KPZ-28

I had both and I wish my current z was a m6. My wife can't drive a stick shift so she made me sell it. Just something else to consider, boy I miss that car!

Seal

if you're staying NA which it seems like you are, m6 is the way to go

TransAm2k4

I had a A4 and it was fun but After breaking the tranny a couple of times i swap the A4 for M6 it really is a lot of fun to drive.

izzyz28

I wouldn't give my M6 up for anyhting right now. It's a blast to drive, and even in stop and go Chicago traffic the clutch doesn't kill your leg. I drove both A4 and M6 cars before I bought this one, and to me they felt equally quick, but the A4 was just too boring to me. I like to have something to do while I drive, and the M6 provides that. Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with an automatic. I would love to have a built auto and a stall when I go to the track, but as rarely as that happens it's just not worth it to switch over. If you really enjoy rowing the gears in your Saab, you'll LOVE rowing the gears in a 4th gen! If you do get a M6 and later decide that you want an A4 I can guarantee you that you'll have no problem trading that M6 with one of the board members here.

foxbat

i disagree with the person who said that he owned both an m6 and A4, and A4 and the A4 was quicker in a straight line. i too have owned same and my M6 is quicker then the A4. the thing to remember is that not everyone pulls/shifts the maximum potential out of M6s, and additionally, M6 always puts down more power to the wheels than an A4 due to less parastiic drivetrain loss. a well driven m6 will always prevail over an equally powered A4.

that said, get the M6.

ShawnMacAnanny

The speed difference between A4s and M6 is primarily because of gearing. That is all.

DavidNC

I'm the one that said that and I agree with you. I thought I made the point that it was much harder to run the m6 to its full potential. Also, I do granny shift the M6 since I like my cars to last 200K miles, at a minimum. So, for someone like me, the a4 is consistantly quicker in street races without the worry of missed shifts.



i disagree with the person who said that he owned both an m6 and A4, and A4 and the A4 was quicker in a straight line. i too have owned same and my M6 is quicker then the A4. the thing to remember is that not everyone pulls/shifts the maximum potential out of M6s, and additionally, M6 always puts down more power to the wheels than an A4 due to less parastiic drivetrain loss. a well driven m6 will always prevail over an equally powered A4.

that said, get the M6.
__________________
94 TRANS AM M6
B&B TRIFLOW CAT-BACK
SLP-CAI
GRANATELLI M.A.F.S.
T/B COOLANT BYPASS
SLP T/B AIRFOIL
LT4 KM
BMR S.T.B.
HARWOOD WS-6 HOOD
****************

BadCo.

there are equations to buying a car that is best for you, you should make a list of your priorities, and be patient...I would think a lower mileage, better condition, etc. Z28 would be the selling point (not what tranny is in the thing)

sure...a T56 is more fun (I drive an auto) but what would you rather own? a nice auto with clean carfax, one owner, nice clean history and records or a dogged out manual? (for more money)

just think about your finances, your priorities of what you can find versus what you should find (you may sacrifice many good cars for that harder to find T56)

either way you go your a winner , these are just my opinions, nothing less

maxf

After reading more of your opinions, I have my mind set on the M6. This is because I'd really love to learn how to drive a stick well. Of course, I've had my car for two years and I learned how to drive on it three years ago (I just recently turned 16) but I am by no means an experienced driver when it comes to driving a manual.

Thanks for all of your really informative (as well as opinion sharing) posts. And next time I'll make sure I find the right forum for this to go into.

By the way, I've arranged for a test drive of a '91 Z28 tomorrow. Not an LT1 I know, but I've only driven four bangers so I'd like to feel what it's like to have twice as many cylindars and damn near twice as much torque. Chances are I'll end up getting an early model 4th gen though .

disco192

Ill give my $.02 from my experience with 3 F-Bodies...

A4:

Pros-

-Consistently quicker in the quarter
-never misses a shift
-usually alot cheaper to find one
-old women drive autos (thats not a bad thing, finding an F-body that an old woman drove is a gold mine)
-People assume its slow (serious bonus for street racing for $$$)

Cons:

-Dont hold alot of power
-People make might make fun of you
-Worse gas mileage
-Gears are pretty much maxed out at 373 (maybe 4.10)
-Cant go BIG on a cam w/o throwing down 600 for a converter

M6

Pros-
-Chicks love stick
-Fun as hell to drive
-Gas mileage is MUCH better (i got 31 mpg highway with my cc305 formula)
-Holds power better
-Higher trap speeds
-Can go as big a cam as you want w/o worrying about stalling
-Can go as big on gears as you want (M6 w/ 4.56s has the same cruise RPM as an A4 w/ stock gears)

Cons-
-Harder to find
-Usually more expensive
-Harder on 10 bolts
-Not consistent
-Shifting gets annoying to some people

My vote: M6

LT4orbust

go to a used car lot and test drive both first, you may find that an auto is just fine ,try manually shifting the auto

BlackLT1_TX

umm...you can get a t56 rebuilt for around 500 bucks with hardend shift keys. tell me how that is more expensive then the motor.

BTW- most 4l60e builds are more then 1000, and are at least twice as frequent as t56 rebuilds, thus being 4 times more expensive in the long run.

-james

BadCo.

let me edit: what I said a little and be nice...One thing I have noticed is that a lot of M6 drivers are young, therefore you have to put up with their stupidity and immaturity when it comes to this issue.

that's really all I have to say other than no-one has ever picked on me in person about having an auto or any other issues for that matter.( to my face) You may be a punk if they are doing that!

It's your imagination or your particular age group that has you thinking chicks loves stick shift cars better!!!

my car does 27 with 3.23's who cares about your 31 mpg... I am sure an M6 gets much worse gas mileage because of the way they are driven

autos are not only easier on the rear end they are easier on the engine (over revving over their lifetime)

an auto holds power fine...just not for the average kid it seems that's who they are breaking for all the time!

old women drive autos? this comment alone shows your stupidity!

93Z28rare

i have an auto and i love it. sometimes i do wish i had 2 extra gears though because when i drag from a roll i am not always in my power range even when i manually shift it.

as for the comment about "chicks love sticks," most girls really don't care i've noticed. but for a guy, if he has an auto, he has one hand free to do whatever he wants to do with the chick next to him (i.e. grab the boobies ).

disco192

On the issue of people making fun of you... yes, sometimes people might give you crap. I wont. I respect an auto as being faster in a 1/4 mile.

The comment about chicks love stick was kinda a joke, but in all seriousness. He is 16 and in high school. HS girls like stick better. Not a proven fact, but just from my experience. Dont take it personally.

On the issue of gas mileage. If an A4 and an M6 are driven exactly the same, the M6 will almost always get better mileage, especially on the highway due to the more efficient drivetrain and lower cruise RPM. You are not gonna win that argument, but its really not a huge issue. I mean, they ARE sports cars, not Hondas.

Autos are nicer on a rear end. The shock of a clutch drop with sticky tires is what usually kills rear ends at tracks. An auto has a much smoother engagement with the TQ converter providing somewhat of a buffer in the powertrain. Over-reving just comes from a bad driver. Automatics can over-rev too. Try taking an A4 with 3.73s over 130 and tell me how high your RPMs go. It wont shift out of 3rd. Or if something goes wrong, you are up to the descretion of the tranny. I would rather have control.

The 4L60e is a weaker tranny in stock form than the T56. Its been proven many times. You will not see a 400 rwhp 4L60 in stock form. There are quite a few M6 cars with original trannys lasting 150k miles and more that push 400 rwhp and all they need is a stronger clutch. You can take a head/cam A4 and dog on it for about 30 mins and your 3/4 clutch pack will be toast. Its just a more fragile tranny. It just comes with the territory.

And the comment about old women. Be honest. Old women drive autos. That doesnt mean anything about anyone else that drives auto. I was simply stating that sometimes you find a awesome deal for a Z28 from an old woman who didnt ever take it over 3k rpm. You will rarely find one of those deals with a stick. That was a good thing about A4.

Now I dont apreciate all the personal attacks. I respect an auto fully. One of my closest friends has an auto. That car is fun as hell. Ive put more wrench hours into his car than most people on this board. Ive pulled his tranny about 4 times.

I was simply trying to give an unbiased opinion with facts and a little humor. Dont rip my head off because I would choose an M6 over an A4, and i believe everything that I said was in one way or another correct.