hello z people!
 

Hi everyone. Not a Z owner but I'd like to be. Test drove an '09 370Z Standard, Sport, Auto and I really liked it.

Anyway, I'm here to do my research before buying, and maybe help out with electrical things if I can. You see, I'm an electrical engineer working in the aerospace industry.

So, hi! I'll see you around. :tiphat:

Welcome aboard! Surprised you could test drive it and not take it home!

It was hard. But I got away for two reasons: I didn't bring the title to the car I have, and I'm still on the fence about the automatic transmission.

Used to live in Phoenix btw.

FWiW ... I got the 7AT, and it took a lot of deciding. But I'm not sorry in retrospect. Someone else can drive my car occasionally (though in the first 500 miles, she drove about 20. ;)

This AT is probably characteristic of most recent-generation Nissans, which I hadn't driven since the name change. (Used to drive a Datsun 200SX, aka "Silvia", followed by a 1980 Datsun Maxima wagon. Then I wandered away for a few years.)

When you punch this AT down there's a moment hesitation, almost like a very very short turbo lag, while the car tries to figure out what you want and flush the fuel injectors. Then she comes on all screaming crazy all at once, and doesn't let up until you do. (We're talking an initial lag of 100-250 milliseconds here -- nothing, really.)

I wouldn't think of an automatic if I was ever going near a track, but there's some discussion that the AT shifts are faster than an MT, giving you a better 0-60 time. This is important for people who like to run on treadmills, I think.

Bottom line #1: If there are voices in your circle of influence who point to the overall impracticality of a sports car, ANY sports car ... an AT will help mitigate that. It makes this a better daily driver.

-OR-

Bottom line #2: If you know how long you expect to keep this car, and how many other people may possess one of your key fobs, and what you intend to do with the car ... the MT makes it more personal. (With perhaps some slight reduction in value at trade-in.) But if you're going this way, you've probably already rejected the lighted "Z" kicker plate in favor of one with your own initials, and are mapping out the next few seasons of your life with weekly mods.

Best of luck in your choices, and welcome!

My on the fence internal battle is one of "convenience vs. purist". I'm a purist at heart and want to swap my own gears and on the other hand I live in LA with LA traffic and LA streets and that process might become tedious. But, paddle shifters are almost as good in my book. Ack! There I go again.

I bought my 7AT knowing I'll be moving back to Los Angeles once I separate from the military, and boy did I make the right decision. :D

I got the auto for traffic reasons. In hindsight, if I had it to do over again, I probably would have gone stick. If you really love driving stick, you will do it in traffic too.

6mt

I hate the traffic as well in the D.C. metro area. I've also driven around in the Bay area of San Francisco and it sucks with a manual transmission. However, when I bought my Z I only thought of the driving experience and what I wanted in my sports car. I couldn't come to terms with having an AT and having a Z. Don't get me wrong I am not hating on anyone who gets it. Its a personal decision to be made depending on what is most important in your car and what you want from it. In the end, do it for what you want and not what anyone else thinks or says. You have to drive it. Good Luck and most of all, live the dream!

you can do what i did... after 15 years living in dc metro area, packed up my ****, moved to desert southwest and bought a manual ! :)

Relocate just to drive a 6MT? lmao :icon17:

:tup:travis!

well, truth be told, a bit more involved, but you get the idea :)

Frankly, I'd love to move back to Arizona. But the kind of work I do is very specialized and 90% of the jobs are in this area.

Thanks for the warm welcome guys, I think it's time for me to start working on the F1 style rear fog like I promised here.