[1]The 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray [2] is finally hitting dealerships all over America, and eager fans are wasting no time getting behind the wheel. But the Corvette has always appealed to an older fanbase, one that may have hip problems or has simply grown tired of shifting for themselves after decades of work. Many people’s retirement plans include American muscle cars equipped with automatic transmissions, as manual transmission options continue to disappear from new car choices.
[3]Thankfully though, buyers of the new Corvette have reversed this trend, at least initially, with almost 40% of early adopters opting for three pedals over two, the highest take rate of a manual transmission of any GM vehicle, reports Autoblog [4].
Not only that, but almost 100% of early buyers already have a Corvette in their stable, and 38% of 2014 Corvette Stingray buyers opted for the 7-speed manual transmission. That’s higher than even the Camaro, which tends to appeal to a younger demographic. With so many buyers choosing to shift for themselves, we’re hoping to see lots of new Corvettes heading to tuning shops soon.
That said, GM itself expects the high take rate for manual transmissions to taper off as enthusiasts take delivery first, leaving other buyers more concerned with image than performance to slowly increase the automatic trans percentage for the new ‘Vette. With word that a seven-speed clutchless manual [5] could come to the new Corvette though, we’re left wondering whether that option counts as an automatic as well.
Is a manual without a third pedal still a manual?