transmissions I'd just get a 5 speed.

Alas, it's crazy expensive for an old GM car.

[hotrodalex]

If you find a decent used one it can be done for $1500 I think. New is $3000.

[68_427]

I could use a 6th gear.  4K RPM at 80mph isn't cool bro

[Cookie Monster]

I could use a 6th gear.  4K RPM at 80mph isn't cool bro

Pfft I'm close to 4k at 70mph.

[hotrodalex]

What kinda of retarded cars are you driving.

I'm at 3k at 70. 4k at 92. And I have 4 speed with no overdrive.

[68_427]

4.44 gears brah

[Cookie Monster]

What kinda of retarded cars are you driving.

I'm at 3k at 70. 4k at 92. And I have 4 speed with no overdrive.

Dat 4cylinder engine life.

[hotrodalex]

What kind of people say kinda of.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Even driving a 6 speed is a bit weird to me. All the cars I've owned have been 5 speeds and it's perfect IMO.

I drove a 6spd manual for over a decade and I never got confused.......

[Onslaught]

I drove a 6spd manual for over a decade and I never got confused.......

I go from a 5 to 6 speed all the time and have no problems. Even with reverse being in the opposite place from one car to the next.

[Cookie Monster]

I drove a 6spd manual for over a decade and I never got confused.......

Cool. I'm sure if I drove one for 10 years I'd also get the hang of it by then.

[12,000 RPM]

Its just 1 extra gear lol.

When I first got my Z I thought 6 gears were too much. Now it seems about perfect.

[Payman]

Love to have a 6th O/D for the highway in the Miata.

[12,000 RPM]

Its got to be geared right though. Wifeys car has a 6AT and on any kind of incline 6th gear is useless. From what I remember 5th gear in her car is equivalent to 6th gear in mine. It can get kind of stupid.

[GoCougs]

More gears = better mpg and better performance.

[12,000 RPM]

Not if the ratios aren't chosen well. My wife's car could easily be a 5 speed and do fine.

[GoCougs]

Not if the ratios aren't chosen well. My wife's car could easily be a 5 speed and do fine.

What do you know that the thousands of VWAG power train engineers don't?

[AutobahnSHO]

What do you know that the thousands of VWAG power train engineers don't?

Thousands?
How many of them actually know what they are doing?

[MrH]

How many of them actually know what they are doing?

Compared to Sporty?  All of them.

[hotrodalex]

VW engineers probably made 6th an EPA gear.

A well chosen 5th gear makes a 6th unnecessary unless you are on the autobahn.

[12,000 RPM]

What do you know that the thousands of VWAG power train engineers don't?

Nothing... they probably made 6th gear suck to game the EPA tests. It's pretty much unusable on any kind of incline at highway speeds.

Compared to Sporty?  All of them.

U must still be aggy about that ATS shit. I know more than you and your analysts.

[ifcar]

Six gears is also necessary to win customers who do spec-sheet comparisons. "GAH what is this POS with a shitty outdated transmission."

And I'm sure there are some engineering decisions that are not very well done, either due to rushed development or priorities that don't reflect many consumers. Many cars have are tweaked over the life of their run, so it's clear that automakers are well aware that every decision made by an engineer isn't the best ever ever ever.

[Cookie Monster]

Not if the ratios aren't chosen well. My wife's car could easily be a 5 speed and do fine.

Automatics always are like that, though. The Miata 6AT in the NC is way taller than 6th in the manual. It's because in the auto, it and the drive don't care if it has to downshift on an incline or to pass. In a manual equipped car, people might not always want to have to downshift just to pass someone. That's why my car and the 6speed Miata spins at 4k at 70 mph, to keep it in the powerband whereas the 6AT Miata is at like 2600 rpm.

[Galaxy]

On the topic of gears and gearing. The new Mercedes E 350 diesel with the 9 speed auto does 200kmh (124mph) at 2,200 rpm. 

[Lebowski]

U must still be aggy about that ATS shit. I know more than you and your analysts.

Why aren't all the automakers fighting over you?

[12,000 RPM]

Why aren't all the automakers fighting over you?

Beats me I enjoy and am good at what I do though, I still get calls and emails from recruiters and old managers

[68_427]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgmtUEOBpLg#t=63

[12,000 RPM]

Wheel gap fail

[Lebowski]

Wheel gap fail

The Corvette team should hire you as well. Maybe you can start a consulting gig and fix them all.