2015 Chevrolet Corvette Proves You Don't Need a Manual Even at the Track

There is a lot of debate about the future of the tried-and-true manual transmission. Enthusiasts think it is the purest option to truly "feel" what you're driving. Pragmatists point to modern automated transmissions' greater fuel economy and other advantages. In many ways they're both right, but after taking a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette with its new eight-speed automatic to the track, we're pretty sure we wouldn't buy it any other way.

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We spent a day at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill., with a 2015 Vette with the Z51 package and an eight-speed automatic. While we still find this setup firm — one editor called it "medieval torture" — for every day use, it was perfectly suited for the tight 1.46-mile course where the handling shined.

"Even though it's extremely capable, the Corvette wasn't a handful to drive. The car goes where you want it to, and the quick-ratio steering is nice," Senior Editor Mike Hanley said.

Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder and Managing Editor David Thomas both placed it as their favorite track sled of choice; that was on a day that also featured a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, BMW M4, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Cadillac ATS-V.

But what about the Corvette's transmission?

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Cars.com photo by Evan Sears

"The eight-speed makes extremely quick gear changes and downshifts into corners like you'd want it to and holds gears longer," Hanley said. Wiesenfelder agreed, "It doesn't exhibit the indecision so many automatics do, especially those with high gear counts."

Wiesenfelder also pointed to the various electronic modes available in the Corvette for helping it shine. "The performance mode does a good job of guessing which gear to be in, and it downshifts through the gears as you decelerate or brake - without bucking or throwing you into your seat belt each time, which gives the effect of nonlinear braking. Less sophisticated executions do exactly this."

Of course the Corvette had other things going for it that might have shaded our opinions.

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Cars.com photo by David Thomas

"Nothing makes an automatic transmission look better than a giant, torque-y engine," Wiesenfelder said. While Hanley pointed to weight, as well. "I thought the power was great coming out of tight corners, nearly as forceful as the Challenger Hellcat we had. A curb weight that's about 1,100 pounds less than the Dodge will do that," he said.

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Cars.com photo by Evan Sears

The eight-speed proved to be preferable at the drag strip, too, as our Road Test Editor Joe Bruzek reported: "The Corvette ripped to a best 11.99 seconds at 117.3 mph. The automatic's fast and furious shifts leave little time on the table, plus there's minimal engine speed loss between gear changes, so the 460-hp 6.2-liter is in its happy place, accelerating the Corvette hard all the way down the quarter-mile."

While the Cars.com team at Cars.com enjoys a good manual transmission in the right car, they can say there's nothing wrong with taking an automatic on the track. Especially this one.