(WRX 5sp) vs (WRX Auto)

[BobbyD]

Me and my friend have identical brand new WRX's, both 1 month old. They are both silver and identical, inside and out, except for the transmissions, mine has a 5 speed, and his is an automatic, and both are stock. We went on an empty road, where people always race, its about 4 lanes wide, and nobody drives on it. We did 2 runs. Everytime off the line, we would jump even, i couldnt slip the clutch right, so i would either spin or bog. Anyways, in would pull ahead a little in first. THen in second i would bea bout 1-2 cars ahead. And in the end of third i would be about 3 1/2 cars ahead...I was very suprised that a manual transmission makes that much difference. He was kidnda mad at himself for opting for the automatic.

-Bobby D

[Diesel757]

Very enlightening... When I bought my car I had never driven a manual before. After signing the paper work the dealer took me to an empty parking lot and gave me a crash course for 15 minutes. I found it to be much harder than riding a motorbike.
How come your friend got the automatic instead? Either way, manual or automatic, they're still great cars to have fun in.

[pace]

Originally posted by Diesel757

..
minutes. I found it to be much harder than riding a motorbike.
..

Funny you should say that. I learnt to drive a car (manual tranny), and ride a motorcycle at approximately the same time, at age 10. IIRC it took me just a few minutes on the bike to get the hand-foot clutch-shifter synchronization mastered. The car was a much more frustrating experience and I vividly remember it taking me several outings (and two traumatized parents ) in a wide open field to get the hang of things.

I think the controls on a motorcycle are much more natural for humans to adapt to. You can never get quite the same clutch feel when using your foot, as with your hand. Ditto throttle.

-Pace

[Diesel757]

I know what you mean Pace... Thank you for reassuring me that I am not wierd for thinking this.

[PlatinumWRX]

I raced RobPA on Street Road on the way to Doylestown once. He has a manual with only a catback tranny. I was running my MBC at 16psi. I barely tried and lit him up so bad it was a sin. Same deal as your Post BobbyD.

It makes a huge difference. Rob's doing some work on his car: stall converter, boost gauge, MBC, uppipe. He should be running right with me. Of course, I've done my Silicone hoses and I'll be getting my uppipe soon. I'd like to do TurboXS full turboback exhaust too.

One day I'll get my Link ECU tuned, but for now it's back to the stock controller. I don't like the damn car stalling on me when I start it and dipping way low on the tach when I let off the gas. The car is running so bad.

-Jim

[UfMarkED]

im kinda tired of everyone raging on auto's. Sure they have about 10% more overall friction and one less gear but allot of you guys really did not do your homework. The big difference is in the diffs. You standard kids are driving with a passive power distribution. The autos meanwhile have an anticipative system, that is to say stds have to wait for the rear wheels to slip BEFORE the power goes there so when the pulse from turbo kicking in hits the stds are not ready for it. Sure the clutch basically gives stds a built in neutral drop but much of that power is then comsumed by the diffs heating up. So you end up having to rev to like 5K where an auto can rev to 4K where the boast is still full and the torque is at its highest.

Mostly though the auto kicks the **** out of std on real world problems like the DC beltway not the 1/4 mile. On our perfect RE92's my auto has yet to spin out. Unless i find a spot where all 4 tires are able to spin and even then it reacts fast than i can by throttling back till it catches. It is all kinda personal taste a little more responsiveness or a little more high end power.

[S4Guy]

hey just a question, i drive a 4eat, what rpm did you slip at and at what rpm did your friend launch at. i can launch my stock auto at the max just about everytime, 3-3.1k, did your friend get a full launch or even launch properly at all?

[tan]

I thought RobPA is running an automatic, because he hated the feel of the manual shifter.

But automatics, compared to manuals, at the dragstrip is more consistent than the manuals