+1 crjpilot. What YOU prefer really is the right answer.

 

+2

Well said crjpilot, heck in the early 80's when I got my lic nearly every car was a stick, any tom dick and harry could and did drive a manual, LOL skill my ***, it takes alot more than just knowing how to drive a stick.


Anyways to the orig poster, I drove mostly mt's in all prv cars, bikes etc.. fun no doubt. Our new Z is a Mt, but we test drove the auto, sure the mt is fun but so is the AT, heck performancewise n/a imo, got an mt mainly due to price and gas savings but on the other hand I got a tip on my C4s because I fell in luv with shifting without taking my hands of the wheel

Again totally agree with the others, get what you like, who cares what others think, are they paying for your ride?

 

I drive a 5AT this time around
I went through sooo many clutches
(ACT Street Clutch) with my boosted
300ZX Turbo it wasn't funny. Not
because of driving style, power was
the culprit. Because of that I decided
that this time I would go 5AT.

It's a real shame how other people label you
and your car when they don't know your
background and what you've owned in the past.
Oh well, let everyone laugh @ me, I don't care.
Because in my mind, and in my heart, I'm having
just as much fun driving my Z as anybody and
everybody else.

PS. You know when I learned to drive a clutch ?
1975 in a 1968 Camaro (my 1st car). I wonder how many
of you manual know-it-all's were even alive then
Maybe I'm just old

 

you just bought the wrong car that's all.

 

It pisses me off when I read this thread! I guess simple minded people are everywhere, and even own Zs...

It shouldn't matter what type of transmission you have in your car. Just because you have a AT doesn't mean you don't know how drive. In the AT Z you don't really sacrifice performance vs the MT. Sure, you don't have AS much control, but we aren't driving race cars or Ferraris, it's a freaking Z... I hear talk about 'purist' sports car...etc. The Z is not a purist sports car, it has A/C, a radio, cupholders...etc. Don't get me wrong, I love my Z, but don't think that it is the best (or purist) sports car on the road...

People buy Zs for many reasons and many uses. For some its a weekend fun car, for others its a daily driver. Some never have traffic to deal with, and for others it's a daily issue. The best transmission is the one that suits YOUR needs.

I get sick of dumbass jerks that flame people just because they have an AT. I'm sure that some of you immature, ignorant jerks can't even drive your MTs well enough to keep up with the the AT. I see this all the time where someone loses a race, just because they can't shift properly.

Opinions are like a-holes...everyone has one. Just don't down someone else if they think a little bit differently than you do, or chose a car different than yours...

 

Just one quick question...
Where are all of the MT owners trying to get to in such a hurry? My 350 is a daily driver that I drive to WORK. Who in the hell wants to speed to work every day? Are you guys that worried that someone'll eat the last donut or something? I love my AT and until one of you MT ********* wants to take over my payments/maintenance costs/etc... you can keep your purist "opinions" to yourselves!

 

 

NEWS FLASH!!!!!

it's a SPORTS CAR!!!!.....not a Camry. Personally I'm worried some AT "*********" who don't have to shift will crash into my "sports car" while on his cell phone and sucking on a big gulp.

 

"The man's wife demanded he buy an AUTO 350z, suddenly he felt WOT."

 

I bought my AT a little over 3 months ago... i love it, needless to say i drive it in manual mode most of the time... but i drive in rush hour in the morning here in atlanta, and its great. i love my Z and no one can belittle it, no matter how "manly" they think they are...

 

Low J. do you even know what you are talking about?

Go to your local Ferrari dealer and check it out for yourself, the Ferrari F1 paddle shifter is fully automatic. You can put it in auto-mode and it will do everything from the clutch to the shift. No driver input necessary. In manual-mode the Ferrari F1 is more of an automatic than the Z's 5AT. The Ferrari F1 will upshift at redline automatically even in manual-mode. The Z's 5AT will not upshift unless you put the upshift command in.

If you think you can shift faster than a modern performance auto tranny, you need a reality check. Let's run the numbers, again.

Audi DSG: ~20ms
BMW SMGIII: ~30ms
BMW SMGII: ~80ms
McLaren SLR Shifter: <100ms (adaptable shifting) (similar to Z 5AT)
Ferrari F1: ~150ms
AMG Speedshifter: <150ms (adaptable shifting) (similar to Z 5AT)
Porsche Tiptronic S: <200ms (adaptable shifting) (similar to Z 5AT)
Human Eyeblink: ~300ms
Professional NASCAR Driver: ~0.8 sec
6MT Fanboy: Ludicrous speed

I highly doubt that you have the skill to manually shift faster than an eyeblink. If you can shift faster than the average NASCAR driver, what the hell are you doing driving a Z? You can be making the big bucks on the circuit.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but the sequential MANUAL gearboxes in BMW's, Ferraris, etc DO HAVE CLUTCHES. However, they are hydraulic ( automatic ).

This is like DJs arguing about CD vs Vinyl, both have their uses. Both are good for different reasons. ( I have 2 1210's and 2 CDJ's because I need both)

If you are worried about what other people think why would you buy a Nissan anyway. Get yourself a BMW or Benz.

Yes I drive a Track 6MT. I prefer stick because of the way I drive my car. I dont like the manumatic mode on the 5AT's, it makes me fell like I am playing a video game............ I'd rather be driving !

It all depend on how YOU will drive the car, not how you want other people to think that you do.

I wonder what the guys ( and ladies ) are talking about at the WRX and EVO, forums. They DONT get a choice ( ok you can get the evo in a 5 or 6 speed).

Basically Nissan sells Z's in Automatics to "appeal to a broader market" ( ie they want to make money )

Good luck. ( and flash your high beams when you see me, I'll flash you back even if if see those signature 5AT rims)

 

You are correct. All multi-gear transmission have at least one clutch. The clutch is what makes it possible to change gears and allows two or more seperate shafts to rotate at different speeds (disengaged) or at the same speed (engaged). It doesn't matter if it is an AT or an MT. The 5AT has at least six clutches. Even my 2-speed chainsaw has a clutch. The only manual transmission is a standard transmission. All others are automatic. Even in manual-mode for the F1 and Tiptronic shifters the driver only gets to choose when he wants to shift. He doesn't do the shift. The computer controls the clutch and the actual gear change.

Most places don't even call the SMG what they call it here in the US. In the US, SMG stands for "Sequential Manual Gearbox". It was probably called that here for marketing reasons. In most places and in BMW's own in house documents, SMG stands for "Sequential M Gearbox" and relate it to the M Series BMWs that originally used them. BMW's own dealer marketing guide calls the SMG "a fully automated manual gearbox".

Here's a link to BMW's own dealer marketing guide
http://www.m3smg.com/files/smgmanual.pdf

 

Thanks, good stuff !

 

wow...i feel bad for all the people that can't understand the joys (and advantages) of having a manual transmission.......

 

You don't need a clutch to have a sports car

Get the 5AT, you won't be upset and I can spin the tires quite nice off the line. If I stall it up to 2500 and take off, its even more of an animal.

Check my stock time in my sig, not all 5AT's are slow

 

Holy ****, get over it, nobody likes you here and your proving worthless points. And how the hell can you compare the Z to a Camry? The AT's manual mode provides enough fun to fill in the "manual" urge, so let the guy get whats most important. You can't always get what u want, but you get what u need. BTW, talking on the cell phone n sucking down a big gulp just proves we can multitask just like your talented ***! *****.

Happy Drivin!

 

.....and yet another halfwit who thinks nobody else can have an opinion. Go back and read the first post by the thread starter and then STFU.

 

Yes I know about the Ferrari...I already mentioned it in my earlier post.....and the majority of the other shifting mechanisms you mentioned are more of the same....automatically controlled manual gearboxes.....they are not slushboxes that hamper performance. Just go to your Nissan dealer and try to get a 5AT on a "Performance" or "Track" edition.......that's right.....not an option.......I don't imagine there's a question of why.

 

congrats low j... you won... you got under my skin I refuse to believe you really care this much.