[V8] Recent V8 seat time - long post

[Coleman, David]

Good stuff, and I agree, I can certainly see how an auto trans might
"fit" the car better than a manual.  For me, I believe much of that has
to do with the physical driver seating position in relation to the
center console and shifter.  With a butt placement that of sport seats
or even lower, a cleaner shifter throw, and the center console left on
the garage bench, I think the overall appropriateness of a manual would
feel more spot on.

And as a suspension comparison, mine's the Konis on full soft and H&Rs.
Oh, and never mind about the bottoming-out deal; I'm still a bit
perturbed at you short-shifting the thing.    :-)    Glad you got the
opportunity to find the right side of the tach.


-DaveC.





> -----Original Message-----
> From: v8-bounces at audifans.com 
> [mailto:v8-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Tony and Lillie
> Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 10:14 AM
> To: V8 Audi Fans
> Subject: [V8] Recent V8 seat time - long post
> 
> V8'ers,
> 
> I've had the opportunity to drive a number of 5-speed V8's 
> recently. The first was Dave C's 4.2 converted '91. What a 
> beautiful car!! Definitely the nicest example I've laid eyes 
> on so far. And, with a replacement cost of probably $15K or 
> more, I didn't exactly drive it hard!! But, I did take off 
> pretty aggressive once, till probably 4000 RPM or so in 
> first. And, it was pretty impressive. Very quiet, though, 
> with a stock exhaust. The other thing, I don't know what 
> suspension he has, but it's lowered, and on big brakes. This 
> suspension is smoother and more comfortable than the stock, 
> other than reduced upward travel. And, I did bottom it out 
> pretty hard once (Sorry Dave).
> 
> The second was a completely stock blue '91 3.6L. This car ran 
> well above 4000, but exhibited the O2 surging. It also had 
> very bad tires, a bad alignment, and a host of other small 
> issues. I'll have to say, I spent quite a bit of time (about 
> 40 hours) in this car. This car, without a doubt, changed the 
> way I think of V8's. With a manual trans, the car is 
> completely transformed! The sound (rear muffler delete), the 
> feel, the power, an entirely different animal than the auto's 
> I've driven. The one downside was the powerband. It was 
> reasonably strong at lower RPM's, but didn't really come on 
> till 4000RPM. My auto, and the others I've driven come on 
> closer to 3400.
> 
> The third was Ingo Rautenberg's Pearl '91 5-speed. This car 
> has ported heads, cams, 2.5" exhaust, and a chip. Also, big 
> reds, 17" wheels, lowering springs, and bilsteins. I had a 
> ton of fun in his car. Much smoother and more linear power 
> delivery. VERY fast!!!! Oh, and sliding sideways at 7600 RPM 
> in first is a TON of fun! The suspension is a bit stiff for 
> my personal tastes, but this car is driven on the track quite 
> a bit, and I'm quite sure it's performance there is stellar.
> 
> There are a couple of observations I made along the way. The 
> first, 5th is lower than 4th in the auto. I'd like lower 
> RPM's than the auto on the highway, so this was worse for my 
> personal preference. The UFO's have so much better feel than 
> the G60's, I can't even describe the difference. The 5-speed 
> has a much easier tip in than the auto. The clutch is 
> surprisingly light for a 240 hp manual car.
> 
> At the end of the day, I'll say it was a very enlightening 
> experience. I'll have to admit I still prefer the feel of a 
> much lighter car. That said, Ingo's car, and from my limited 
> time, Dave's car, prove that a V8 can be made to be quite a 
> spectacular car. From a few others on the list, I'm sure 
> there are probably a few auto cars that exceed the factory 
> performance very nicely. I know Sean is working on one right now.
> 
> I believe the manual will outpull the auto with the manual in 
> third and the auto in second, even though the auto has the 
> gearing advantage there. Anyone with two stock examples 
> willing to try it? From driving them both, I wonder just how 
> much power that automatic transmission absorbs from the V8. 
> It sure seems like quite a bit.
> 
> What I find most interesting is this, I'm a manual trans guy. 
> I like the V8 manual. Yet, after that much time in the seat, 
> and that much better performance, I was left scratching my 
> head. Does the auto trans not fit the car better? I think so. 
> Much like a 928, the auto is certainly more fun, but at the 
> end of the day, I'd prefer an auto if I had one. I'm still 
> undecided on the V8, though. However, I know I'd prefer a 4.2 
> auto daily to a 3.6. When I'm driving a V8, I'm not so 
> concerned with gas milage anyhow ;-)
> 
> Tony Hoffman
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