I know this is going to get some healthy debate (if not heated discussion) going, but I want to be able to find a way to get an accurate answer to the debate. I know that most of the publications have printed that a GXP with automatic is faster than a GXP with manual by 1 or 2 tenths in the 1/4 mile. I wasn't "buying that" when I read it originally, and I'm really not "buying it" now that I've made 19 passes in my manual trans GXP.
I realize that the fastest stock GXP time was by an automatic (12.815 @ 109.54), and I have no doubt that these numbers are accurate. I would be very curious to know the Density Altitude and weather conditions at the time of that run though. I'm sure that DA was very low, and weather was good. Track prep must have been awesome too for the 1.92 60 ft.
I took my GXP to Norwalk, OH for the Pontiac Nationals last weekend and was really hoping that an automatic equipped GXP would be there too, so we could line them up. A buddy of mine was there with his MSM A6 GXP, but he was in the show, and we couldn't run each other. I did see him make a pass though at about 13.34 (don't remember the mph). He also commented to me that his best runs so far have been 13.11 & 13.16 (don't know the mph or density altitudes for the runs though), and I fully believe him. The same day, on the same track, I ran a 13.204 @ 106.13 (1.957 60 ft, 2327' density altitude), and a 13.166 @ 106.47 (1.948 60 ft, 2194' density altitude).
Here is my suggestion. I am looking for someone with an automatic equipped GXP to bring it to the track sometime so we can run them. Hopefully it will be someone in this part of the country, to make it easy for both of us. I also hope it is someone with plenty of track experience and time with their car. I want it to be a fair race with drivers of comparable skill. I have almost 1,500 1/4 mile passes under my belt over the last 18 years, but almost all of those were in my Sunbird and GTP, so that's a "little" different than the GXP. I even have an event in mind that could be ideal. On Saturday, October 10 there is a Buick, Olds, Pontiac event at Cordova Dragway Park, in Cordova, IL that I plan to attend (I'm hoping to have all 3 of my cars there). It's a great event because track prep is always good at Cordova (when I've gone anyway), the air is usually very good, and the track runs west to east, so there is often a tail wind. I have frequently run PBs for the year at this event. I hope that plenty of other G8s will be there, but I especially want to extend a special invitation to other GXPs (especially automatic equipped ones). It will be alot of fun no matter what happens. If you beat me, I'll be a believer, but not until then. I really think that's the only way to know for sure. Same track, same day, similar drivers.
Let the debate begin!
I realize that the fastest stock GXP time was by an automatic (12.815 @ 109.54), and I have no doubt that these numbers are accurate. I would be very curious to know the Density Altitude and weather conditions at the time of that run though. I'm sure that DA was very low, and weather was good. Track prep must have been awesome too for the 1.92 60 ft.
I took my GXP to Norwalk, OH for the Pontiac Nationals last weekend and was really hoping that an automatic equipped GXP would be there too, so we could line them up. A buddy of mine was there with his MSM A6 GXP, but he was in the show, and we couldn't run each other. I did see him make a pass though at about 13.34 (don't remember the mph). He also commented to me that his best runs so far have been 13.11 & 13.16 (don't know the mph or density altitudes for the runs though), and I fully believe him. The same day, on the same track, I ran a 13.204 @ 106.13 (1.957 60 ft, 2327' density altitude), and a 13.166 @ 106.47 (1.948 60 ft, 2194' density altitude).
Here is my suggestion. I am looking for someone with an automatic equipped GXP to bring it to the track sometime so we can run them. Hopefully it will be someone in this part of the country, to make it easy for both of us. I also hope it is someone with plenty of track experience and time with their car. I want it to be a fair race with drivers of comparable skill. I have almost 1,500 1/4 mile passes under my belt over the last 18 years, but almost all of those were in my Sunbird and GTP, so that's a "little" different than the GXP. I even have an event in mind that could be ideal. On Saturday, October 10 there is a Buick, Olds, Pontiac event at Cordova Dragway Park, in Cordova, IL that I plan to attend (I'm hoping to have all 3 of my cars there). It's a great event because track prep is always good at Cordova (when I've gone anyway), the air is usually very good, and the track runs west to east, so there is often a tail wind. I have frequently run PBs for the year at this event. I hope that plenty of other G8s will be there, but I especially want to extend a special invitation to other GXPs (especially automatic equipped ones). It will be alot of fun no matter what happens. If you beat me, I'll be a believer, but not until then. I really think that's the only way to know for sure. Same track, same day, similar drivers.
Let the debate begin!
