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[Batman]

Welcome!!!!!!!!! Sweet Lookin Z. Good Luck on the purchase!!!!!!!

 

[hazzazi]

Welcome!!!!!!!!! Sweet Lookin Z. Good Luck on the purchase!!!!!!!

thank you,

 

[BOJANGLES]

Welcome Hazzazi.

Is your 370Z manual?

I'm a sucker for manual transmissions in sports cars. I love shifting gears in something speedy. I test drove a 370Z while my Brother was buying his Titan and I was pretty amazed by the manual trans in the 370Z.

For those of you that don't know, the 370 is the first car (that i've ever seen) that has selectable option for "rev-matching" your downshifts. Anyone who has spent anytime in a race car, at a Car Control class, or is an above-average performance driver knows all about 3 pedal shifting and the art of a proper throttle blip in the down shifting process.

(for those who don't know what I'm talking about: when approaching a turn on a racetrack, the old mantra is "slow in = fast out" this means that as you approach the turn, you want to do ALL of your braking AND shifting before you turn the wheel, so that the moment you reach the apex you are already mashing the throttle to the floor and hauling ass out of the turn. Throttle blipping is a technique where you use 2 feet to control all three pedals simultaneously for a brief period before the turn. As you approach the turn you are hard on the brake, and during braking you are also using your left foot on the clutch to initiate your shift, DURING the shift for that brief fraction of a second that you are floating between gears and essentially in neutral, you keep the ball/big toe of your right foot pressing on the brake but during that braking AND shifting process you also roll the right edge of your right foot to quickly stab the throttle before the 2nd half of your downshift. This brief moment where you have 2 feet on all 3 pedals has an important purpose..... It revs the engine during the milliseconds you are in neutral so that when you engage your downshift, your RPMs are higher, thus making you faster. Once you have it down, your instructor should then teach you how to "double-blip")

The 370Z's rev-matching feature (turned on/off with a touch of a button) essentially blips the throttle for you. During a regular non-race-style downshift the motor will automatically raise the RPMs for you, so that when you engage your lower gear you have ideal power.... The fact that the blip is automated means it's PERFECT. The car downshifts incredibly smoothly, and makes even a novice wheelman have absolutely flawless downshifts. It's more fun to do the work yourself once you know how, but when you want to drive a bit more leisurely, this feature is awesome. I'm surprised more manual transmissions haven't come out with this feature. Who knows, maybe other cars have followed suit and I just haven't been informed yet.

Either way, I must say I was pleasantly surprised when test-driving a manual 370Z.... It's not the fastest car in the world, but it is undeniably fun to drive and very "zippy"

I would have loved to have seen something like the 370's clever manual transmission offered in it's big brother... the GTR.

 

[BMart]

I would have loved to have seen something like the 370's clever manual transmission offered in it's big brother... the GTR.

I absolutely love driving the GTR. That launch control takes years off your life...

Welcome Hazzazi!

 

[BOJANGLES]

I absolutely love driving the GTR. That launch control takes years off your life...

Welcome Hazzazi!

Agreed BMart, the launch control is waaaay fun!!

Tiptronic/Manumatic transmissions have grown on me in the past year or two, and I fully submit to the notion that they shift more precisely than any human can, but that being said there is a fun-factor feel associated with a manual transmission that I can't let go of. I've also had the opportunity to drive a few Ferraris with Tiptronic and they're a dream to drive, but I still miss old school clutching/shifting when I'm in them.

That being said, I'd still own a GTR in a heartbeat. They're just so fantastic in the bang-for-your-buck department. My Brother also has an '08 M3 in Space Gray he's thinking about trading towards one.

 

[BIRDMAN]

Welcome!