659 HP Chevrolet Corvette Z06 7-speed manual vs 570 HP McLaren 570S Coupé

If you ever wondered how much of a difference aerodynamics and weight factor into a drag race, this video can answer at least some of that mystery. With a more-than three hundred pound weight advantage and a slightly lower drag coefficient – 0.32 compared to 0.37-0.37 – the McLaren 570S waltzes all over the Corvette C7 Z06 in a straight line drag race, despite being nearly 100 horsepower shy of the Z06’s horsepower rating.

The transmission could also be a factor in this heads-up race. As we’ve discussed several times recently, automatic transmissions have come a long way over the past couple of decades. When I first started driving, a factory automatic trans was no match for a decent driver in an identical manual transmission-equipped car. The shifts were sluggish and the transmission itself just ate a lot of horsepower. Don’t get me wrong, a simple torque converter swap was usually more than enough to put the auto well ahead of the stick, but again, we’re talking factory-stock-vs-factory-stock, and back then, factory converters were awful.

Now, the converters are much more efficient and transfer power much quicker, while the transmissions shift harder and are also more efficient. Plus they come with 6, 7, and even 8 speeds that allow the engine to stay in the powerband longer, plus the taller gears of the overdrive allows greater fuel economy at cruising speeds, making the automatic a solid winner in just about every category, except driving experience. Even if it’s considerably slower, there will never been an automatic that is as fun to drive as a true manual. Even if they go the way of the dinosaur and are phased out by the modern automatic, a manual transmission will always be in my driveway as long as I’m able to push the clutch and shift the gears. I have a six speed in my Trans Am and I plan on being buried in that car if I can find a spot big enough for the hole.