[VIDEO] Former Owner of a C7 Corvette with a Manual Transmission Sings the Praises of the C8’s DCT

By
Mitch Talley
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[VIDEO] Former Owner of a C7 Corvette with a Manual Transmission Sings the Praises of the C8's DCT


As the former owner of a seven-speed manual C7, I know firsthand the intangible thrill of shifting gears for yourself.

Morgan Crosbie was in the same boat with his old C7, but in a new video this Chevrolet salesman and early C8 owner makes a strong case for GM’s decision to dump the manual and install only a dual-clutch transmission in the new mid-engine Corvette instead.

Crosbie explains that manual transmissions industry-wide are a dying thing, with just 1.5 percent of all vehicles leaving the factory that way. Even though the C7 Corvette generation was much higher at 23 percent, it still wasn’t a good business decision for Chevy to design a bespoke manual for the C8.

Furthermore, he explains that having to drill into the center tunnel of the C8 to allow a manual would have lessened the structural integrity of the car. Moving the engine to the rear of the car also made it difficult to run mechanical linkages.

[VIDEO] Former Owner of a C7 Corvette with a Manual Transmission Sings the Praises of the C8's DCT


Crosbie also points out the many advantages that the DCT offers over manuals, including the ability to have remote start. The DCT also allows much quicker shifts, resulting in much better performance since time isn’t wasted with the inherently much slower mechanical clutch and gears. A DCT has two clutches beside each other, so it’s much faster shifting from one gear to another. “When that happens,” Crosbie says, “the shift is so immediate that you don’t really even notice it and you can also have all that power being applied at the same time.”

Still, for those who want to shift gears themselves, Crosbie demonstrates two ways to do that, providing a piece of good news for the die-hard manual enthusiasts out there.

All in all, we’re happy to see that even someone like Crosbie, who admits that he was not “a happy camper” upon hearing that the manual transmission would be missing from the C8, has been converted rather quickly by the benefits of the DCT.

So, fellow manual guys, has this video convinced you that GM made the right decision to offer only a DCT transmission?


Source:
Morgan Crosbie / YouTube

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8 COMMENTS

  2. There is nothing like the connection a driver has with a sports car that can compare with a manual! The fact that many do not know how to shift a transmission does not obviate that fact. Also, a front engined 50/50 weight distributed sports car will always handle better than a 60/40 snap oversteer vehicle.
    I will keep my C7 Z51M7, thank you.

  3. KG, it’s always amazing to hear from the folks that THINK they know better. Current racing, supercar, and hypercar standards (and the deep experience of Tadge Juechter and the Corvette Team) put the lie to front-engined, manual transmissioned vehicles being the way to go. Time and progress march on; the limits of physics remain. Yes, you get a greater sense of “bonding with the vehicle” and showing off your coordination skills with a MT, but the state of the performance art on street or track has long gone to DCTs, sequentials, and the architectural solutions represented in the C8.

  4. My Buicks with their AT are appropriately outfitted & provide outstanding comfort, performance & gas mileage. However, my 7 speed 2019 Grand Sport and my 1999 Nassau Blue 6 speed coupe give me a giant thrill each time I drive them. While the C8s are amazing, IMHO they are not a true sports car with an AT. Hopefully to Z06 will offer a manual. Not holding out much optimism. I will treasure my current Vettes and maybe overtime warm up to the C8s.

  5. Still gotta have my MT, but the video is pretty convincing. Guess the only solution is to get a C8 and keep the C7! Now to convince my wife…

  6. I have a poster that reads: Real men use 3 pedals in their proper sports cars!

    The robot shifting of the C8 removes one of the most enjoyable and satisfying parts of driving high performance sports cars = shifting with proper foot work that was taught, practiced, and used to win many races.

    So many great racing moments in the past have occurred due to skilled gear selection, perfect heel and toe execution with split second timed passes. All of this wonderful opportunity is now lost forever for Corvette enthusiasts who would buy a new version.

    And if anyone fails to grasp it’s not about equaling a computer’s shifting speed, it’s about the grand experience of shifting and dancing on the pedals at a very high art form level, then they haven’t experienced what makes up likely 30% of the sports car driving experience quite obviously.

    Why stop with DCT? Why not auto braking, computerized steering control ( like Lane assist)? Heck Why not just turn all cars into robotically controlled transportation pods? If someone wants to race computer vs computer…ok…soulless and pointlessly meaningless.

    This is in my opinion the greatest mistake I’ve ever seen Corvette make! I’ve owned many Vettes and raced them all. I currently own 2 (C6Z06 & C6 427) Both are 6 speed manuals. That won’t be changing anytime soon.

  7. Watched the video…
    Same old story. Are you convincing me or yourself that you are enjoying it more ? That it’s the same..stop trying so hard…
    It’s not the same, and it will never be the same experience and connection.
    Yes, but it’s faster and new tech!
    Great and if that works for someone, that’s good.
    But let’s not kid ourselves that the emotional driving connection and mechanical involvement will ever be the same.

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