370Z 7 Speed Auto Review
I promised a review of the 7 Speed Auto. Lets start with the bad news.
The Dyno.
I've attached an overlay of the Dyno pulls I did this weekend. The best number we could get was 269. That equates to about a 22% drive-train loss as compared to the 6spd manuals 15-16%. However, if you look closely you will see that the graph ends at about 6,500RPM. For some reason the engine was not allowed to rev over 6,500 (the ABLS?) and in some cases much lower RPM. I would like someone else with an auto to get on a dyno and see if they have the same result. This will make tuning almost impossible. This 6.5 limit DOES NOT occur when all 4 wheels are turning...on the street.
Now for the good news.
M-mode shifting.
M-mode shifting is everything it should be. The computer only takes shifting away from you at the very bottom of the RPM range; just enough to keep the engine from stalling.
On the way up the gears shifting with either the stick or the paddle works great. It WILL NOT MAKE A SHIFT FOR YOU. What else can I say about the shifting? For once the M-mode auto works the way it should.
I think I've noticed a difference between the paddles and the stick. It seems that paddles shift faster than stick. It's even more noticeable on the way down the gears.
The throttle blips for down shift rev-matching are AWESOME. It's like music.
When I first started driving I thought the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts where too soft. Since then it feels like they have tightened up considerably and now a max RPM shift can snap my head back. Overall I would say the shifting in M-mode is firm and sporty and the shifting in D-mode soft and predictable.
The power transmission feels great all the way to red line, in spite of what the dyno says. I don't feel like 332 is an underestimate of power. My guess is if the 370Z 7 Speed auto were allowed to rev to red-line it would make every bit as much power as the 6 Speed.
Back a little further though my lack of a Limited Slip is really showing. It's hard to get much traction at all coming out of turns at speed. Definitely need a limited slip.
Feel free to ask any questions about the auto if I missed anything.
__________________
When was the last time you did 230MPH in something with 4 seats?
Last edited by JoeyD; 02-10-2009 at 12:05 PM.
|