AO

C'mon guys, really?

First off there is no substitute for running the car through the gears with a manual transmission. Period, full stop. I have owned and driven many auto 928's and yes they are fun, but they just don't compare to the manual trans as far as pleasure is concerned.

The 5-speed box is far from perfect, but you cannot tell me that it's just as fun to point and shoot in an auto. In my daily driver I have paddle shifters and even then it's just not the same.

As for power, yes, the auto boxes do seem to handle the power a bit better, but the 5-speeds are no slouches except for the clutch. The single disc clutches are at best good for about 400 crank hp or about 350 whp. I run a Spec stage 3+ clutch and so far no issues except for a VERY long break-in period.

I run a twin scre supercharger which is probably better suited for the auto, but so far everything has held up remarkably well. I'm planning a slight upgrade (maybe this month) that will test the power holding capability of the driveline. I will update you if **** starts to break.

Speedtoys

But never has to lift to shift..and shifts quicker.

The application of power matters to.

Not saying one is faster/better, just sayin.

Speedtoys

I dont think anybody _is_. I think its entirely a defensive reaction with a heavy anti-automatic bias thrown in as "youre not a real driver" "its not a REAL car"...hidden between the lines. Especially from a few people.

AO

There is a reason why most drag guys use autos... And there is a reaso why many road races choose manual gearboxes.

86'928S MeteorGrey

I've owned both on OB cars. The 5-speed on the '80 was very vague feeling (even with a complete rebuild of the shifter components. If you didn't shift if the proper RPM range, and give it a tiny moment after punching in the clutch, it would grind 1st to 2nd. The car had 65K on it and probably needed synchros, but it was still not fun compared to my '79...

If you have the auto adjusted correctly it performs VERY well.

Speedtoys

Ya.


Not aware were discussing building a racer either.


FWIW, auto boxes are generally, just plain not allowed in road racing.

hacker-pschorr

Try telling that to Jim Hall

Speedtoys

Generally speaking, the rules are class by class.

Jim Hall's rules..are for what Jim Hall races in.

brutus

Interesting as I see it is the automatic guys who are the defensive ones trying to justify their choice.
Have yet to see any 5 spd guy try to make his shifter look like an automatic but lots of auto with boot and lever "upgrades" . Heard of many auto to 5 speed swaps but only ONE GT into an auto in Hong Kong or something like that.
Forget 928s and look at most any other sports cars performance cars and the automatic is the kiss of death as far as resale collectability.
That is changing as we have a whole generation of drivers most of whom have never driven a stick shift car. Drove a PDK Cayman S a bit and was not impressed other than liking having 7 speeds
Get a new 911 with ABS, PDK , PDS ,sport supension, launch control and all you need do is point it and tell the computers what you would like to do by pushing on the rheostat (acc pedal) and it will decide if and when you can ! Makes a hero out of anyone.

hacker-pschorr

I take it you don't know who he is.......

I would like to see a list of what classes and sanctioning bodies outlaw all forms of automatic transmissions. Not saying you are wrong, just curious which ones do.

This is sort of a trick question since some classify an "automatic transmission" as one that can be shifted without using a clutch (and not by simply mashing the gears together).
When Indy / Champ Car went sequential, they were referred to as "semi-automatics".

Some "flappy paddle" cars have a hydraulic clutch, others have a traditional torque converter.

Then we have CVT's..........those are interesting to drive and really complicate the torque vs. HP debate.

GlenL

Of course it's torque that matters.

hacker-pschorr

Knock it off....or you will awaken The Kraken..I mean Kibort.

928NOOBIE

Put some bacon in them and the 5 speeds are slick.

danglerb

Many owners don't care about performance, they want a 928 because of how it looks, and are very happy with all aspects of an AT. I don't dislike an AT, all in all I prefer something like our Lincoln when I want what an AT offers.

dprantl

My 5-speed transmission has been doing just fine running 8.5psi boost for oh, about 75k miles supercharged now. Can't say the same for the single-disc clutch, but a dual-disc retrofit cured that.

And if you prefer an auto 928 to a 5-speed one, you are either old, or too young to have ever learned to drive 5-speed

Dan
'91 928GT S/C 475hp/460lb.ft