Best trans for forced induction
 

I'm really considering getting rid of the GTO and grabbing a 370. Historically, autos are more reliable for spirited driving and more consistent in the 1320. I'd like to turbo it and was curious which tranny was stronger with the power adder. I'm guessing the A7 probably has pretty narrow gears given the number of stacks, is this a true statement?

I am not sure how you are coming to the conclusion that autos are more reliable for spirited driving. Until recently, most autos have more often than not hampered that kind of driving due to slow shift speed and "gear hunting". On top of that, autos create quite a bit more heat than a manual transmission does under heavy "spirited" driving loads, which will have an eventual significant impact on transmission life. Another thing to look at with a turboed auto would be the possibility of gear slippage under hard acceleration. Turbo cars straight from the manufacturer with auto transmissions are a completely different animal than aftermarket set-ups. Not to say that putting a turbo on a Z equipped with an auto is a bad idea, but you definitely stand the possibility of running into more possible drivetrain issues than those running high power FI on manual gearboxes. We have yet to really see how the current 7sp autos will stand up to the increased power and heat issues that a turbo system could incur though, so right now it would seem that most anyone's insight would be based off past models and experiences.

Good non-7AT slamming response. I do have wanted to FI an AT tranny and wondered about the pro's/con's of doing so...

Yep, you could probably check on the G37 forums as I think there are a few guys that have boosted with the 7AT. How much power you looking to run? Over 500 will be quite expensive to build IMO.

Just get the 6-speed, why buy a 370Z or any sports car in general with a boring automatic? Look at the GT-R, great engine but that paddle shifter kinda ruins the car, if they made it with a manual transmission, I'd def buy one in the future.

Get the 6 speed and save yourself any future headaches ;)

Not quite an accurate comparison. Where the GT-R has paddle shifters it is not an automatic transmission by any means. I've heard that argument before, but disagree. I don't think it ruins the car.

^ the reason the GTR is as godly as it is - drumrollllll - is the dual clutch tranny.... it would NOT be as fast w/out it

It may not ruin the car, but def makes the car not as fun, maybe I am just "pro-manual", I don't mean to start an arguement, but I just believe if your going to buy a sports car, it should have a manual transmission.

Another consideration is the performance of the AT in a high-heat environment. A TT setup pushes a lot more heat back into the firewall and transmission well. You might need to examine cooling options for the AT fluid.

You must be one of those Pro Manual Fan-boys! Autos are the new thing man! Manual is the past. Live in the future man.. the manual is a dieing breed.
Get use to it.. its over..
:gtfo2:
J/K i hate when people say that the auto is just at good as the manual. It may be true with proformace but with feel deff not.

Not really a fan boy, lol just respect people more when they have a manual sports car, I hate when people say they have a manual car, but all it is, is an automatic with that tiptronic thing

My basis was that the stronger street manuals are good for about 650hp (such as the Tremec found in the Vette, Viper, Camaro, and GT500). Beyond that you need an auto (now you're looking at something that can hold 1500hp rather inexpensively). On a road corse, I'd want a manual or, the ability to manually shift an auto provided it added reliability in the form of holding more hp (a product of the smoother power application granted by the torque converter).

On the drag strip (the only racing I would probably be doing), the auto will provide more consistent times than a driver of a manual would be able to accomplish (a plus for me). If it's capable of holding more power than the manual (typical of most of transmissions out there), that is another plus.

My current car is a manual (and so were the 5 prior to it), I enjoy manuals but that is only because I want to make the decisions on what gear I'm in and for how long; the Z's auto gives me that capability.

My goal would be 450-500hp. At that level, both options are going to require aftermarket components (six of one, have a dozen of the other...). I'll contact some shops to see what they have to say I guess.

Totally, totally agree with u. The paddle shift manual is designed so a driver can be more focused and engaged. Too many people think that playin with a stick makes u a great driver.
Truth is the paddle shift gives u many handling advantages that manuals don't give.
And the 7at is .02 seconds faster in the quarter. Which doesn't mean much but proves a point. Never the less. Watever your transmission choice is.
Hone the skills.

The members of myg37.com who have boosted both the AT and the MT have similar numbers in power output but the MT still puts out slightly more with less risk as GTmotorsports has stated a few times. Not a quote but I have read their reviews on their work and a few times on the AT jobs they have said something similar to "keep in mind this is an A/T". A few PROS to think about with the AT:
-turbos do not re-spool during each shift
-shifts are going to be faster than any person could ever shift
-An average driver could put down decent times on a straight with an AT vs an average driver in a MT

CONS
-when that AT gear box has issues, your bank account is gonna have issues as well or your gonna make your credit card companies very happy

I think many in this thread are confusing AT with a true dual clutch such as that found in the GT-R. The 7AT is nowhere close to that of the tranny in the GT-R. The 6MT is better than an AT any day. However, it is inferior to that of a true dual clutch found in the GT-R, M3, Ferrari's etc.

In case anyone is in question the AT is not capable of the same power as the MT on these cars. It will not hold far more power. That assumption may be true on other cars, but not this one. I would highly recommend you go with a MT if you want to make high hp.