clotus

I currently have an A4 98 Z28, and I want to start work on the suspension. My question is this, is an auto worth trying to make it a canyon carver, cause I have been looking at getting a newer M6 ss. Would a auto crave just as well (not using the engine to brake) as an M6?? I an not too familar on driving a stick correctly, but my buddy flies though canyon, and uses the engine to slow down along with brakes. So should I get a newer M6 or stick with my A4? I am not talking auto crossing, just the occasional canyon racing, and mainly (fast) daily driver/ Thanks.

OCSSleeper

I do a little canyon driving to! I'd say go with a M-6! I think it just gives you a lot more control of your power/engine braking. A-4's kick *** for dragging but on a track or in a canyon the M-6 dominates. IMO!

dc33cool

Ive had both and would say M6 is much more fun racing through the curvies. You can control engine better instead of waiting for the auto to kick down
Good luck!

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Exactly ... it can be done, but the trans kicking down, or even shifting while in mid turn could lead to some "interesting" recovery techniques.

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

You can adjust the kickdown with programming to
be a lot more predictable and sensible (the stock
settings are just plain stupid, no kickdown 2-1
above 10MPH, except at hard WOT? Right.).
This is what I have mainly been amusing myself
with, with HPTuners. If you kick between gears
in a continuous, pedal-proportionate way the A4
is a whole lot more fun to drive than as-stock.
If the converter clutch is locked then you do have
engine braking BTW. All a matter of setup.

jRaskell

iTrader: (1)

Tuning the A4 shift parameters will make it more 'sensible' (or rather, more appropriate to a particular driving style), but it's not going to make it any more or less predictable. The stock shifting is just as predictable as any tuning is going to be. It's just not 'ideal'.

The problem is, when it comes to 'ideal', there is no tuning that is going to make it ideal for every situation. One of the problems I had with my A4 was accelerating through a corner. Because I'm cornering, I'm only giving it moderate throttle. Inevitably, the A4 upshifts as a result, and once I'm out of the corner and step on it, I then get a downshift, and the span between upshift and downshift was always just a few seconds at the most, sometimes only a second or two. Annoying to say the least. Didn't really hamper the performance much, but I never liked it or got used to it. If I tried tuning that shift out, then when I was just cruising along, it'd hold gear to a much higher RPM than was preferable. The A4 just can't be tuned to meet all situations.

So you have to predict it's behavior. Can be done, and they can handle well and be driven through the corners quickly as well. With an M6 though, there are no predictions necessary. You tell the tranny exactly what to do, and it does exactly what you tell it to do. Now it's up to you to know what is 'ideal' for a given situation. That's much more preferable in my book.

If you have an A4 though, don't sell it for an M6 just cause you want something better for the corners. The A4 isn't necessarily worse in that area, it's just different. If you don't like the idea of driving an M6 through traffic or heavily populated/congested city areas, then that should be more of a factor on your decision. I personally have been driving manuals for so long now that going through 2 hours of stop and go traffic is no more or less painful than with an A4.

skytower31

iTrader: (4)

I am still learning proper canyon driving in my M6, but from a very basic standpoint, I have a definate advantage over the guys in the A4's. Most of the time I see them breaking for each turn in front of me, etc. where as I just keep the car in 2nd or 3rd depeping on the turns and never need to touch the brakes.

But keep in mind all the other things that come along with a M6. Not as good at the track (for the un-experienced). Annoying in traffic if you aren't willing to deal with it, etc. I live in Los Angeles and drive home in 2hrs of traffic every day with my M6, but blasting through the canyons on weekends with it makes the traffic totally worth it. And it isn't that annoying if you are willing to deal with it. This being the 1st car I have owned with a manual tranny, I have come to the realization that I will ALWAYS have a manual tranny in my car.

John95Z28

Amen, brother! They can have my M6 when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Nothing against you A4 fans, mind you. If GM ever gets around to building a 5th generation, here's hoping they make a nice 5 or 6 speed automatic available as an option, perhaps with one of those steering wheel paddle shift arrangements that are so fashionable these days. Then everyone could be happy.

RedHardSupra

iTrader: (1)

read this, i just got back from a track event with a A4
http://www.allmod.net/trackdays/Ging...20Formula.html

i really don't mind the auto on the track, it's kinda like playing gran turismo
yea, you do have to be careful with it, and yes, you have to think ahead (i'd always flash the converter just before i'd really get on it for the exit) but it really lets you concentrate on driving and taking the proper line, not revmatching and gear selection.

Trojan T/A

iTrader: (1)

With the auto, you could always put it in 3rd or even 2nd depending on gears and that would eliminate a lot of the problems of the auto as you get the engine breaking and direct control from the locked up converter. It depends on your max speeds through the canyon and how high you are willing to spin the engine while doing that.