Why does first gear in every other car feel and seem faster than the Z?

m4a1mustang · 01-21-2012, 05:55 PM

If you are used to driving automatics and now drive a manual transmission, those autos probably feel a lot more frisky off the line in regular driving than your manual transmission car does. Why? Because with the MT you have to consciously operate the clutch and gas pedal simultaneously to get moving. Unless you're purposely launching they it's a little slow to get a quick getaway. With the automatics, they just feel like they are ready to get up and go since all you've got to do is give it gas.

I feel this way when I drive my girlfriend's CLK500. In regular driving it feels much peppier off the line than my Z did and my 5.0 does.

Also, as has been documented here before, some people have experienced a severe throttle input lag under 4k (the car feels like it bogs down and just about dies when you give it throttle), so it's possible the OP could be experiencing something like that.

FL 4Motion · 01-21-2012, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

If you are used to driving automatics and now drive a manual transmission, those autos probably feel a lot more frisky off the line in regular driving than your manual transmission car does. Why? Because with the MT you have to consciously operate the clutch and gas pedal simultaneously to get moving. Unless you're purposely launching they it's a little slow to get a quick getaway. With the automatics, they just feel like they are ready to get up and go since all you've got to do is give it gas.

I feel this way when I drive my girlfriend's CLK500. In regular driving it feels much peppier off the line than my Z did and my 5.0 does.

Also, as has been documented here before, some people have experienced a severe throttle input lag under 4k (the car feels like it bogs down and just about dies when you give it throttle), so it's possible the OP could be experiencing something like that.

/\ quoted for truth. If you keep your rpms under 3K and try and take off from a stop w/o trying to be a street racer, the car is downright slow. For me, this car seems to be either on or off as far as acceleration goes, there's no middle ground like there is with an automatic.

IDZRVIT · 01-21-2012, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FL 4Motion

/\ quoted for truth. If you keep your rpms under 3K and try and take off from a stop w/o trying to be a street racer, the car is downright slow. For me, this car seems to be either on or off as far as acceleration goes, there's no middle ground like there is with an automatic.

I disagree. The Z does 0-60 in less than 5 seconds. If you know how to shift, this car is not sluggish in the lower gears at least for a M6.

m4a1mustang · 01-21-2012, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IDZRVIT

I disagree. The Z does 0-60 in less than 5 seconds. If you know how to shift, this car is not sluggish in the lower gears at least for a M6.

I think you're missing the point. There's no argument that the car is quick when you actually get on it, but we're talking about regular driving where things slow down a bit with an MT due to clutch operation from a stand-still.

In that case an automatic tends to feel quicker.

01-21-2012, 05:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6964	If you are used to driving automatics and now drive a manual transmission, those autos probably feel a lot more frisky off the line in regular driving than your manual transmission car does. Why? Because with the MT you have to consciously operate the clutch and gas pedal simultaneously to get moving. Unless you're purposely launching they it's a little slow to get a quick getaway. With the automatics, they just feel like they are ready to get up and go since all you've got to do is give it gas. I feel this way when I drive my girlfriend's CLK500. In regular driving it feels much peppier off the line than my Z did and my 5.0 does. Also, as has been documented here before, some people have experienced a severe throttle input lag under 4k (the car feels like it bogs down and just about dies when you give it throttle), so it's possible the OP could be experiencing something like that. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

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