It just changes the shift points, not anything special. I didnt wantto say anything to ruin some bubbles.....

Hey, the manuals are fun. I don't think buying an auto is better or worse, just different. Its not like you're missing out in a manual. But I don't think auto owners miss out either. Its a trade off.

Autos will accelerate faster. But manuals will go fast if you shift "perfectly". There is marginally more control in some driving conditions. You don't lose out either way. But this particular auto can't be dismissed as garbage like some wish they could WITH credibilty, but they CAN'T. :driving: Anyone with enough experience behind one knows how good it is. :tup:
As far as not feeling fast? How many miles on your Z? Give it time for a good break in. As well, bolt ons may be your solution. Another thing. If you don't shift above 4600rpm, you won't feel the torque. Shift at 6500 and you will feel a punch you didn't know was there. If you have test pipes? They rob you of torque feel. That's why I won't get one. I rather HFC.

As wstar has said, the ASC just adjusts (adapts) the shift points based on how hard you're pushing the car. It's "adaptive" memory is just a few minutes, from what I can tell. Whether or not the car is "new" isn't a factor with respect to ASC. Self-tuning as far as engine parameters (not transmission parameters) are concerned is a different ballgame.

And, contrary to what some others have posted, I'm pretty certain that ASC is disabled when the 7AT is in manual shift mode. The assumption is that the driver is in manual control of the shift points, so the ASC does not get involved.

I just bought the car a few weeks ago, its a 2010 with 22K KMS on it (just under 14K miles).

Its in very good shape with no accidents but did notice the last owner already installed K&N Typhoon's and a magnaflow catback, other then that no mods I can see. I should maybe look over the engine compartment again to make sure everything is good and nothing kinked due to the aftermarket intake.

You may be on the money with the shift points, most of the time I am shifting way lower than 4600 and launching at around 2K (for normal driving).

I dont like to drive like too much of an *** hat on the public roads so I am going to sign up for the next available track day so I can get a better feel for what this car is all about.

Sorry to get off topic guys...Im new here, I will learn.

Call me old fashioned, but I could never own an automatic. I like to be fully involved in the driving experience...even just tooling around town or even in Chicago traffic. I had a BMW with the SMG paddle shifter...boring. Traded it for the same car with a true manual. Learned a very expensive lesson. I never even considered an automatic in the Z. Sure they might be faster but can you heel and toe? And no...I don't use the rev match thingy on the Z. That said, I do like power steering and A/C. I'm not that ready to go back to my beloved British '60s sports cars.

okay everyone..here is the dumbest question of the day...What is the difference ( advantage) between a full standard shift and the paddle shifters on the auto? I have the auto and when i feel like shifting myself I can do it..when I feel like taking a nap, :) I put it in full auto and I am good to go..So why would I want a full manual?

Why do you want to practice and ancient artform?

Just kidding and having a bit of fun :) hope you take it that way..

You mean like driving a gasoline powered car?

Ya Ok i was trying to kid and maybe I was over the top... Just having fun..

Absolutely - I think you and I are making the same point. I linked to the patent to give some "official" proof of that (plus someone else in this thread was asking about documentation).

There is a huge difference. First of all, your left foot is just as important as your right in getting the car going and shifting gears. There is something satisfying about feeling the clutch start to bite while timing the accelerator perfect. I never tire of it. I just feel so much more in control taking care of all aspects of driving myself. To me it is an advantage...maybe not for everyone.
It is sad to me that so many people don't even know how to drive a stick.

Red head or Blondes it's all about choice's...
With the 370 imho it's a win-win either way.....
when people stop and stare and rubber neck you
on the highway i doubt if they are thinking " i wonder if that's a auto or manual"

Since this is 2012, Automatics have come a long way..

If we were talking the days of the past, you would NEVER see an automatic car on the track...The hesitation with an automatic downshifting is just madness on an older car.

The old days you would downshift an automatic coming up to a turn and then wait......................Then BOOM, it would downshift causing a compression lock up on the rear tires entering the turn....

But the newer cars have come a long way...But I understand some guys must have a manual transmission...No problem with that..

As far as testing the Mercedes, you must test the AMG model to really get the feel...You don't care that it is an automatic...The cars are just crazy fun...

But I am new to the 370Z, and cannot wait to really test the paddles...

I would never buy an automatic older sports car..Now that would suck..

We have to have this debate at least once a year month week on this forum anyways lol.

I drove a stick for a long time, I know how to work one. I just like this better, at this point in time. I've got 99 other problems to focus on with my driving, and a clutch ain't one :).

For reference, a couple laps in a 2009 7AT 370Z (all in 3rd and 4th on this track). The 7AT is perfectly track-capable. Far more so than I am yet, in any case. You'll hear some upshift hesistations in the video. That's me shifting late and bouncing into the throttle rev-limiter. User error :)

Very Nice....yes the new Automatics have come a long way...I love it..:tup::tup::tup:

In a track environment, driving a well shifting auto is indeed easier and lets you focus on other aspects such as improving your line, entry/brake points, etc. Unless you can heel/toe well, this would be an added challenge on the track (or stay in one or two gears all the time).

On the street, things don't happen quite as fast. In fact, things happen far too slowly, so driving an MT does make for more exciting travels.

I have always driven Manual cars from my eclipse, to my 350z, When I got my 09 all they had was auto and one base manual. I opted to for the Auto I liked it a lot, plus I drive through traffic every day. I do not miss the shifting in traffic. In the end I do not mind either auto or manual.

hey wstar, what software/device did you use to get that tach/speedo info on the side

The basic details are outlined here: http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...ml#post1305197

It's an Android phone on a window mount (a crappy one, hence all the extra shake), and the software on the phone is "aLapRecorder HD", which uses the internal camera and then pulls 5Hz D-GPS + OBD-II sensors over bluetooth, etc. Then post-processing in RaceRender2.

Well said.:tup:

I agree that for street driving, which is 90% of what I do, the manual is more exciting. For everyday driving, I find the automatic terribly boring. Even when stuck in traffic I prefer the stick...at least it gives you something to do.

I just tell my lady to wear a short skirt so I can rub her...leg. AT all the way! lol

:iagree: :tup:

plus AT in D means no shifting = no blocking of a female crossing over = .... lol

:shakes head::driving:

Here is my take on why I chose to get the auto:

The last car I had was a 6MT Tiburon. Yeah yeah, Tiburon... Whatever you think about them, believe it or not, it was an unbelievable car. It had so much torque (albeit mainly because of the gearing [3500 RPM going 70 in 6th lol])! Also, the Tib had a cable throttle, so just INSTANT response. Now that the Z has all this cool technology like dual intake and VVEL, this requires an E-throttle. I don't mind those! But for the manual and for a sports car, it just seemed like the intimate quick responsiveness I had learned to love and had gotten perfect at over the years was only being imitated now. The throttle just didn't seem responsive enough for me compared to the Tib, and it felt like it lacked so much torque! It just seemed like in a car with so much perfectly-tuned computer control, putting a manual in the middle of it muddled it all up. With the auto, I feel like the computer can do it's own, grand thing, in either mode. The auto feels MORE responsive to me after having drive 3 manuals, one for a whole day! Plus, as many others are saying, the auto is just simply more torquey, and that's what makes the car FEEL fast and responsive. And the Adaptive Shift Control is a very real thing, and it's what really sold me on it. I honestly feel like I don't need a manual now, because even in full auto mode, it's like the computer is reading my mind!

Glad you're loving the auto. :tiphat:

The question is if the AT transmission is bulletproof like the manual? I have the AT and I love to drive it as a manual but I am afraid of ruining it. I am afraid it wasn't made to constantly shift up and down at different revs than it would have chosen if in full auto mode.


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i drive my 7AT in manual mode almost 100% of the time. only time i do not is a few mornings a week driving to work when i'm not fully awake so i leave it in auto-pilot lol

but as for "bulletproof" i am unsure. i do know that the AT can only handle a certain amount of torque until you have to beef it up. as for the constant shifting up and down in manual mode i dont know yet. i hope it can handle it because as i said before i drive mine in manual mode about 95% of the time.

if anyone else has info on this i'd like to know as well.

...

I've been driving mine in manual mode since I bought it. Just about to flip the 30K miles mark, and no issues so far. Maybe 20 miles of that tops have been in D-mode, rest all manual shifting. It gets a track weekend about every 6-8 weeks lately, too.

I did do a full fluid swap at about 20K, which is also about the point I installed an aftermarket transmission cooler (small Setrab core), because the 7AT does get a little bit "mushy" and slow if you let the fluid overheat from an extended session of aggressive/track driving. The tiny Setrab core that Stillen uses in their kit was enough to fix that up (I didn't use their hoses and fittings though).

While that's all positive, I don't have any illusions about its longevity. Ultimately, it's still an automatic transmission, and internal clutches will wear out, etc. I imagine at some point, long before the 6MT would eventually die somehow, the 7AT will need a rebuild. I don't think anyone's put enough hard miles on it to find out when that is. My rough guess for planning purposes right now is that I'll make it to at least 60K even with all the track days before it starts becoming an issue. Maybe longer if I'm lucky. I'm sure they rate it for ~100K, but probably not with me driving :).

As for torque, the unit is rated for a considerable margin over the stock engine's torque output. It's rated for 295 ft-lbs, which is more than enough to account for bolt-on mods. Once you start getting into FI territory though, you're exceeding the design's torque limits, and you'll probably burn it up faster. GTM makes some internals upgrades to help with that.

The mfg (Jatco) also makes an alternate version of the same transmission which is used in the 7AT SUVs from Infiniti/Nissan, and is rated for 442 ft/lbs. I still think swapping one of those in might be the best option for FI, but I don't think anyone's seriously tried that method.