MANUAL GEARBOX

[yorkrs6+]

Given the rs6 box is made out of butter, is it not possible to re engineer the rs4 gearbox to fit the rs6?
Whilst the engines are the same capacity I appreciate they might not be the same in design. Eitherway - would it not be possible to mate the two with some clever reengineering work.
Grizz - I've seen your workshop - surely this is a good project for you - you probably have all the spare parts to create a test rig to determine what engineering work needs to be done.
I'd be interested.
I'm sure others would be too given the ongoing issues with the auto box failing.
A manual would be the ultimate Finishing touch to make this a proper drivers car.
Would there be any weight saving ? The rs6 is definitely lard arse! and it real shows in the handling!

[Shoppinit]

Everything is possible if you have enough money. If you want a manual RS6, MRC have one for sale with nearly 800bhp. It's a complete bargain given how much it cost to build.

Otherwise, forget it unless you're willing to spend at least £10k. If you want an RS4 box, best plan is to get an RS4 (and some wire brushes )

[grizz]

It can be done , I've got the parts and even a gearbox ect.

If you want it doing let me know ..

[chunky79]

Wonder if you'll get the 10% discount. Not sure when it finishes

[bam_bam]

While this is interesting and it has been done, it can become a circular argument on "why do it"? You're right, it is a heavy car, a manual is going to make it a shade lighter but probably inperceivable. IMO it would be cheaper to just ship your box for "bulletproofing" in the States and have it refitted, but this would never be recouped at resale and is still costly, it would be a large percentage of the car's worth.
Paul's manual GT30 C5 is probably still for sale but for that money you could be rolling in a C6.. or 911T... or an Aston etc, you'd really have to love this car or be a project monkey to take on a manual conversion. A manual in one of these, while fun, it would denature the essence of the C5 RS. That said, there could be a market for it, MRC have done one and as Doug said, a lot of the companies that did the one-off components to make it happen have disappeared. Maybe you can contact Grizz or MRC and ask how many cars they would consider worth it for further development, then start a groupbuy or something. It would certainly keep either of them in work. I'm not sure you'll get many people that are up for it though.

[mavada]

excactly, so buy a rs4 if you want manual and with a decent map/rs6 turbos you will be faster to...

[yorkrs6+]

Clearly some mixed opinion then...

I have a 997 turbo which ticks all the boxes for a car like this (I've had it from new - and find myself in a love hate relationship with it - if they did an r8 with 4 seats like the 911 t - I'd replace it). Everything else with 4 seats in a car like this is a waste of time - porsche have this one in the bag...

I've had the benefit of having two m5 - the e39 and e60 (both from new before my 911).
in the end I came back to a family car that made me buy an m5 in the first place... The rs6 wasn't available at a main dealers back in 2003 to test drive - so I bought e39 m5 as my local dealership had one. just recently i test drove new m5....

Here's the issue, both the v10 and new v8 m5 aren't as good as the old e39, (mine was heavilly modified by the time I'd finished with it) - I've regretted selling it ever since. I'm sure if I modified the newer ones I'd get something close. In someway the newer ones are better and in other ways worse... As an all round drivers car - just not as good. the rs6 sadly hasn't matched my expectations as a drivers car either.. Sorry if this offends anyone on here but the e39 m5 somehow is a better all round drivers car. not as quick as my rs6 in straight line (thanks to the remap' miltek headers/ decat etc) but everything else the e39 m5 is better at...
now don't get me wrong my rs6 is a great car, if i wanted another e39 m5 id buy one.. Been there, done that, got the t shirt...
all the work grizz has done - often leaves me wondering if my rs has my 997 t licked.
I bought my rs6+ simply to tick the must have box - I've always wanted one. However - having lived with it now for 4months - Audi could have made it much much better.. For a car like this the auto is dreadful.. mine works - but id much sooner have a manual given how flakey it is. The car also feels way to heavy, and the handling and brakes don't match it's pace. If I wanted an rs4 I'd buy one, but I don't, I like my rs6 + for many reasons. Like a stock e39 m5 - out the box it has flaws - if you invest wisely - the result is an awesome family drivers car - that can match the pace of most super cars.

Here my summary on what i want to fix:
The steering lacks direction and whilst the DRC handling is very comfy it could be vastly sportier than what it is. Overall - the balance of the car just isnt as good as it could be. I have the arb anti roll bars (or whatever it was that grizz highly recommended) which made it better - however in fairness he did say I needed his recommended suspension ( can't recall which this was - but I will be doing it when the rs visits him next)
Brakes could be better - grizz recommends v10 conversion - I like the idea of a v10 ceramic setup! Just for the extreme.
The auto gearbox feels week - thankfully mine has not broke yet - but given all the stories - its only a matter of time. I wont bore you with the issues I have with it as I'm pretty sure everyone can list them. the only way to make this better is to replace it with a modified one. One thing I do like is the ratio of the gearing. I personally think a good manual would transform the car and out live an auto.

grizz could you have a stab in the dark at what kind of work is involved and rough cost? What's your overall opinion ? (which is valued).

[bam_bam]

TL;DR

Four figures.

[grizz]

I would say 7-10k , not a quick or easy job .

[chunky79]

Cheaper than the mrc manual but they went for serious power.

[Mr Footlong]

TL;DR

Four figures.

Lol, I must admit I skipped a chunk of it too (as soon as Beemers are mentioned in anything I tend to ignore it ). Sorry as this post probably won't prove useful to you but my opinion on this is that I would rather be a fool and pour a chunk of money into a butter slushbox than ever, ever go to a manual on this beast. Maybe it is because I have the Avant on top of everything but I could never imagine downgrading to a manual box, just feels wrong to me. With the rate at which these can accelerate I can think of nothing worse that having to constantly stick the clutch down as I go through the gears. I bought this car for a bit of luxury and a lot of speed and to not have to a damn clutch.

On top of that I think that the slushbox would do a better job of acccelerating that I would with the manual. I would be so hard on a manual as I whenever having fun/toying with other car I would be banging through the gears so hard/quickly that I would expect to kill the box pretty quickly or something else. I ate 3 Impreza boxes back in the day. I honestly think that a slushbox will last longer with me between major failures than a manual. Then there is traffic. Then there is bye bye to the paddles, not that I ever really use them but meh.

Why not just enjoy the car for what she is or if you just cannot live with the auto, do as Mav says and change to a RS4. You can always buy more cars too

/edited a typo or two...

[swannny]

I agree with you there Nic, it may be my age, but I'm thinking a manual box in the 6 is not the way forward. If you were to spend that amount of money on a conversion, I'd prob take up bams idea of sending a box to the states to get sorted.

[amanda1]

I too have looked at manual ( but the essence of the beast is the slush box) and in the end I have gone to the states for an uprated tc. I hope this will sort my box out other wise if this fails I may be looking to fully bullet proof the box over the pond!!!

[el_ringo]

Don't bother with the third pedal. A manual doesn't suit it IMHO.

A bonkers B5 manual probably far better investment if you have that type of itch to scratch.

[Shoppinit]

Does anyone else really want to passenger with footlong rigth now? Sounds like a laugh.

Code: Select all

bam->goto(end);

As for the auto, I don't think it's too bad, but I totally know where York is coming from. I rememeber when I bought my 6 - i loved it, but I kept daydreaming about the M3 I used to have and wanting another one.

That all changed the day I dumped the DRC and put Bilsteins on. That probably coincides also with getting used to the slushbox, too, and learning how to anticipate it. I no longer dream about M3s (in fact last I was in one I couldn't believe how much slower it was than I remembered).

It does take a bit of time to get used to the box - I actually really like it now and for the kind of driving I do (mostly country lanes with plenty of twisties) the gearing is ideal. I find that I am approaching the rev limiter in 3rd when I have to brake for the corner coming up. Most of the time I am between 2nd and 3rd. Almost never in 1st and in 4th only when I'm feeling particularly in need of adrenaline...

Also, you might want to consider (if you haven't already got one) an uprated TCU. My MTM TCU really transformed the fast driving experience. It won't kickdown in tipto, it doesn't release the TC on lift off, so you feel much more in control of the box and can use engine braking properly. The standard TCU program is poo. Best £100 I ever spent (outside of Bangkok).

Also the C6 brakes are IMMENSE. It's hard to get across how much more powerful they are than the standard setup.

Another big deal is the tyres. Bad tyres will make the 6 understeer like a citroen.

Code: Select all

end:
bam->titsnarse(true);