I have driven both and autocrossed both and I really think that the 5 speed auto in manual mode is close to the autoX-ability of the manual


Does anyone feel the same way?

Does anyone have proof for either direction??


Thanks for reading my crap!

 

im wondering the same thing.....

 

oookkaay, anyone else?

 

Its the same for AutoX where the ~5hp doesn't really matter, and you stay in 2nd gear most of the time anyway.

 

so its the same for drag, better for top end...what is it bad at?

fast shifting, but I dont care, with the upgraded valvebodies and highstall converters, the auto isnt a bad choice at all

 

Auto is slower 0-60 and the 1/4 mile because it cannot launch, and you get less power to the wheels because of higher drivetrain loss. Manual is better top end too because it has 6 gears and better ratio's. Unless you have to commute thru heavy traffic everyday, i would go with stick.

 

I disagree^

You put a skilled driver in each, the Auto will have a better launch than the manual.

 

I live in Queens, and work in NJ. I love my 6spd

 

Ah, the MT v. AT battle is joined again! Anyone wanna guess the over/under on the # of posts before the thread dies this time?

 

Please do some research before you make statements like that. 0-60 & 1/4 mile times with the 350Z 5AT are equal or somtimes better then the 6MT depending on conditions and drivers. This is based on my own personal testings along with information gathered from others. As far as top end goes I have yet to see any test to prove the the 5AT cannot reach the 156 MPH limited top speed. I for one have reached 143 MPH and had to slow down due to traffic up ahead. At the time I was still accelerating quickly and effortlessly, and had no doubt that I would eventually reach the 150 MPH mark if given more time, ah, few more seconds

 

This is patently false. The 6MT has better gearing and less drivetrain loss. In addition, the stock torque converter has too low of a stall speed to properly launch. While it is true that most Z's will 1/4 somewhere between 13.9-14.2, the 6MTs are higher on the bell curve. When was the last time you heard of a stock 5AT run ~13.6?

I don't doubt that a 5AT could reach 156MPH, but a 6MT will definitely get there faster.

I do believe, however, that a 5AT has more drag strip modding potential than the 6MT. Not that the 350Z or the G35 are ideal drag cars, anyway.

I drive a 5AT, by the way.

 

shivak , The statement was "Auto is slower. " I do not or will not ever agree with that. My 5AT has done the 1/4 in 13.89 seconds & 0-60 was timed at 5.4 sec. I would say that this is equal (and sometimes better) then a stock 6MT, not SLOWER. Like I said it's depending on the driver and conditions. How many 6MT owners who post on this board or others have you seen consistantly get below 13.8 or 13.9 sec in the 1/4. Not many, most are at 14 or higher due to driving skills alone. 13.6 has been done, but not consistantly. As for top speed? You may be correct. But I have not seen any test as of yet to prove it. My 5AT hit 143 very quickly and was still pulling pretty hard when I had to let off. Maybe in the past the AT is slower fact was true. But not with todays technology. Anyway, I'm not here to argue with you or anybody else It's just my opinion based on my experiences. Thanks for the reply.

 

auto is not slower than manual..........it is all depends on driver's condition...IMO..same power and same engine...

But y auto for sports car? < that i dont understand

^^;

 

More consistent anyway.

 

The manual tranny is generally supposed to be lighter. Whats up with some of the auto models being lighter than their manual counterparts?? Does anyone know why?? I never really looked into that.

As people have already said, the gearing in the 6mt is better because it is closer ratioed. On a drag strip it may not matter as much, but when going around a track it sure can make a difference. With more gears it's only logical you have more potential to stay in your powerband longer and be in the best gear possible.

As far as reaching the speed limiter, the 5AT should have no problems with that. My 6mt will keep the limiter pegged even going uphill. I've hit the limiter so hard before that the engine practically shut off. I can tell that the Z has a fair amount of speed left in it past 159(156 actual)... around 10mph I'd guess, give or take. The 5MT should reach its speed limiter with no problems either, regardless of any drivetrain loss/weight/gearing differences.

A manual undoubtedly requires more input and finesse from the driver. A requirement which gives the driver more control and more potential to go fast, but at the same time also increases the difficulty and margin for error.

With both cars driven to their potential, the 6mt is faster. Not by leaps and bounds, but it is measurably faster.

Just because you ran a 13.89 in your auto one day, doesn't much as far as this discussion is concerned. I could have ran a 13.75 in my 6mt on the same day/track/tires for all you know. Coulda woulda shoulda, it doesn't really matter. Conditions(atmosphere & traction), driver ability, and many other variables affect the outcome. It's like saying I don't believe your car is faster because my dyno is higher than yours. I don't agree with you because my iq is higher than yours. Those arguments don't really hold any water.

Making mods doesn't count either. You can throw in an aftermarket stall converter just as easy as I could throw in an aftermarket clutch and flywheel.

I don't really see it making much difference either way to your average joe. Both are plenty fast as far as I'm concerned.

 

Well said.

 

I think the only advantage MT has over AT in these cars is .. that. It's a manual transmission. You can do everything you can do with a manual and not in a automatic... and everything you can't.

So much for cell phone in the car while eating.. (not that I condone it) with your MT. But some of us want to row through the gears and all the goodies that come with a clutch pedal and a stick shift.

Theoretically.. blah blah blah MT is better. Real life situation: the AT doesn't mess up--end of story. I'm sure no one picked the MT based on better performance. It's just preference, like choosing the color.

 

(another) Well Said !

 

but I am talking about REAL track performance, the kind with turns and stuff


And my Stillen stage 3 with my auto really does its thing well

 

The 5AT tranny is about 5kg (12-13 lbs) heavier than the 6MT tranny. The 5AT is heavier because it has hydraulic fluids and more clutches than the 6MT. A regular laptop computer with it's power supply weighs about 5kg. The 5AT Touring is lighter than the 6MT Touring because the 6MT comes with the 18" wheels. The weight difference between the 17" and 18" wheels is more than than the weight difference between the 5AT and the 6MT trannies.