Chevrolet has been in business for 103 years. It makes sense that they’d do things the old-fashion way. The company still produces pushrod V8s (although they’ve been thoroughly modernized), and whereas other automakers have moved on to gearboxes with dual clutches, the bow-tie bunch still use conventional automatic transmissions. GM’s new eight-speed automatic for the 2015 Corvette Stingray is no different.
Or is it?
Thanks to a new transmission-control systems, the all-new 8L90 can switch gears at wide-open throttle up to eight-hundredths of a second faster than the Porsche 911’s PDK. I sense several P-car vs. Corvette comparisons coming soon.
A healthy dose of aluminum and magnesium means the unit will also be more than eight pounds lighter than the outgoing six-speed auto. Chevy expects the new slushbox’s low-friction design to enable it to be as much as five percent more fuel-efficient, as well. You’ll be able to shift the new ‘Vette tranny yourself through steering-wheel-mounted paddles.
Bill Goodrich, assistant chief engineer for eight-speed automatics, said, “Corvette Stingray’s new eight-speed … delivers the comfort and drivability of a true automatic transmission, as well as lightning-fast shifts and the manual control that enhance the performance-driving experience.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
