First of all I'm just talking about normal, everyday driving. not aggresive get on the throttle hard as you shift to make it smooth driving.

Hi, just wanted to know why the Z is difficult to drive smoothly? I know you want to say "L2D Noob!" but i'm talking about an issue i know many Z drivers have. Example, when shifting from 1st to 2nd, if the clutch isn't let out at the right time and the right rev, the engagement can be rough which is why people who drive the Z for the first time usually make the car "buck" a lot from letting out clutch too fast. That is also why i know a lot of Z drivers intentionally let the clutch out slower to let the revs drop a bit.

I ask because recently at work i've had the opportunity to drive a couple different manual cars like hondas, evos, imprezas, volkswagons, and a couple older vehicles. But in every single one of the cars i drove, regardless of the gear and speed at which i let out the clutch, it always seemed to have a smooth transition. I didn't have to wait for the revs to drop or anything. Just clutch, shift, accelerate and smoothness.

So why do Z's, or just my Z maybe, need to be so precisely driven for it to be smooth? are my synchro's bad? 19,000 miles 07 Z. It's bothers me because I learned manual on my Z and till recently I thought that's how most manuals were. But after driving all those other cars and realizing how much better it would be if my Z were smooth to drive all the time without having good days and bad days, I thought i'd post this question to get some answers and maybe even a solution.

Thank you.

 

Our cars are jerky by nature, no driving tricks will get you as smooth as driving something like a civic or a tc or something. Nature of the beast my friend.

 

I've driven MTs for 50 years, off and on, including six years with the Z. I still have frequent "jerks" going from 1st to 2nd. Seems I've seen the same comment from others.

 

not trying to make myself sound good but i never ever jerk. and i havent been driving nearly as long as oldie here^^^ but i think its because of differences in the clutches over the years
didnt they change the clutches between years, like from having a clutch that is hard that has a lot of feeling in it (2003) that makes it super easy to shift (like mine, its an 03) to the kind of clutch that is either engaged or unengaged, like with no middle ground in later years? similar to say an acura integra
wish i could describe it better

 

It took me a while before I could muster the courage to stop on an incline with my z. I've grown used to the z's clutch, however I'd still get a rough 1st gear launch once in a while.

 

haha EVERYONE jerks...

 

Yea, it is hard to drive it smoothly.

 

z is difficult to drive " polite", but as soon as it gets a little aggressive, dynamics change, and in my opinion it gets smother. i constantly fight the car driving in traffic.

 

my competition stage 4 engagement point changes depending on how warm it is. it starts off really low and its easy to drive but as it warms up the engagement point moves higher and higher, it makes it a pain in the *** to drive.

 

"...i havent been driving nearly as long as oldie here^^^..." Mike

That's "Mr. Oldie" to you bubba!

 

I have an HR and if I don't rev it high enough it will jerk pretty hard. It took some time getting used to. Driving in slow or stop & go traffic sucks though.

 

I just got a new clutch and flywheel and I am jerking all the time. Im still getting used to it.. I once in a while will stall while engaging into first now.

 

 

for some reason i feel the 07+ have smother transitions into gears,compared to my 06.I dont mind it either way,i knew what i was getting into-its a lot of work driving a true sports car.

 

hahaha never jerk depends on the context. but yeah i drove a 2005 and it was nearly impossible for me to drive smoothly, i think they changed the pedal and clutch response dynamics significantly between the years

 

But then you could also be used to the way you drive. You probably think you're driving smooth but in reality it's rough? I tend to think the same way, until you see the passenger head bopping on the passenger side.

 

yeah, i understand the Z is a sports car but so is the Evo 8 I drove and that was smooth. On a side note, is it a vehicle's synchro that determines the smooth transition between gears?

 

I have driven many manual tranny cars and I must say that the Z's are jerky.
Everytime I get to drive her, there's a learning curve.
I use my company car most of the time.

 

drive smooth?

HAH

 

“Drive smooth” is an ambiguous term, but it is related to:

a. Driver technique
b. Torque
c. Flywheel weight
d. Clutch design

As an example go from OEM clutch-flywheel to 6 Pad Puck Ceramic Clutch and Forged Steel Flywheel by Competition Clutch, and you will have technique problems initially. But after about 1,000 miles your brain should figure it out automatically.