Hmmm, I haven't been around lately, but it seems like my post about the e-brake start has been misunderstood.

You do NOT ride the clutch at any point while doing this. The e-brake simply keeps the car in place while you take off like normal, then as soon as the clutch engages, you let off the e-brake. If you're a good enough driver, you'll rarely/never need it, but I still use this technique on HUGE hills when someone is right behind me. It's a nice trick for the beginner, so they don't stall the car or back into the person behind them because they feel rushed.

^^ Right. I use the e-brake technique when I'm on a hill in the rain. Rear wheel drive cars are a pain in the *** on huge hills to get going in the rain because the back wheels just spin as soon as you put power to them. I use the e-brake and ease the power to the wheels in that case.

another question that has been bugging me.

Lets say im in a parking lot and the speed is posted 5mph. What gear are you guys doing that in? it feels like first does not like it and second just wants to take off hehe.

I'd say 2nd, 1st is really for those dead stop take offs once you get going get into second even if its for 5mph.

LOL! I idle in 1st and that does the trick. ;)

It's really hard to idle in 2nd slower than 10 MPH, but that may be just my car.

The Z with an automatic transmission will probably lose in a straight line run. From a dyno result that have been posted here, the loss of power from an automatic is greater than that in a manual transmission. Technically, it wouldn't matter how much faster the auto may be able to shift. Unless, the transmission is the same as that of the current GTR... then, that's a different story.

Back to topic --

Forrest... If you want a smooth acceleration from a hill no matter how steep it is, I personally suggest for you to learn how to blip the throttle in partially engaged clutch. Blip the throttle gentle enough to keep the car from rolling back and to create enough momentum to get the car moving forward; until you reach the point to be able to accelerate as if you're rolling from a flat surface. This involves working the clutch to engage enough so that it doesn't stall; at the same time working the gas enough to hold and move the car forward.

It's a tricky technique, but if you master it, steepness of the hill wouldn't matter to you, at all.

When I was learning, I find it harder to hold the gas, while working the clutch to find that engagement point to move the car smoothly. This way, you can find that engagement without possibly burning the clutch or lurching forward.

Keep in 2nd if you want but dont give it gas. The engine should be producing enough torque to keep the car from stalling.

The common torque converter automatic will NEVER be as fast as the DSG transmissions. The reason those transmissions are so fast is because they have a separate clutch for 1,3,5 and 2,4,6. When in one gear, the other clutch has already positioned itself for the next gear. The change between gears becomes seamless and no power is lost in the transfer between gear sets. Even the single disc Ferrari transmissions that shift faster than any other single disc transmission still don't shift as fast as a DSG. That's all there is to it.