Confessions of a 7AT Driver

EndyKwon

It's moderately easy to spot a MT driver: look for that little back-roll before the car accelerates or the brake light isn't on during a stop light (on a flat surface). And then there's the little delay in sound between shifts, especially when the driver doesn't feel like shifting like The Fast and The Furious.

I sometimes get self conscious whenever there's a sporty car next to me because I feel like he/she is going to judge me for driving an automatic. So what I would do is leave my car in neutral during stoplights and then manual shift with delays in between shifts so it can sound and look like I'm driving a manual.

I wish I had a manual sometimes.

XiP

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Mecinoid

Yeah, but when you downshift coming into a light you look like a genius with the S7's auto downshift reving. I'm always in the right gear when the light changes.

You could always put in a $3 switch to turn off the brake lights. It also comes in handy running dark from the popo. Not that I'd ever do that ...

I like my S7 (Sequential 7-speed) I have other sports cars with stick shifts in them and they don't sound as good running the gears. Those quick shifts that come effortlessly are b-e-a- utiful.

Not to mention the engagement point on a stick shift Z is way too high. I've always modified the engagement point on the Z to engage 1" off of the floor. Just like my old school stuff. It's a lot easier and faster during speed shifting.

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MB370Z

No offense dude but how old are you? I use to have the same mindset when I was younger but now I much rather have an auto especially while stuck in traffic. I had a lot of younger guys compliment my car until they saw it was an auto and thought it was a POS.

madwi

Hey man, nothing wrong with driving an automatic! If you like it and it puts a smile on your face, the hippies can go screw themselves

* No hippies were harmed during this posting

EndyKwon

19.
Going to play a little bit of devil's advocate here: I'm not hating on my 7AT; I love the revving downshift and the comfort when it comes to being stuck in traffic. Don't call me immature though, I still think that a manual transmission on a GT-R is like using an abacus for rocket science.

It's just the manual elitists that get me all self conscious at times.

ElVee

I think there will be people who judge you for an automatic (I am one as well). But I also think those times are a'changin' as we move forward.

Then again, that's part of figuring out who the douchbags are and who the real car enthusiasts are who really don't care what *you* choose as long as you like it and everyone appreciates the hobby/lifestyle. I can control the gears/experience just about as well as a manual driver, and I don't need to be bothered with rowing downward. I think that's really what matters: whether you can keep the rpms where you'd like them. A full-on auto I would probably judge just by saying you're not getting much control/fun out of the car....though admittedly they'd be getting better mpg probably.

On topic, I have a bad habit from driving my auto '03 eclipse. It would shift just a little speedier if I let up about halfway off the throttle during a shift (I was blessed with sport shifting 10 years ago). It might also subconsciously be a "I'm-hiding-that-I'm-auto" thing. I admit, I did get used to the rocking sensation of the power being re-applied. It's less useful/obvious in the Z, especially since it's 7 gears instead of 4, and the first 2 are pretty quick.

Oh, and I'm sorry I passed you while you were changing gears.

ElVee

I love this as well. Not sure what other non-enthusiasts think that don't know what rev-matching is, but it's pretty much guaranteed to get pedestrian eyeballs, lol.

(Another confession: I don't do it next to muscle car V8's driven by borderline rednecks who will just take it as me challenging them. Well, unless it's a 5.0 Mustang and I want to bait them into roaring off so I can fap just a little bit...)

Mecinoid

There was a guy at the off ramp tonight that rolled back like 3 feet tonight just because he didn't want to go to the brakes. He just couldn't seem to find the engagement point. He must go through a lot of clutches that way holding his car on the hill slipping his clutch.

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ElVee

One last confession from me: It's awful when I actually put the car into full auto mode. About half the time coming off a light, I instinctively reach for the shifter (I go about 50/50 between paddles and shifter) to shift up and accidentally drop into neutral. "I hope they think I'm a manual and I just missed that shift..."

Mecinoid

And most race car have what? Automatics, S7's, PDK's, Dual Clutch Autos/Man.

I have drag raced autos and sticks. Which do you think are faster, which do you think are more consistent? I'd rather shift once in a Powerglide than three or four times in a stick going down the quarter mile with a higher risk of a miss-shift. Not to mention the fact that I can leave my hands on the wheel for more of the run. I only have to drive one handed for 1 second or so during that one shift at half track.

The transmission variations are getting more and more blurred these days.

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EndyKwon

Oh god, tell me about it. I thought I toasted my engine when I 'upshifted' into neutral and revved up to near 8000 RPM. I got mad-dogged by some pedestrians.

Mecinoid

Ha-ha... I've done that before thinking I'm in manual mode but, I'm in auto mode. I've done it twice in two years.... But, no one was around.

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forza370z

While there is nothing wrong to drive an auto or a manual. And no matter how auto guys here talk how bad the manual transmission on this car, I'd still pick up a manual any day. It's about the connection between the driver and the car. And it takes skills to drive a manual car fast. Rev matching, heel-toe, power shifting are not avaliable in an auto. It's challenging and whole lot of fun! Guess I'd be bored already if I owns an auto(that's why I sold my auto G coupe). But then again, if I am getting little older I'd pick up an auto and just be "lazy" stuck in the traffic.

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JungleZ

trust me you dont want the 6MT, the clutch sucks and the gearbox is sloppy and not smooth. People says its raw.. I dont feel that way really. I'm a great manual driver and this car needs to be perfectly launched and floored to not get dusted by your average V6.

I wish i got the 7AT, you can actually feel a little bit of the torque on throttle response.