Well, as usual, you have raised the bar again Fran. My biggest hesitation with the APEX was the 4 banger..... now that a V8 is on the table, this will change my decision game plan yet again. Thanks for all you work!
Jim leased:
I have been a long time lurker here. Finally capitulated and signed on to the forum. Ready to be initiated and joining the chorus of applauders for the Apex.:thumbsup:
Fran,
Any chance that either of the two packages (LS4, 4g63) will be an orderable option as part of the kit?
Nice! I know somebody who'll be interested in these. What color are you thinking about for the prototype? As boring as it is...black with carbon accents would suit the car very well.
I've pictured a blue similar to the render on the site with some matte black accents and thin silver striping. But, that's my idea, no stealing!
p.s. reading more on LS4 and while it'd be sweet in many ways, unless there's a straightforward, not a lot of fab involved way to adapt a manual trans, it's probably biting off too much and I don't think I'd want the auto.
I love the idea of the V8 with the auto, especially since this is geared toward being a possible daily driver. I completely understand how some are die-hard on rowing gears but the auto passes the "wife test" with flying colors.
It will be just fine with the proper torque converter and a paddle shift. Think Ferrari or Lamborghini. As much as I like a stick this would allow the V8 option and shiftability. Thanks for making this a viable option Fran.
Thats because lap times are faster when you add up all the fractions of a second that you're not waisting with the clutch and shift. Still, I will always favor the bond between man and machine via the manual gearbox. However, technology prevails in tis case and with all things equal you cant shift fast enough to beat a performance automatic.
i thought this was interesting from racecar engineering, also reducing shift time from 200-250 milliseconds to 30-50. especially like the last paragraph.
Some people tell me that F1 would be better if the drivers still used stick shifts, but that’s a bit like saying, “isn’t it a pity we don’t still walk around in clogs!” There was a discussion in ’93 about banning semi-auto ’boxes because people like Alain Prost viewed changing gear with a lever as part of a driver’s skill-set.
“But we decided to keep semi-auto ’boxes because 95 percent of engine failures in the old days were caused by a driver changing down too early and over-revving the engine. The moment you have gear-shifting under electronic control, over-revved engines are out the door and life is much cheaper!”
My wife has a GXP Grand prix and has had it since new in 06. its actually pretty fun to drive and using the steering wheel shift buttons its pretty quick to shift and you can have engine braking on downshifts....
No its not a manual but then its also a factory system that has been proven to work...Dont rule it out too quickly...
Keep in mind that some of the wild and crazy builders out there will be doing their own drivetrain installations and sooner or later someone will put a Rotary in one....