2012 Chevrolet Corvette Owner's Manual - Page 251

Driving and Operating The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is not running at high speed when shifting the vehicle. D (Drive): This position is for normal driving. It provides the best fuel economy. If you need more power for passing, push the pedal down to achieve the desired level of acceleration. Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions could result in skidding. See "Skidding" under Loss of Control on page 9‑5. S (Sport Mode): When in S (Sport Mode), the transmission will work as an automatic until you use the Manual Paddle Shift Controls, which activates driver manual gear selection. See Manual Mode on page 9‑29. While in S (Sport Mode), the transmission will have more noticeable upshifts for sportier vehicle performance. 9-29 Manual Mode Manual Paddle Shift While in S (Sport Mode), the paddles located on the steering wheel can be used to manually up-shift or down-shift the transmission. When accelerating the vehicle from a stop in snowy and icy conditions, you may want to shift to 2 (Second) or 3 (Third) gear. A higher gear allows you to gain more traction on slippery surfaces. If traction control is active, upshifts are delayed to increase your control of the vehicle. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 9‑36 Traction Control System (TCS). The Manual Paddle Shift system can be deactivated by moving the shift lever from S (Sport Mode) back to D (Drive), or by holding either up‐shift paddle for more than one second. The driver may choose to briefly activate the Manual Paddle Shift system while in D (Drive). Tapping either the upshift or downshift controls will place the transmission in Manual Paddle Shift mode. The Manual Paddle Shift system is activated from S (Sport Mode) by pushing the paddle, above the steering wheel spokes, to up-shift to the next gear, or pulling on the paddle, behind the steering wheel spokes, to down-shift to the next gear.