Need tips for driving manual 370z

Cory Gillmore

Hey guys, I've owned my 09 6MT 370z for close to a year now but I still have a few questions on how to "properly" drive it, or at least drive it while putting the least amount of stress on the clutch etc. This is my first manual car in my 33 years.

For regular city driving, when cruising in 6th gear at say 45-70 MPH, if I see a red light or stop sign in the distance, what is the best way to slow the car down? I usually just start braking until I slow down reasonably and then take the car out of 6th and put it into neutral until I come to a stop. When I first got the car for the first couple months I would go down through each gear until I got to first and then slide it into neutral. It occurred to me this was a pain in the *** and was probably putting unnecessary wear on my drivetrain. Which is why I go from 6th to neutral now. Is this "correct"?

Now, for high performance driving, say I'm going 80mph or hell 120mph in 5th or 6th gear and am coming up on a pretty slow 2nd gear corner. Is it best to brake and row down through each gear or is it best to brake until I'm at the speed I need to be and then "block shift" from 6th straight into 2nd?

I'm extremely thankful for the synchro rev matching as I have a hard time heel toeing in this car. I also have big *** feet and don't have anything close to a thin soled driving shoe but I still have a hard time with it. Which is why I leave my car in "S-mode" all the time. Do any of you more experienced drivers have problems with heel toeing in the 370z? Thanks.