2015 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC
CHEVROLET’S NEW 8L90 eight speed automatic transmission is ready for duty in the 2015 Corvette Stingray. The 6.2-liter V8/eight speed combo is good for a 3.7-second 0-60 time, 29 mpg and faster shifts than many dual clutch transmissions most notably the Porsche 911’s.
We tested the ’15 ’Vette on General Motors’ famed Milford Road Course and some surrounding streets. We’re not going to say the new auto is better than a manual transmission; it isn’t. There’s still no way it can match the involvement or control of rowing your own. But we can say with authority that a dual clutch isn’t the only way to go if you insist on letting the car shift itself.
Chevy says it went with the torque converter automatic over a dual clutch for a couple reasons: The DCTs on the market wouldn't fit in the space reserved for the 2014’s six-speed, and the auto works better with the Corvette’s Active Fuel Management system to achieve the 29 highway mpg EPA estimate.
The 8L90 weighs about 8 pounds less than the out going six speed automatic, thanks to extensive use of magnesium and aluminum. A taller top gear leads to an 8 percent decrease in engine rpm at 70 mph.
Out on the roller coaster that is the Milford Road Course, we threw the ’Vette into track mode and left the gear shift in D. It takes about two turns and a hard braking event to get the trans to realize you’re on a racetrack, then it switches into what we’ll call “redline mode.” At that point, the transmission kicks into the lowest gear possible. It can drop down three when you’re on the brakes hard and hold
high rpm indefinitely if you keep the throttle steady.
We caught the new transmission hunting only once in about 12 laps on the difficult course, and that could have been our fault with sloppy pedal work. It is a little unsettling seeing the shift lights on the dash flashing, meaning “shift,” while the transmission just hangs in gear and the exhaust wails at full rpm.Once your driving has settled down off track, the eight speed automatically adjusts back into street mode.
After driving three high powered cars with eight speed, torque converter automatics (Challenger SRT Hellcat, Jaguar F-Type R and now this ’Vette), we can say the newest models are every bit as good as dual-clutches. They can shift as fast, feel smoother and aren’t rough on low speed launches like many performance oriented DCTs.
No automatic offers the connected driving experience a true manual can, but they get closer every year. Corvette buyers who want an automatic now can choose one of the best units available.
We tested the ’15 ’Vette on General Motors’ famed Milford Road Course and some surrounding streets. We’re not going to say the new auto is better than a manual transmission; it isn’t. There’s still no way it can match the involvement or control of rowing your own. But we can say with authority that a dual clutch isn’t the only way to go if you insist on letting the car shift itself.
Chevy says it went with the torque converter automatic over a dual clutch for a couple reasons: The DCTs on the market wouldn't fit in the space reserved for the 2014’s six-speed, and the auto works better with the Corvette’s Active Fuel Management system to achieve the 29 highway mpg EPA estimate.
The 8L90 weighs about 8 pounds less than the out going six speed automatic, thanks to extensive use of magnesium and aluminum. A taller top gear leads to an 8 percent decrease in engine rpm at 70 mph.
Out on the roller coaster that is the Milford Road Course, we threw the ’Vette into track mode and left the gear shift in D. It takes about two turns and a hard braking event to get the trans to realize you’re on a racetrack, then it switches into what we’ll call “redline mode.” At that point, the transmission kicks into the lowest gear possible. It can drop down three when you’re on the brakes hard and hold
high rpm indefinitely if you keep the throttle steady.
We caught the new transmission hunting only once in about 12 laps on the difficult course, and that could have been our fault with sloppy pedal work. It is a little unsettling seeing the shift lights on the dash flashing, meaning “shift,” while the transmission just hangs in gear and the exhaust wails at full rpm.Once your driving has settled down off track, the eight speed automatically adjusts back into street mode.
After driving three high powered cars with eight speed, torque converter automatics (Challenger SRT Hellcat, Jaguar F-Type R and now this ’Vette), we can say the newest models are every bit as good as dual-clutches. They can shift as fast, feel smoother and aren’t rough on low speed launches like many performance oriented DCTs.
No automatic offers the connected driving experience a true manual can, but they get closer every year. Corvette buyers who want an automatic now can choose one of the best units available.
2015 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC
Reviewed by Unknown
on
7:15 AM
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
7:15 AM
Rating:
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