Challenger Powertrain Question - Part 2 - Transmission Selection

[Boydsdodge]

Thats a loaded ?
I love the car but to have to say if I would buy an automatic or not is hard, I am affraid to say yes because DCX will see that in a lot of us and say see we dont need to built a 6 speed.
My answer would realy be maybe if I could.

[allhemi]

Originally Posted by Mizzouri

I'd prefer the manual but would buy the car with an auto. I've got a vette for auto-x so the Challenger will be the drag car.

And what a nice drag car it would make!!

[Samax]

A muscle car without a manual is like making babies without getting some action. It's just not right.

[allhemi]

Originally Posted by Samax

A muscle car without a manual is like making babies without getting some action. It's just not right.

LOL!! Now thats a good one!

[Samax]

I think the manual tranny is the biggest factor of all for me. Notice the poll is close to 50/50. Without a stick I might as well keep my Charger and save the cash because the car isn't going to offer anymore than the Charger. I think more people would by a 5.7 and a manual than a 6.1 and an auto, at least I would. An engine can always be built for more power, but shoving a manual where no manual has gone before would be a major undertaking. I can turn 350hp into 425hp a lot cheaper than I can convert an auto into a manual. Sorry for the rant, I'm all better now.

[4dr Economy Car]

No manual = no sale

I want the base 3.5L V6 model (I have good reasons!), and a manual transmission offers more performance, more fun and costs less.

The manual will offer more of a performance increase with the V6 than it will with the V8's. A 425 hp SRT-8 should be plenty fast with either trans., but
the V6 manual could easily be one second faster from 0 to 60 than the V6 auto version (and get better gas mileage, and cost less to buy!)

DCX, keep in mind that most of the poll takers say that they would buy the Hemis, but really when it comes time for them to actually buy the car, many of the "Hemi" respondents would actually end up with the V6. Just look at the new Mustangs on the road, most of them are V6's.

I'm more realistic, I'm admitting straight up that I will buy a V6 model (barring any big lottery wins between now and Job One!), but only with a stickshift.

V6 stickshift = still fun to drive
V6 auto = boring punishment box

[firstmethod]

Most of the people buying v6 mustangs aren't car enthusiasts, they're interested in a sporty little number to putter around in. The people in this forum are powermongers and many are in an age band with disposable income. I've gathered many own multiple cars already from the messages they've left. You don't have a bunch of 19 YO kids here if the age poll is accurate so it makes more sense to take this poll at face value. Besides, DCX will conduct far more rigorous research in a different setting.

[Legion681]

Originally Posted by 4dr Economy Car

Just look at the new Mustangs on the road, most of them are V6's.

With the new Mustang it wasn't a matter of what people wanted, it was a matter of what Ford was building. Out of every 100 Mustangs (S197 of course) made, Ford was building 75 V-6s and only 25 V-8s. That's why, for most of last year, if you visited any Ford dealership, you would see lots of V-6s on the lot and no V-8s at all or if there were any, they were marked up (on average, 5k).
I know what I am talking about because I bought mine (a V-8, that is) in January 2005 and in all dealerships I went, the story was the same: order it and wait 5-6 months or try to find one on a lot with no mark up. I checked in three states: RI, MA and NH and I was only able to find ONE with no mark ups...let me repeat it: only ONE...And I had to be quick to get it, before someone else scooped it up.
And thank God I did that, because many people have had their V-8 '05 orders bumped up to '06 models, because Ford was stubbornly producing 3 V-6 for every V-8 produced...
So, while your argument might make sense, making the Mustang the example, I don't think it fits the occasion, really.
Just my 0.02...

[426Hemi]

I'm not sure I could bring myself to buy it with an auto. I might have to buy the Camaro instead. I've grown so tired of auto's I just cannot see muself buying one again. PLEASE, PLEASE, DC give it a manual.

[allhemi]

Originally Posted by 4dr Economy Car

The manual will offer more of a performance increase with the V6 than it will with the V8's. A 425 hp SRT-8 should be plenty fast with either trans., but
the V6 manual could easily be one second faster from 0 to 60 than the V6 auto version (and get better gas mileage, and cost less to buy!)

There is no way a manual is going to be a second faster than a automatic....3-4 tents at best. The reason I know is I use to drag race and I had a automatic mustang ran it and did a 5 speed conversion and ran it and there was only 4 tents difference and this was with the same car.