Guys , this is what makes it hard to find anything in hte archives !
Change the subject line .
At 04:36 PM 2/28/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>
>On Sun, 28 Feb 1999, mrdancer wrote:
>
>> Ever since the 727 Torqueflite first appeared in drag racing, automatics
>> have been consistently faster thru the traps than manuals. Only when
>> manuals were speed-shifted without using the clutch (a.k.a. Ronnie Sox)
>> could they beat the autos, all else being equal. Drag racers nowadays
use a
>> highly modified auto tranny (e.g. - Lenco). These are basically
>> manually-shifted autos that offer the best of both worlds as far as
speed is
>> concerned.
>
>
> I don't know that I'd consider a Lenco an automatic transmission
>though. If anything, I'd consider it a modified manual... Basically,
>a "clutchless manual". You still have to shift each and every gear
>by hand, so there's nothing "automatic" about it except for the lack
>of a clutch. The driver is still in 100% control of when the
>tranny shifts.
>
>
>> Psychology plays a major role in whether a person prefers an automatic or a
>> manual. People who drive manuals are more in control of their car as
far as
>> where shift points occur, and they also have a more direct physical contact
>> with the driveline. People who drive autos tend to be a little more
>> pragmatic, letting the driveline do its job, while they concentrate on
other
>> tasks, be it driving or whatever. Chrysler could easily put an auto in the
>> Viper and it would most likely make the car faster and could be made
just as
>> durable (or more durable) as the 6-speed. However, for the aforementioned
>> reasons, Chrysler went with the manual - it is more macho and sporting and
>> plays a major psychological role in the overall driving experience.
>
>
> I agree with your assessment that psychology has a lot to do with
>the decision (in the consumer market, mainly; in professional competition,
>the nature of the contest often dictates the equipment required to remain
>competitive); there are also the issues of "losing control" of a portion
>of the vehicle when you go with an auto. Some people just don't like that.
>
>I disagree that an auto would make the Viper faster though. It all
>depends on the application, and what you consider "fast". Top speed?
>Either one would probably be about the same. Drag racing? Here the
>advantage leans toward the auto. Road racing? The manual, no question.
>Check out the in-car cameras on Speedvision; I have yet to see an auto in
>these types of vehicles. (And this is the type of racing the Viper
>is aimed at.) Manuals are faster here, and will continue to be until
>an automatic can be developed which will see the curves before they
>arrive at them, and get into the right gear, taking into account
>the curve, the grade, and all of the other things going through a
>driver's mind. (This will probably never happen.) :-)
>
>
> -Jon-
>
> .--- stei0302@cs.fredonia.edu ----------------------------------------.
> | Jon Steiger * AOPA, DoD, EAA, MP Race Team, NMA, SPA, USUA * RP-SEL |
> | '96 Dodge Dakota v8 SLT CC (14.58@93.55), '96 Kolb FireFly 447 |
> `--------------------------- http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~stei0302/ ---'
>
>
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Jack Hilton III
Black 1998 Dodge Dakota R/T Club Cab
Charter Pipeline......the Next Wave.....
http://webpages.charter.net/hemi/jbd1.html
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