It's actually really true. Stock for stock, an automatic will hold more horsepower and torque, and they're more reliable if maintained. I know through experience that an automatic can, and will beat a manual with the same engine mods but it will need some work like a aftermarket shift kit, a high stall torque converter and a tranmission fluid cooler.
Pure performance wise, how can you compare against a computer controled shift poitns compared to a human controled shift points? All the shifting will be done exact and crisper than any human can do. Drag cars are automatic as well as a lot of muslce cars. Just because high school kids think manuals are better doesn't mean that they are.
Howie~
P.S. Brake boosting on any turbocharged auto KILLS a manual dump ANYday. Less damage on the engine and clutch too!y
This is largely true for drag-specific cars though; some of the quickest cars down the quarter mile are indeed auto's, and with the afore-mentioned modifications the auto transmission is a very big advantage, so much so that it's close to impossible to get past[unles your name happens to be John Bresciani, who puts together said auto-shifted monsters]
Circuit wise its very different of course, but thats ot what is under discussion here.
__________________ "The racing car is not a mechanical exercise, it is not an art object. The racing car is simply a tool for the racing driver."~Carrol Smith(1932 - 2003)
Circuit racing has always been dominated by manuals, but autos have held their own on a lot of tracks. Manuals are good when there is a lot of play with the transmissions in order to keep the powerband optimal. A couple Audi Lemans winners were autos, but they had the Tiptronic option to downshift.
A stock auto transmission does and can hold more power. I am nearly 300whp and my auto is completely stock. A std transmission would have had to at least upgrade the clutch to handle that. I run a 13.24 in the 1/4 mile with my auto tib. Hopefully faster than that this year.
never neutral drop your auto, anyone that tells you to do that is 1. a ricer idiot and 2. knows nothing about cars or racing what so ever.
yeah i agree about autos shifting better but i say again you get more outta the car with a manual. No autos dont hold more power stock for stock thats bs for sure. A stock accent auto vs std is NOT more powerfull , again gearing my be different and for sure the shifting is smoother but a std tranny can and will hold more. Look up all the performance parts shops online they all have turbo kits for autos and std trannies. The std hp out puts for those kits are more than the autos, std is lighter and so what about the clutch, its a lot cheeper to upgrade a clutch than it is to biuld an auto tranny. DAMN a 300 whp Auto Tibby? thats crazy that would be better. A drag car for sure needs to be auto to shift and maintain power. autox and even amitur rally a manuel is best...unless you have a tiptronic auto...those are better for that. Its hard to say. This day and age Autos are getting so much better than std. My moms Z4 is the 6 speed auto with tiptronic paddle shifters. HUGE difference between that and a M3. Her car smokes 'em every time. It just is a matter of opinion i guess. Std is more fun but depending on the car and what you plan to do with it, its all up in the air.
Oh yeah you acctully need SKILL to drive a manual. Any pro driver who uses a manel is abetter driver than those with the autos...again, its just more fun beacause its you driving it.
__________________
2004 Hyundai Accent 1.6 Turbo - 143 whp (curently tuned at around 5 PSI)
2003 Tiburon GT (WIP)
"Ever notice that someone going faster than you is crazy and that someone going slower is an idiot?"
Generally those are boes with straight-cut gearsets and dog engagement; match those things up with launch control and gearchange ignition-cut, and you have the ultimate launch:
-Preset revlimit[just hold the right pedal down]
-Just dump the clutch and let the slip sensors and ignition retard handle the traction issues
-Bang through the gears while the throttle is flat down without using the clutch; each change, the full-throttle shift will sense movement at the stick and cut ignition timing to unload the dogs
Then the only issue becomes how to stop.
__________________ "The racing car is not a mechanical exercise, it is not an art object. The racing car is simply a tool for the racing driver."~Carrol Smith(1932 - 2003)
Manual LC2 Accent will beat the following automatic equipped bone stock (unless noted otherwise) Hyundai cars:
Accent
Elantra
Tiburon 2.0l
Tiburon 2.7l* I had I/H/E for this race
Sonata 2.4l
However equip all the cars with manuals and the Accent is the slowest of the pack. I have raced enough other Hyundais now to say that the only way you are faster in an automatic of any of these cars is with extensive modifications. The only one that even held it's own was the V6 Tib. Stock Hyundai's automatics are power hogs and there's not enough power to get enough benefit from the performance advantages an automatic offers to overcome the additional parasitic loss the automatic causes.
Plus, unexpected gear changes in the middle of a corner when you're pushing things are not your friend. Especially if you happen to be RWD, but no matter what they're not your friend.
I am a fan of automatic transmissions when used in drag applications and/or in cars with less than about 12 pounds per horsepower. Get under 10 pounds per horsepower and it becomes almost impossible to beat an automatic with a manual no matter how good you are at driving.
An auto Elantra is still behind me at 75, but I've never gone for longer. There was no indication of it catching up though.
Never raced an auto Tiburon 2.0 to above 40 but since it's heavier than the Elantra with the same engine I can't see it catching up.
The Auto Tiburon V6 was a race to about 50 but I was certainly not "dusting" him. I don't know if he would have caught up, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he did.
I've raced 2 Sonata 2.4l, an old Sirius equipped one and a new Theta equipped one. The older one was really, really slow. The newer one was just kind of slow. Both races were to about 45. The newer Sonata may have been able to catch up given enough road.
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