Here you go - Weights for the 2006 Z's (taken from Nissan's website):

Enthusiast: MT 3346lbs, AT 3344 lbs
Touring: MT 3400 lbs, AT 3380 lbs
Grand Touring: MT 3404 lbs, AT 3391 lbs

 

Incorrect, see my post above

 

WOW.....i figured joining a forum of such high end cars such as the 350 and G35 i would be entertained with the knowlegde of REAL car enthusiasts who know their sh*t. WAS I EVER WRONG. you cannot honestly sit here and tell this poor guy that the stick will always beat the auto. Thats just plain ignorance. Lets put it this way. If you take two pro drivers, one in an auto Z and the other in a manual Z and raced them heads up......chances are the stick will win. The stick only has the POTENTIAL to be faster. its not an absolute. Most of us Z owners arent pro drivers. Ive driven both a stick and an auto Z. and there was no substantial diff in speed from either. oh and if your planning on upgrading the motor for more power....get the auto, cuz the stick will crumble into a million tiny pieces in no time (POS). just go test drive both and see what feels best for YOU. ok, im done ranting now. off i go.

 

I realize there are a few very good drivers on this forum and have alot of respect for them. I also know that most drivers (for all cars) don't drive anywhere near the level they think they do. If this was untrue, I would not have responded to as many traffic accidents or write the cites that I have done in the past.

BTW, you are wrong on the weights issue.

 

Get a stick because it's more fun! That's the only reason. Everything else can be disputed. I just bought my Z last week and am just getting used to the stick. It's extremely fun, and that's why I don't regret not getting an auto.

 

+1 on the "fun factor" of the stick. cant argue that.

 

+1

 

i thought that the only difference in HP for Z's depended on the rev up engine... which has nothing to do with mt or at.

 

yup

and honestly....wuts 13 more horsepower....especially when you get less torque witch is what makes a car fun to drive anyways...not to mention wins races.

 

Only M/T's get the revup.

 

true in a sense but you worded it wrong.....Rev-ups only get the M/T.

 

Can't read this bickering again! If you guys hate the auto so much and diss it, then why did you purchase a vehicle that is EVEN available in automatic? If your hardcore "sports car" enthusiast then why did you not purchase an S2000? It is ONLY available in Manual and it follows the sports car definition 100%
The Z'z only problem is the weight, so therefore it is not 100% sports car compliant.
Peace!
ps. Flame suit on!

 

Whatever dude. Go back to magazine racing now.

 

But then many of the exotics out there wouldn't be sports cars. Because alot are switching over to manumatics. I wonder if some of these Z owners will register accounts on their boards and try to insult them for buying non-stick shifts?

 

No Stick = No Z

 

WOW....why so hostile. relax man. the way you worded it sounded like ALL the m/t have the rev-up which isnt the case. just making it clear for the guy who posted the thread. im not hear to start fights. just hear to educate where i can.

 

When are you going to answer my question?

 

Hi Rebellious,

Thanks for posting. You are asking a good question. I’ll bet you never expected the emotional responses you are seeing now. A crowd gathered… somebody thru a punch… and then all H*** broke loose. …I got out of the way too.

Back to your question: I have a MT (which I personally prefer), but I have driven the AT and will say I was impressed. Of course all of the Z’s great suspension and handling is the same in both versions. The difference in performance (acceleration, shift points, etc.) depends upon some subtle factors and the driver (and certainly not a small weight difference). I appreciate your point about stop-and-go driving in traffic. Constantly depressing a clutch to creep a few feet is a pain!

HDPD350 makes a good point in this thread. The formula racers have paddles (MT but no clutch pedal). Same goes for the exotics (e.g., Ferrari, some Porsche and Audi models, etc.). First gear and reverse are like AT, and the driver engages the upward gears with a paddle. If you are going a 100 mph and click the downshift paddle 4 or 5 times, the transmission matches the engine speed to the ground speed perfectly and automatically performs the optimum shift points. The same is true when up-shifting. The idea is to minimize driver mistakes and get in coordination between car speed and engine speed while depressing and releasing a clutch pedal. It is a manual transmission with an automatic clutch (often two clutches to quickly handle transition).

Not looking to make friends or enemies (life is too short to make enemies out of friends). --Spike

 

I find this thread kinda funny. Drive whatever you want. Want an auto? Go buy one. Want a manual? Go buy one. Who gives a crap what other people think.

 

Well, to counter your argument, most men that I know who are secure in their ***** size don't need to flaunt their financial security. But that's neither here nor there.

I own a 6MT G35. I've put this trans through a LOT of abuse. Drag racing, road racing, a small amount of hooliganism every so often. I have no idea where you get off claiming that the 6MT trans is weak?

I sigh every time I see an auto Z. I was originally in the market, and actually almost pulled the trigger on an 04 350Z Track instead; however I realized it'd be much more practical to have a back seat. The G35 is a compromise and generally the grand tourer that the Z isn't. Progressive springs, power seats, sunroof, dual zone.........much more suited for driving daily. I bought stick because I love driving stick. I never complain about driving in NYC, New Brunswick, Turnpike, or any other stop and go traffic. I deal with my choice because it makes me happy in the end.

I regard auto Z's as a bad decision.

And you are all magazine racing.....300hp vs 287hp? 270lbs/ft vs 260lbs/ft?
You really want to see what is faster? Do a same day dyno. Stock 5AT and stock 6MT. I guarantee the 6MT will dyno higher. You always have to factor in torque converter slop, even with lockup units.

Get a 6MT. Or get a 5AT G35.



EDIT:

A manumatic is NOT the same as a F1/SMG style gearbox. A manumatic is an automatic transmission with a torque converter where you shift by way of paddles, buttons, or slapping the shifter in some direction. These are found on about 95% of Mercedes, BMW's with Steptronic........hell, most automatic transmissions have this function these days. This is what the 350z has.

The supercars you're referring to, i.e. Ferrari 430/599/612/Enzo, M3CSL/5/6, Aston Martin Vanquish S, DSG equipped Audis....... They have manual transmission with a computer controlled clutch. They are offer the benefits of a manual transmission without having to master a clutch. Oh, and try parallel parking an M3 SMG. Or a 360 Modena F1. It gets...... interesting.