I have a 7AT....I've owned many manuals and automatics, I know they work...


:icon14:

I like boobies

Sorry Kannibul.. I mean to type the Z's 7AT shifts FASTER!! My fault... But, my wife's CX7 acts just the same.

I am impressed that the Z's tranny shifts SO fast when copared to the other modern 'Sport' At's. However, I have my doubts that it would be good on the track/autoX.

Stay on topic

i like my wife's!!

And for good reason. I don't know of any automatics that are used with any kind of frequency for "events"

That being said, I'd be confident the 7AT would perform as well, and possibly in some ways better, than a 6MT.

Short of overheating issues...if that's an issue (comparatively speaking, regarding oil temps vs transmission temps - which one becomes an issue first...)

Again, Car & Driver reported that the 7AT does not drop 2 or more gears when requested. I've never driven the 7AT, so I have no fkin idea............but C&D's take makes me think it would suck in AutoX.

Quote: "The one negative we noted was a reluctance to crack off seamless multigear jumps. Call for a two-gear drop, and the engine briefly hangs up on the first before dropping into the second, sapping some of the joy and confidence from quick two-lane passes."

That pretty much sums it up right there.

I did try that when I was test driving on Monday and, at least in the one I drove, the same occured; the shift did stall some. The plus side is that the stall was not bad as other Sport ATs can take that long to shift period!

But, this would affect track/autocross overall performance.

That's Car and Driver. My experience differs.

It won't jump gears, except from 7th to 5th, when bumping the paddles or kicking the stick over from D. Otherwise, it is sequential, but still quick. Certainly not F1...

You can never have this discussion on an internet forum. Manual people love the manual and simply hate automatic. Automatic people love automatic and hate manual. As someone who loves both, given the choice I would drive a manual on track but since I drive my car 90% on road I bought automatic. In my opinion, auto will beat manual but you won't see it happen for two different reasons. People who bought automatic don't care that much about driving it on the track. People who can drive on the track very well won't know how to drive the automatic very well.

Also, I bet you that manual transmission will overheat engine oil and hit the limp mode a lot sooner than automatic will overheat.

Come on ... the Zs A7 is good - have you ever driven a real modern day sequential? There is a HUGE difference - stop fooling your self about it... but if it helps you feel better then w/e

Or are you making yourself feel better by belittling auto :rolleyes:

I disagree Awesomez... The AT's engine oil should overheat at the exact same rate. And as an earlier post indicated, I am sure an aftermarket Tranny cooler would be needed. Some of the RX8 guys that track their 6AT have all had to do this..

Hah... so the serpent has come full circle to bite its tail eh... ok ok... you do realize I was Belittling the "auto" compared to a SEQUENTIAL... you understand the difference between a manual and a sequential? please dont make me tell you to go look it up @ google... oh wait.. i just did :p

Lets say this about the MT / AT debate

1. With AT you get the same shift time every time and you cant really improve upon it by being a better driver (hardware limited)

2. With MT - its you who are limiting the cars shift speed - so you can do it as fast as the mechanics allow and the human element is often much easier to improve over time. Which is why MOST experienced MT drivers will shift faster than the Zs AT

Easiest way to put an end to this silly debate - Get a MT and AT z on a dyno... shift and watch the curves for which has more delay... obviously we would have to use a "decent" MT driver... but hey - it would be better than my opinions vs yours....

In fact there are two things: science and opinion;
the former begets knowledge and the latter ignorance

The Auto has been faster straight line so far. The manual will have an advantage when you have to downshift more than one gear at a time. I conclude that the tighter the track, the more it will favor the manual, but at what point they cross only time will tell.

well gentlemen, theres only one way to find out, lets head to Buttonwillow and put down some times shall we?

^ no that does not really work unless the same driver is driving both cars... which is why I say.. lets throw em on a dyno... and see how much delay there is before the TQ picks up for the A7 vs the M6

I have driven over 150+ different cars and I've had my license for 13 years. So yes that means I have driven my first manual with a booster seat. Yes I know what a sequential is, that's why I didn't say anything about sequential but about your belittling of modern auto transmissions.

I wouldn't touch the S word if I were you. I doubt you have anything to do with science, I would guess there is a good chance you believe in easter bunny.

Does anyone here know the torque difference in the 370's AT vs. MT? In the 350 it's 260ft/lbs for the MT, vs. 274ft/lbs for the AT. Would that make a significant difference?!

Now THAT is opinion! and I would because you are not me... If you want to bring your car to a track I would be happy to show you how to drive. But making assumptions about my beliefs simply just shows me that you have nothing else to say about the point being discussed - you just want to show someone up on the internets... I understand that you have this dire need to show your dominance over all when it comes to your Auto Z- but I bet it wouldnt just end there...

I leave more science behind in tightly coil'd lumps each morning than you will ever know about in that quick to judge brain of yours... Be happy with your auto trans - but lets keep this discussion to point... which of course is regarding to the easter bunny - which I do happen to believe in (he actually is my uncle... and down here in rabbit land I am just about the only one who owns a Z)...

If you want to post some meaningful information regarding the original debate - please do... lets leave un-erudite guess about me and you out of it shall we?

Throwing them on a dyno is no different that running them at the strip. It doesn't address the issue of downshifting speeds in the Auto. The Auto has been the fastest at the strip so far but more runs are needed. The MT should make up ground tracking the car.

You do not understand what I am saying... I am saying... If we want to EXPERIMENTALLY determine which one shifts faster all we have to do is the following:

Same Dyno same day...

1. Graph a MT 370z shifting from 1->2 etc etc... 4->5 when looking at the power / tq graphs - we can see a power over time plot which will show us how long the power drops for between shifts... this tells us how fast our "competent" MT driver shifts

2. Do the same w/ an Auto Z and compare the times taken

3. Profit?

EDIT: this is to see who can upshift quicker - I dont want to get started on the downshifting as obviously the 6mt has an advantage anytime you want to skip a gear

Hmm... I'll have to pay more attention, but that's not really the feeling that I get; it seems pretty seemless to me.

As someone who has driven both manuals and automatics, I think there is a little bit of "Back in my day we walked five miles to school!" style thinking when it comes to glorifying manual transmissions;). Does anyone really think manuals will even be an available option twenty years from now? Five years ago I would have been in total agreement with most of you, but it seems like we are at the point where automatics are catching up to and possibly surpassing manuals.

When I say sequential in regards to the 7AT, I mean you go from 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 - you don't skip gears, except when moving the auto-stick over, it'll downshift form 7 to 5. If you hit the + paddle with it in D, it'll just stay in 7(M), then you can move it to 6th, 5th, etc in order.

When you say modern sequential, I think you're talking about a dual-clutch, servo-operated manual. Huge difference, and not something I am trying to compare, other than they both operate in sequence.

Yep - thats what I was referring to - Guess that explains the confusion. There is no doubt that a real "sequential" is better than both our Autos and Manuals... but I misunderstood when you said sequential - I didnt realize you meant just shifting through the gears.

Again, I will reiterate...I fail to see how this has materialized into any sort of argument among enthusiasts, especially in the context of road-racing. This is indeed a first.

You can argue for days on the optional transmissions vs. standard manuals on other cars, from the SMG vs. 6-speed on the M5/M6, F1 vs. standard in Ferraris, to the DSG vs. 6-speed in a GTI, etc...the reason those comparisons are valid is because all the non-standard options aren't traditional automatics. Why are people so caught up on the 7AT? There is nothing special to it. So it blips on downshifts and shifts relatively quick...nothing groundbreaking for an automatic produced sometime within the last 10 years.

It’s funny how automakers can put paddles or buttons on the steering-wheel to shift an auto and fool people into thinking it’s any different than when you were manually shifting your mom’s '94 Camry when you were 16. Was there a similar auto vs. manual discussion for the 350Z? :icon14:

Obviously, you've not driven the 370z with a 7AT, otherwise, you wouldn't make that kind of statement.

I explained it earlier, now, go out to a dealership, and drive one, and see for yourself.

Except the auto camary aint .4 sec.faster

when you say .4 seconds faster, what are you referring to?

I assume he is talking about how much faster the AT is compared to the MT

uhh, can someone please show me where the 7AT is .4 seconds faster in anything? stock.

LOL you are about to get assaulted by magazine numbers red... watchout!!

wow my farts stink

According to Car and Driver- M/T is 13.6sec @ 105mph. A/T is 13.1 @ 108-Standing quarter mile! Nissan 370 Z.

:drama:

Great post. I take the opposite tack with the lifecycle of manuals, though. In twenty years I think a stick and a clutch pedal will be an option, just as it is today. In Europe they still scoff at AT's unless it's on an F1 car, then of course it's ok. :rofl2:

In the US, the AT rules since the US is so auto-centric for commuting as opposed to EuroAsia which is public-transport-centric for commuting. In the US, the rush-hour traffic jam is a fact of life that begs an AT. In Europe it's like 'ok it's Saturday let's take the Carrera out for the day'.

The Manual Transmission/Clutch Shall Endure. I hereby decree it. :driving:

My Car & Driver (April 09) has the 6MT running a 13.4 @ 107. It appears the going trend is to compare the 7AT's fastest times against the 6MT's slowest "magazine" times. As each week passes, the performance gap between the two cars gets larger which amuses me. I would give the automatic a tenth or two at the most in the quarter and that's factoring the 37 extra pounds it's lugging around. Until the two square off at the track with equal drivers, this discussion will continue on, which is harmless entertainment.

Test drove the 7AT this past weekend and was impressed with it's quick shifts and smooth operation, but not enough to sway me away from the manual. In my former drag racing days, we would bust on drivers with automatic transmissions. Those days are gone, A/T's have improved so much they now have to be considered in the purchase of a performance vehicle, where before I would not have given the automatic a second thought. :)

while motor trend posts a 13.2 with the 6MT.... Your right shaba, assaulted by magazine numbers, I have my own to hit back with.

Woot woot hahaha - seriously guys ... we are taking about 0.2 seconds... you know how much time we have wasted arguing about this lol...