Curious if anyone else has found that this car is easier to drive the harder you drive it.

For example: The more I rev it up and let out the clutch the smoother it feels and the same with gear changes. From 1st to 2nd when I fire it, shifts no problem, but when I get stuck behind a cadillac doing 25 mph, shifting from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd seems like the transmission is going to jump out of the car.

Should I hold 1st/ 2nd gear untill the car in front of me is a good lenght ahead then hit the gas and then shift?

I find that the way the gear ratios are set up in the Z that a shift point is just above 30 mph, which becomes tourture when the person infront of you is going 25 to 30. This brings the car to about 3000 RPM (near 25 - 30 mph in 2nd) which feels like its just a little to low to get a good shift.

Just curious what you all have noticed/ found is the best way to deal with this... and ...Yes this is my first stick... Things seemed a lot simpler when I first got it and was just psyced I didn't stall

 

I am not an expert by any means in driving a manual, but I do know that a car that has less horsepower is much easier to drive (easier to switch gears smoother) the Nismo is definitely a little touchy, I learned to drive stick a fairly old car and this is the first car that I have owned that's a stick and I would definitely be interested in any advice anyone here can offer as well. Another thing I find it that with the way the break and gas pedal is set up in this car makes it particularily hard to do the Heel/Toe downshift technique, does anyone else have this issue. Thanks.

 

I'm also interested in this. Since my nismo is my first manual and I've had it since 3/16. I'm getting the hang of it but advice is always welcome :P.

 

Haha yea about that heel toe comment, I attempted this a few times.... only to buck the car like a damn bronco, as my right heel searched for the gas pedal.

 

At 2,000 to 3,000 RPM first to second is a “notchy” shift. Not good or bad just notchy. If I pick up the RPM to, say, 4,000 plus, the shift feels more confident. Totally subjective observation.

 

I love the heel/toe in the Z. It's perfect. Don't use your heel, just the right side of your foot.

 

Practice & more practice on the heel & toe, you'll get it.

 

Heel/Toe (or side of foot) was easy in my EVO...in the Z, I have to angle my heel more--may sound odd, but I find adjusting the seat allows me a better postion with which to attack (not the right word?) the pedals when I'm driving hard.

Also easier depending on the shoes I'm wearing--another oddity?

Maybe I'm just not genetically inclined enough for heel/toe

 

Thanks for the info about the Heel/Toe guys, makes me feel better. How about the shifting, I think the Z makes it hard to have a completely smooth sift everytime especially when driving slowly. What do you guys think?

 

I was sitting at a light this morning and was anticipating a green light, I had the engine around 3-5K and the clutch right at the edge of release, light turns green I release the clutch and step on the gas, to see that I am almost not moving and my RPMS are at 6K, I reach for the clutch to switch gears and can't find it cause it's stuck all the way in, so I let of the throttle clutch comes back out. Has anyone had this happen with the Nismos? I read that it was happening with a lot of 2007 350Zs, are the 2008 Nismos having these issues as well, is it something I should bring up to the Nissan dealership when I get my first oil change (the car has only 1400 miles on it). Thanks.

 

search postings about clutch problem. sit down,shut up,hold on and get a gear,practice is what it's all about!!!and the fun in getting there!!!

 

I have had my nismo for almost a year now and it is exactly as you say. there is a sweet spot between 3000 and 3500 rpm's that make shifting alot easier, but like you say if there is someone on front of you its not really possible. you can ride the clutch a little more than you think to go slow. let it out still, but you can do it slower. this makes it a little smoother in low rpms because the throw is so short. you only have to press the clutch pedal in about an inch to release it.

 

You are dead on. I found exactly what you have said to be true.

Is "riding" the clutch in this way causing any damage to it. I have tried reading up on this, and from what I have seen: as long as you are not doing it for prolonged periods of time, or at high revs, the clutch isn't hot enought to start burning up.

Any truth to this?

This is my first stick and I find that any time I am driving around the city very slowly (crawling)/ in traffic or backing out of a driveway slowly, I have to have the clutch half in or else I will

1) start going very fast in reverse / drive (for a confined area) even without hitting the gas once the car is in gear

2) It will stall


In traffic I genreally wait for a few car lenghts so I have enought room to let the clutch all the way out and then push it in again though.

 

Again, I'm local and I'm more than willing to drive your car to show you how it's done.

1) I've never driven a manual where I've taken my foot all the way off the clutch in reverse. In traffic I normally take the clutch out just enough to get it moving in traffic and then push it in to coast.

I think you're over thinking this. Learn first how you think you should do it then go to the internet and see what everyone else says, because you'll get 10000 different opinions. Don't worry so much about burning up the clutch, it's a sports car, it's built to take some abuse. If you start to smell something funny, then worry.

I've found that giving it gas a little earlier while taking your foot off the gas makes it smoother. You picked a difficult car to learn on though IMO.

 

This kind of a abuse... dude, what!?!

 

you should be in 3rd or even 4th gear. This car has plenty of torque to move the car at 2000 RPM.

 

Not sure what that means, can you elaborate. Thanks.

 

It's funny OP. I have been thinking that for a while. My Z is only happy when I drive it like I stole it

 

5K rpm to start is definitely abuse. You need at least 5800 rpm

 

yup, I've come to the realization that the reason everything works so well when you drive it like a maniac, is because you have to be so focused on the road, you dont think about the shifts.

I was driving the other day, and realized when I just relaxed and just said FU#K it about hurting the car and just layed into it, everything just flowed