According the the "New Cars 2006" Section of the October Road & Track: "The Standard Corvette is upgrades with a new transmission option--a 6-speed automatic with sequential paddle shifts."

Now I am a Mustang man until death, but how cool would a black, targa top Corvette (with a 6.0L 400hp V8 now less) with a 6 speed auto/paddle be as a daily driver (rush hour=auto) or weekend cruiser (if you don't like rowing your own gears)? That is, if you could afford a 50 grand daily driver.

http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/photogallery/

 

Here are a couple of pictures.

 

Jim, I drove a new (at the time) Z4 3.0 with the optional SMG tranny at the annual Susan G Komen Cancer drive, at the local BMW store. I can honestly say, that the paddle shifts in that were A BLAST!!!. The sound the engine and exhaust makes when you downshift was wonderful, just like a racecar driver, with perfect blips of throttle. I think that paddle system that will be on the Vette is the same that GM has on the V8 powered Bonniville. That car also has paddles too. They are fun to play with.

 

That is so awesome! This car deserves paddles

 

I guess something to keep in mind is this is still an auto slushbox with tapshift as opposed to a full SMG.

With that in mind, hopefully they made it an exciting package to drive and didn't put too many idiot proof features in it. Some tapshifts will shift for you at a predetermined point and won't let you run it to redline, for example.

Doesn't seem as if I will get a chance to drive one anytime soon anyways.