Somewhere Between DSG and a Full Manual: Nissan's SynchroRev Match

AK370Z · 03-13-2009, 11:44 PM

Quote:

DETROIT - Confession: I've never mastered the heel-and-toe downshift on the track. With a bit of practice and in the right car, I can get the rhythm going on a twisty mountain road. On a track, it can take me many laps to get it right, and even then, not consistently. So I was happy to get into a Nissan 370Z with SynchroRev Match for a week and press the button. The feature is an interesting compromise between a full, clutch-it-yourself manual and a twin-clutch or sequential manual, like the kind debated in the latest Lohdown.

My first drive home in the Z was interesting, because I tend to match revs on downshifts (if not heel-and-toe) regularly. So here I was, double-clutch/match-rev downshifting on a car that matches its own revs. Several lost revs, there. Once I got used to the idea, the gearbox matched revs perfectly. In fact, too perfectly -- it knows that at a certain speed, a 3-2 downshift requires, say, a rev to 5000 rpm. It won't waste a drop of precious peak oil revving to 5100.

For that reason, the feature is underwhelming in regular driving, unless you downshift two or three gears regularly. Drop a single gear at most speeds and you won't know it's there. There is a little symbol, though, that lights up on the instrument panel.

How does it work? With a bit of experimentation, you'll find that the sensors try to figure out where you're going while in the neutral gate. Downshift from fourth to third, and you'll get a little rev only as you place it into third. Downshift from fourth to second, for example, and the engine revs as you pull it to the left edge of the horizontal neutral gate, before you pull the shift-lever into gear. So you can rev the Z without touching the throttle pedal, simply by moving the gearshift back and forth, from neutral to neutral-left.

For most of the week, I drove the Z around letting the SynchroRev Match do what I usually do with my two feet. It was mildly amusing and, I'm sure, a bit more fuel-efficient than my efforts. Mostly, I yearned for a few laps around a track where, I'm sure, the feature would improve my lap times.

My wife finally got a ride in the car after a few days. Donna's a dyed-in-the-wool manual gearbox purist who just gave a little scowl when I described the feature. She considers twin-clutch and sequential manuals "cheating."

The rev match feature comes with the $3,000 sport package, which also gets you a limited slip differential, 19-inch Bridgestone Potenzas on forged wheels, front chin and rear spoilers and sport brakes. Unless Nissan ends up selling a lot of these for the track, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that the rev match is mostly a gimmick.

As for the Z itself, Ron Kiino's review in the February issue compares it favorably with the Aston Martin DBS and calls the 370Z "a sports-car steal." I can't find much to disagree with, although Detroit's bombed-out roads emphasize the car's shortened wheelbase and makes it feel a bit more skittish and nervous than the old 350Z. I'm not enamored with the styling. That's a very subjective issue, of course, but just as the new Ford Mustang's facelift is designed to make that car look shorter, Nissan took an existing design and redrew some lines in order to actually make it shorter. Both cars were redesigned to mixed results -- I find the new Mustang and Z designs a bit less flowing and coherent than the cars they replace.

Philosophically, SynchroRev Match is another example of taking some control away from the kind of car that's all about driver control. More so than twin-clutches or sequential gearboxes, it seems to be an example of something its maker did simply because it discovered a way to make technology do something cool. Unlike DSGs, it's not a way to let you make phone calls while driving, or be able to bear the L.A. Freeways' stop-and-go traffic.

And you shouldn't make it be a deal-killer, either for the 370Z or its sport package. Like most stability control systems, SynchroRev Match can be disarmed simply by pressing a button.

Source: Somewhere Between DSG and a Full Manual: Nissan's SynchroRev Match | Car News Blog at Motor Trend

chubbs · 03-14-2009, 03:30 AM

I suppose there was bound to be someone who doesn't like the Synchro Rev Match - but to find two of them in the same family is quite a scoop. I almost laughed out loud when I read the bit where he reassures the reader that it can be switched off, so it shouldn't be a deal-killer. First time I've heard of SRM being a potential deal killer! But is it a gimmick? - Maybe.

In addition, he's underwhelmed by the styling transformation from 350 to 370. On this point I am a bit more thoughtful and a little less dismissive. Since the arrival of the 370, too many people have been quite negative regarding the 350Z's styling, which in my view is still eye-catching. In fact, in years to come if either car moves in the direction of 'classic' I think it may be the 350Z rather than the 370Z.

NorCalZman · 03-14-2009, 04:33 PM

1) I dont think of the feature as a gimmick. If anything it would help the longevity of the syncrhos wouldnt it?
2) im one of those people who think the 350Z was a styling mess. The 370Z is beautiful and corrects all the mistakes that was the 350Z. I also think the 370Z will be considered a classic before the 350Z. Just a different viewpoint chubbs, nothing personal

different strokes for different folks!

chubbs · 03-14-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCalZman

2) im one of those people who think the 350Z was a styling mess. The 370Z is beautiful and corrects all the mistakes that was the 350Z. I also think the 370Z will be considered a classic before the 350Z. Just a different viewpoint chubbs, nothing personal

different strokes for different folks!

I totally respect your opinion sir - after all, you drive a 300ZX

NorCalZman · 03-14-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubbs

I totally respect your opinion sir - after all, you drive a 300ZX

Thank you!

chubbs · 03-14-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCalZman

Thank you!

Not at all. The pleasure was entirely my own, sir.

03-14-2009, 03:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
chubbs A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Zeeland Posts: 1,046 Drives: 2016 370z Auto-Grey Rep Power: 7587	I suppose there was bound to be someone who doesn't like the Synchro Rev Match - but to find two of them in the same family is quite a scoop. I almost laughed out loud when I read the bit where he reassures the reader that it can be switched off, so it shouldn't be a deal-killer. First time I've heard of SRM being a potential deal killer! But is it a gimmick? - Maybe. In addition, he's underwhelmed by the styling transformation from 350 to 370. On this point I am a bit more thoughtful and a little less dismissive. Since the arrival of the 370, too many people have been quite negative regarding the 350Z's styling, which in my view is still eye-catching. In fact, in years to come if either car moves in the direction of 'classic' I think it may be the 350Z rather than the 370Z. __________________ . '03 Grey >>> '06 Black >>>'10 Silver >>> '16 Grey ^

03-14-2009, 04:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
NorCalZman Base Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Age: 44 Posts: 65 Drives: 1988 Nissan 300ZX SS Rep Power: 17	1) I dont think of the feature as a gimmick. If anything it would help the longevity of the syncrhos wouldnt it? 2) im one of those people who think the 350Z was a styling mess. The 370Z is beautiful and corrects all the mistakes that was the 350Z. I also think the 370Z will be considered a classic before the 350Z. Just a different viewpoint chubbs, nothing personal different strokes for different folks! __________________ 1988 Nissan 300ZX Turbo SS : My Shiro Special site. Limited edition Z31 model. Dyno 5-14-05: 175.17 HP @ 5200rpm & 200.36 Torque @ 3800rpm

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