Originally Posted by kannibul

You're right, I should compare my trucks 5MT to every other MT vehicle I've driven...oh, wait, I have, and my statement still holds true. My trucks 5MT is just as fast between gears as any other MT transmission...I can bang from one gear to the next just as fast as anyone on here, and just as fast as that video posted above, if not a shade faster. Granted, my truck is a POS 4-cyl that can't accelerate worth a crap, and when I do shift like that, I can feel the engine being dragged DOWN to the new RPM, but, I can easily shift that fast...

So, better explanation 5 steps in a manual...

1) Let of the gas
2) Push in the clutch (can be done at the same time as step 1, goal is to not let the engine "spin free", or drag)
3) Shift gears (not a lot can be done here to speed things up - physics!)
4) Let out the clutch
5) Give it gas (this can be done with step 4 if you don't mind burning your clutch)

Now, if you skip step 1, you're power shifting, and I bet you'd STILL be slower than the 7AT in shifting. You could save even more time if you don't care about getting a new transmission, and just slam it from gear to gear, if you're good with your throttle. I've done it with my bike when I got in a wreck and rode it home with a broken left wrist...can't work a clutch that way!

There's not much that you can do to make a shift between gears happen faster with a manual..you have a stick that you have move to get to the next gear, and synchonizers that DO slow the process down a bit.

7AT does what - release a band or a clutch pack? The difference with the 7AT in this car and most autos is that it's not trying to be smooth, it's getting the job done the way a sports car should. Snappy...