Manual VS Auto 1/4 Mile racing facts
Senior Member
Joined: 06-26-2008
Posts: 4,152
From: N.W. Burbs Chicago
For the everyday driving i do on the street , I would rather be in control of the gear and RPM i'm at when i nail it and get 25-27 psi, The auto might get that right , But at 70 mph , And a down shift to third to get by someone talking on the phone , And maybe make them realize there the slowest car on the H.W. and there in the speed lane , I want to control the exact moment of extreme passing that is required. And i do it well ! 
Long live the stick !
Long live the stick !
But from 70 - 100 , Not even close .
Fun factor = 5-speed
Daily driver with a kick = auto.
Senior Member
Joined: 03-11-2012
Posts: 181
From: Western WI
Real dragheads and street racers use manuals, although most use autos. It has more to do with the experience of the driver then the transmission.
Both of the tracks in MN and WI I visit on a regular basis in the summer months list the top winners. One track lists the top ten only, the other is about 23 or so, not sure why that amount but I think it has to do with a minimum standard so it changes all the time on the lower listings. Anyway, the track with the top ten as of last race day October 19 2012 had 6 autos and 4 manuals, the 20 something list was about 50/50. There is obviously a reason autos dominate short runs, they do not disconnect from the drivetrain for even a millisecond, where as manuals even driven by the best have fractional downtimes where the drivetrain isn't being powered.
Most of the autos are not 4 or 5 speeds, most drag autos are 2 speed auto powerglides or something similar.
But on stock nights the manuals mostly dominate mainly because most of the stock drivers are just as experienced or more then the superclasses and stock manuals are just faster off the line then stock autos.
But most regular folks like most here would, pardon my English, rape the stick off the line. With newer electronic transmissions and mods autos will always have an advantage over manuals at take off but mid-long range and roll or street racing most of the time manuals rule.
Please remember, even though I'm supercharging and modding my 2.4 to the max, I still know it's a HHR. It's not a race car no matter how much we put into it.
I don't have any of my fast cars anymore. My Nova, my vr4, my talon 3 stage. But I still have my 05 GSXR1000. And when someone revs their engine or speeds past me at 50 in a 30 or 90 in a 65, I just smile and know they have no idea what speed really is. Most don't.
I'm still very excited to see what a 275 HP HHR will feel like though.
So after all that, autos have an advantage with modded vehicles on short runs. That's pretty much it.
Both of the tracks in MN and WI I visit on a regular basis in the summer months list the top winners. One track lists the top ten only, the other is about 23 or so, not sure why that amount but I think it has to do with a minimum standard so it changes all the time on the lower listings. Anyway, the track with the top ten as of last race day October 19 2012 had 6 autos and 4 manuals, the 20 something list was about 50/50. There is obviously a reason autos dominate short runs, they do not disconnect from the drivetrain for even a millisecond, where as manuals even driven by the best have fractional downtimes where the drivetrain isn't being powered.
Most of the autos are not 4 or 5 speeds, most drag autos are 2 speed auto powerglides or something similar.
But on stock nights the manuals mostly dominate mainly because most of the stock drivers are just as experienced or more then the superclasses and stock manuals are just faster off the line then stock autos.
But most regular folks like most here would, pardon my English, rape the stick off the line. With newer electronic transmissions and mods autos will always have an advantage over manuals at take off but mid-long range and roll or street racing most of the time manuals rule.
Please remember, even though I'm supercharging and modding my 2.4 to the max, I still know it's a HHR. It's not a race car no matter how much we put into it.
I don't have any of my fast cars anymore. My Nova, my vr4, my talon 3 stage. But I still have my 05 GSXR1000. And when someone revs their engine or speeds past me at 50 in a 30 or 90 in a 65, I just smile and know they have no idea what speed really is. Most don't.
I'm still very excited to see what a 275 HP HHR will feel like though.
So after all that, autos have an advantage with modded vehicles on short runs. That's pretty much it.
Senior Member
Joined: 01-21-2010
Posts: 1,700
From: The Middie OHIO
vr4 and talon...this is the easiest way to not worry about traction....AWD! I've seen heavily boosted Eclipse GSX's and TSI Talons damn near drag the bumper they squat so hard on launch. For these types of cars, manuals are better, IMO because you can really spool up and launch it's brains out with the AWD.
For what it's worth, truly fast drag cars usually go auto (p-glides!).
For what it's worth, truly fast drag cars usually go auto (p-glides!).
Senior Member
Joined: 03-11-2012
Posts: 181
From: Western WI
vr4 and talon...this is the easiest way to not worry about traction....AWD! I've seen heavily boosted Eclipse GSX's and TSI Talons damn near drag the bumper they squat so hard on launch. For these types of cars, manuals are better, IMO because you can really spool up and launch it's brains out with the AWD.
For what it's worth, truly fast drag cars usually go auto (p-glides!).
For what it's worth, truly fast drag cars usually go auto (p-glides!).
Nothing I have ever drove or rode in has compared to the VR4.
I just passed up a 95 Eclipse GSX with the stock 210HP 2.0 DOHC modded out to about 350HP for a good price, the thing looked great but is known around here locally because the guy beats the hell out of it constantly. I absolutely love the Eclipse and Talon but I've been there done that with the 2.0s. It's partly the reason I didn't go with the HHR SS, I couldn't really find one priced right anywhere near me but I had bad luck with the 2.0s so I basically quit looking and grabbed a 2.4. My Talon went through three 2.0s.
Agreed. Power-glide 2 speed autos are the norm in dragging but I have seen more manuals and more multi-speed autos of late. But we are talking 800-1500 HP. Anything under that especially stock/stock-mod drags it's anything and everything.
Senior Member
Joined: 02-13-2010
Posts: 698
From: HuskerNation
lol Yes. The launch with an AWD with some power is pretty amazing but cars with real power rear wheel is the only way. ie-dragging. I had a second gen TSI awd, very easy to mod but engines were very susceptible to overheating. I had a manual and they had more HP stock but less lb-ft then the autos. But I knew nobody with a stock TSI, everyone modded.
Nothing I have ever drove or rode in has compared to the VR4.
I just passed up a 95 Eclipse GSX with the stock 210HP 2.0 DOHC modded out to about 350HP for a good price, the thing looked great but is known around here locally because the guy beats the hell out of it constantly. I absolutely love the Eclipse and Talon but I've been there done that with the 2.0s. It's partly the reason I didn't go with the HHR SS, I couldn't really find one priced right anywhere near me but I had bad luck with the 2.0s so I basically quit looking and grabbed a 2.4. My Talon went through three 2.0s.
Agreed. Power-glide 2 speed autos are the norm in dragging but I have seen more manuals and more multi-speed autos of late. But we are talking 800-1500 HP. Anything under that especially stock/stock-mod drags it's anything and everything.
Nothing I have ever drove or rode in has compared to the VR4.
I just passed up a 95 Eclipse GSX with the stock 210HP 2.0 DOHC modded out to about 350HP for a good price, the thing looked great but is known around here locally because the guy beats the hell out of it constantly. I absolutely love the Eclipse and Talon but I've been there done that with the 2.0s. It's partly the reason I didn't go with the HHR SS, I couldn't really find one priced right anywhere near me but I had bad luck with the 2.0s so I basically quit looking and grabbed a 2.4. My Talon went through three 2.0s.
Agreed. Power-glide 2 speed autos are the norm in dragging but I have seen more manuals and more multi-speed autos of late. But we are talking 800-1500 HP. Anything under that especially stock/stock-mod drags it's anything and everything.
Senior Member
Joined: 03-11-2012
Posts: 181
From: Western WI
They are different engines but it's not night and day. The DSM is what inspired the LNF.
I was debating on going with a custom built stroker LNF 2.4 from WERKs but it's just too much cash for this project. I will be more then happy with the LE5 modded out to 275HP. I would of grabbed an SS but I just couldn't find one locally priced right and it wasn't a big deal to me, I'm also planning custom body work as well so I'm kinda glad I went the route i did.
Senior Member
Joined: 11-07-2012
Posts: 104
From: West Virginia
I wanted the five speed, wife refused to learn how to drive one... Looking back, I should have gotten the five speed because in four years I can count on one hand how many times she has driven it. Oh and I wanted the panel, but with a baby she refused to let me add the back seats. And to think this is the same woman who one days dreams of owning a hemi cuda.. Not on my salary.
