SRM: Nissan's View, Failure to Change the Industry
 

I was just pondering a bit this morning why SRM (syncro rev-match) never really caught on with the rest of the industry. Many times a new technology is quickly adopted by numerous manufacturers at once. Dual-clutch auto transmissions, collision avoiding cruise control, cooled front seats...but not SRM.

While I love my SRM and use it almost 100% of the time, it's surely not a necessity. But then neither are those other technologies mentioned above. I suppose one could argue that the 6 speed manual is going out of favor rather quickly these days, and investing more money in it is a waste of resources. However, plenty of purists still buy their supercars with manual transmissions. I can easily see some 6MT Audi R8 owner paying an additional $3,500 for a 'shift-matching' option in their Technology Package.

So, why do you think Nissan is still the sole company with an SRM manual?

To be honest, I don't think enough people know about it for companies to care about its implementation. I barely ever see any other 370z's on the road. So I'd assume just as well that others don't get a chance to check out the SRM. If you never know how great it is you'll never miss it.

Nissan needs to adopt SRM it's self. It wouldtaele some time for another company to copy it and get it to production. But Nissan has a headstart. But they haven't put in the G37 that uses the same transmission. They haven't put it in the altima coupe. And they haven't even put a manual in the GTR at all.

So what's that tell you. We love it but I think automanuals are the mainstream transmission now and going into the future.

Yeah most high end sport cars only come in auto now...

I have thought about SRM and why other companies have not picked it up, and it comes down to automatic gearboxes winning in the supercar world.
While in the 25-45k price range manual is still very popular, you get much above the 45k price range for a car and you are looking at mostly automatic gearboxes only. Is that bad? No, the auto is quicker than the manual, gives the driver full control, and loses the clutch pedal.
You can already see the technology slowing moving downt he ladder, look at the current 370z 7 speed, it is just as good as the manual in shift times and definitely is no "slush box."

I dont really see a need for it, people, including myself, have been throttle blipping for years and its really a thoughtless maneuver, SRM is kind of unnecessary.

But how is it unneccasry? It helps eliminate you from havinng to think about one thing, the system does it for you, and then you can improve on more important matters while driving/racing. Have you truly driven a Z with SRM for more than a test drive? When I test drove the 370z I thought, "Meh, probably will turn this off after awhile," but after a week or two it grew on me and I love it now.

I dont think when I downshift, its muscle memory, clutch in, blip, release, that simple. I dont feel that I need a computer to blip the throttle for me and I think alot of people in the automotive world feel the same way. Cool feature? sure, necessary for people that have been driving manual transmissions their whole life without it? definitely not. This is why copycats havent emerged, its not imperative to have.

Or because companies view the manual as "end of life" and feel they do not need to invest in new technology and are moving forward with trying to get better automatics. I could bet anything that if SRM was first put into a Porsche (manual) that companies would be scrambling like mad to copy it.

Why do I say that? Because if a company like Porsche views the need to push technology in manual farther then others will follow, but Porsche and others are working on double clutch and other automatic technologies.

SRM has be available for about a year and everyone said it came out of the blue. I think design windows are a bit longer than that for cars so it would be unlikely to see anyone else with it for a bit longer.

The good old Stick Shift is slowly dieing :(

IMHO SRM is an awesome technology that's just too late to appear.

As others have stated above the standard pedal clutch and stick shift system will disappear in the coming years. Maybe even as little as 5.

Auto Tranny/Paddle Shift systems are strong, fast, and precise. There's a lot less wear on the car especially in the transmission but it also effects suspension and driveability. The roads around me are fairly bumpy in places and I've miss-shifted a good amount of times due to them too. An Auto would take that away as well.

Here we go. It's only been about for about a year. It takes car companies years of planning before they put a car out. It's hard to say something hasn't caught on when no new cars have been developed (not released, developed) since it came out.

Automated manuals...with clutches.... not a regular automatic.

Same here. I think it's a cool technology, but I have been driving manuals since the early 70's. I am so used to doing it myself that I keep mine turned off as well.

Not enough people interested in MT.

All my cars are MT's and SRM is turned "on" on my Z. :)

I test drove it and it was cool but I've been driving manual my whole life so I didn't see a need for it

There are a lot of people out their who's idea of driving manual does not include downshifting at all. so to talk about rev matching on downshifts and heel-toe downshifting like its something every driver knows how to do as a reason why this system hasn't caught on doesn't really make that much sense IMO. i think it allows people to drive a manual like it should be driven by an expert driver, without being an expert driver, nothing wrong with that.

:iagree:
above post is by and far the biggest reason

don't they have some sort of trademark on it, how does that kind of thing work with automotive technology?

I understand it taking several years for another company that didn't hav the tech to copy it. What about Nissan not even adopting it into their own lineup outside the Z? The g coupe would have been a natural car to start with. It uses the same engine and transmission setup. It wouldn't have taken as much to put it in.

i like the fact that we have the only car in the world with the technology as of yet.

You don't think you can shift faster and more efficiently if you eliminate "blip" from this sequence: clutch in, blip, release?

You also don't feel the need for a computer to help you, yet computers are doing about 10000 things per second while you are driving.

When I drive I can't tell you for sure if the SRM is even being used. Only time a feel it is when I coming to a red stoplight.

I hope it is never used again... that way our cars retain some rather unique quality about it.

Played with it for the first couple of weeks and I applaud Nissan for the new technology, but I prefer it turned off.

I never said that I didnt think it was a great technology, its just not for me.

also suppose if some euro-car applied it, it will be just another thing to break. :D

IMO its a good thing the SRM. That being said i drive a 7at
But i understand the mt guys wanting that extra control
I find myself missing the mt sometimes when i won't more
control that the 7at doesn't have. i think nissan brought it
out for those drivers who always wanted the thrill of a mt
because it easier to control.

+1
Twin clutches, etc. were out for quite awhile before everyone jumped on the bandwagon.
I love mine (SRM). Actually makes me "feel" like I know how to drive. :rolleyes:

sorry to revive the dead as I was searching on the SRM topic after reading posts/comments in other threads……


anyway pretty funny how now the new C7 vette is using SRM technology :ugh2:

New 911 Porsches (991) with the 7-speed manual also has SRM

so many sucky MT drivers can drive like the rest of us! :tup: :ugh:

You know why it's not catching on, because manual is a dying breed

I see the benefit in the auto as it makes downshifts seamless and must be easier on the tranny. If I had the MT I would turn it off too. Maybe slower shifting but I would prefer the heel toe.

The PDK's and DCM's are so efficient, no matter how well you can manually row those gears, you will NEVER get a better lap time than these new auto's. I track at Sebring, GT3's, BMW, etc. Yep, they are faster than me (assuming they have experience), ALL of them, not most, ALL say its unfortunate, the death of the manual. Yes, its quicker, your lap time gets better, etc. However, 99% of these cars NEVER see a track day so auto is it. Not as much fun, but faster.

The C7 has that feature as well

funny that's exactly what I said to resurrect this dead thread :icon17::tup:

While true, and I am part of that breed, I'm not dead yet.

The C7 is a temptress.