Auto 370Z...Is it Good?

wstar

Re: several earlier comments about the 7AT and drag racing (not that the 370Z is really a great drag-racing platform to start with...), there are both ups and downs. If you go forced induction, you're going to probably have to upgrade the 7AT's internals (and the torque converter would be a good idea too), and that can get pricey. If you don't, it will probably die earlier than it should. The upside is that yes, all other things being equal, an Auto tends to make the best times in the 1/4. It's not that huge a margin though, and with either transmission there's some learning curve and driver skill involved.

Don't listen to the dealer, he's just making up random things that have little bearing on reality. Ask him why, when left in the fully-automatic "D"-mode and driven at light throttle, the car shifts way, way before 3K

You can shift the 7AT any time you feel like it, in any direction. If you try to downshift "too far" (where the gearing would cause the rev limit to be exceeded at the current speed) it will simply refuse and ignore you. If you try to upshift "too early" (such that the RPMs would drop so low as to lug out the engine on a 6MT), it again will simply refuse and ignore you.

Within the usable range, it's all up to you. The higher you keep the RPM needle, the more available power (or engine braking as the case may be) you will have. The tradeoff is the higher you keep the RPMs, the louder the car is, the more the oil heats up, and your engine wear is accelerated a bit versus someone who drives like a grandma (but on the other hand, grandma's engine gets dirtier: hard driving keeps the engine cleaner).

And yes, you can switch between the D-mode and the M-mode at any time while driving. I recommend M-mode all the time, but that's me


The more you ask your car to do, the more wear you put on it. It's just like your body. You play sports, you get bad knees, etc

That aside, there's nothing wrong with downshifting and accelerating, and the rev matching on this car at least eliminates RPM errors which can be harder on the drivetrain. If you're in 7 on the highway in M-mode and you want to pass mildly, just double-click the left paddle to drop down to 5 and floor the accelerator (I'd start pushing the gas down as you are clicking, not after). If you want to more oomph, click all the way down to 4. 3 is pretty useless on the highway unless you're starting out really slow (like 50mph), in which case you probably weren't all the way up in 7 yet anyways.

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7AT Track Car!
Journal thread / Car setup details

XwChriswX

I knew that, just using it as a starting question, since the dealer didn't seem to knowlegeable, I left it at that. Thats why I posted same question here, I knew I'd get a better, more researched, more intelligent response...


Damn smart cars!

wstar

I don't mind smarts that prevent me from damaging an engine

__________________
7AT Track Car!
Journal thread / Car setup details

XwChriswX

Well no not that part lol Just commenting on the car that can be like a prepubecent teenager... NO I DON'T WANNA! lol