New 370Z owner from Illinois/Chicago

[370_Z_Illini]

Hi All,

New to the 370Z as well as the forum! Just bought the car a couple of weeks ago and loving every minute of it. 2011 Red Z touring w/ Sport package. First car that I bought for "myself" and not the family

Had a few questions.

First of all, any advice on shifting in the Z? The starts from first to second and second to third have been getting better but I am still feeling that "thud" or jerk when letting go of the clutch and depressing the accelerator. Is this damaging to the car? The times that I have a easy transition into second or third is when I am very gentle on the RPM's (under 2-3K) but the starts are so slow that cars left and right are overtaking me. Any advice or will i just get better with time?

When accelerating in first gear from a complete stop, I am finding that gently giving it a bit of gas while letting go of the clutch prevents the jerking motion somewhat. Will this ruin or wear down the clutch prematurely?

Any other advice is welcome!