Confessions of a 7AT Driver
 

It's moderately easy to spot a MT driver: look for that little back-roll before the car accelerates or the brake light isn't on during a stop light (on a flat surface). And then there's the little delay in sound between shifts, especially when the driver doesn't feel like shifting like The Fast and The Furious.

I sometimes get self conscious whenever there's a sporty car next to me because I feel like he/she is going to judge me for driving an automatic. So what I would do is leave my car in neutral during stoplights and then manual shift with delays in between shifts so it can sound and look like I'm driving a manual.

I wish I had a manual sometimes. :driving:

:ugh2:

Yeah, but when you downshift coming into a light you look like a genius with the S7's auto downshift reving. I'm always in the right gear when the light changes. :tup:

You could always put in a $3 switch to turn off the brake lights. It also comes in handy running dark from the popo. Not that I'd ever do that ... :driving:

I like my S7 (Sequential 7-speed) I have other sports cars with stick shifts in them and they don't sound as good running the gears. Those quick shifts that come effortlessly are b-e-a- utiful.

Not to mention the engagement point on a stick shift Z is way too high. I've always modified the engagement point on the Z to engage 1" off of the floor. Just like my old school stuff. It's a lot easier and faster during speed shifting.

No offense dude but how old are you? I use to have the same mindset when I was younger but now I much rather have an auto especially while stuck in traffic. I had a lot of younger guys compliment my car until they saw it was an auto and thought it was a POS. :shakes head:

Hey man, nothing wrong with driving an automatic! If you like it and it puts a smile on your face, the hippies can go screw themselves :icon17:

* No hippies were harmed during this posting

19.
Going to play a little bit of devil's advocate here: I'm not hating on my 7AT; I love the revving downshift and the comfort when it comes to being stuck in traffic. Don't call me immature though, I still think that a manual transmission on a GT-R is like using an abacus for rocket science.

It's just the manual elitists that get me all self conscious at times.

I think there will be people who judge you for an automatic (I am one as well). But I also think those times are a'changin' as we move forward.

Then again, that's part of figuring out who the douchbags are and who the real car enthusiasts are who really don't care what *you* choose as long as you like it and everyone appreciates the hobby/lifestyle. I can control the gears/experience just about as well as a manual driver, and I don't need to be bothered with rowing downward. I think that's really what matters: whether you can keep the rpms where you'd like them. A full-on auto I would probably judge just by saying you're not getting much control/fun out of the car....though admittedly they'd be getting better mpg probably. :icon17:

On topic, I have a bad habit from driving my auto '03 eclipse. It would shift just a little speedier if I let up about halfway off the throttle during a shift (I was blessed with sport shifting 10 years ago). It might also subconsciously be a "I'm-hiding-that-I'm-auto" thing. :wtf2: I admit, I did get used to the rocking sensation of the power being re-applied. It's less useful/obvious in the Z, especially since it's 7 gears instead of 4, and the first 2 are pretty quick.

Oh, and I'm sorry I passed you while you were changing gears. :driving:

I love this as well. Not sure what other non-enthusiasts think that don't know what rev-matching is, but it's pretty much guaranteed to get pedestrian eyeballs, lol.

(Another confession: I don't do it next to muscle car V8's driven by borderline rednecks who will just take it as me challenging them. Well, unless it's a 5.0 Mustang and I want to bait them into roaring off so I can fap just a little bit...)

There was a guy at the off ramp tonight that rolled back like 3 feet tonight just because he didn't want to go to the brakes. He just couldn't seem to find the engagement point. He must go through a lot of clutches that way holding his car on the hill slipping his clutch.

One last confession from me: It's awful when I actually put the car into full auto mode. About half the time coming off a light, I instinctively reach for the shifter (I go about 50/50 between paddles and shifter) to shift up and accidentally drop into neutral. "I hope they think I'm a manual and I just missed that shift..."

And most race car have what? Automatics, S7's, PDK's, Dual Clutch Autos/Man.

I have drag raced autos and sticks. Which do you think are faster, which do you think are more consistent? I'd rather shift once in a Powerglide than three or four times in a stick going down the quarter mile with a higher risk of a miss-shift. Not to mention the fact that I can leave my hands on the wheel for more of the run. I only have to drive one handed for 1 second or so during that one shift at half track.

The transmission variations are getting more and more blurred these days.

Oh god, tell me about it. I thought I toasted my engine when I 'upshifted' into neutral and revved up to near 8000 RPM. I got mad-dogged by some pedestrians. :wtf2:

Ha-ha... I've done that before thinking I'm in manual mode but, I'm in auto mode. I've done it twice in two years.... But, no one was around. ;)

While there is nothing wrong to drive an auto or a manual. And no matter how auto guys here talk how bad the manual transmission on this car, I'd still pick up a manual any day. It's about the connection between the driver and the car. And it takes skills to drive a manual car fast. Rev matching, heel-toe, power shifting are not avaliable in an auto. It's challenging and whole lot of fun! Guess I'd be bored already if I owns an auto(that's why I sold my auto G coupe). But then again, if I am getting little older I'd pick up an auto and just be "lazy" stuck in the traffic.:icon17:

trust me you dont want the 6MT, the clutch sucks and the gearbox is sloppy and not smooth. People says its raw.. I dont feel that way really. I'm a great manual driver and this car needs to be perfectly launched and floored to not get dusted by your average V6.

I wish i got the 7AT, you can actually feel a little bit of the torque on throttle response.

I never called you immature. I'm just saying who gives a **** if someone is driving an auto. Not everyone on the road is a racer trying to look "cool". Only people who are immature are the ones judging people driving autos.

What does that have to do with anything I posted? All of my past cars have been manuals and I'm just saying now I much rather prefer an auto.

Only reason I'd ever look down on someone driving an auto is if they don't know how to drive a manual. Manual or Auto is just personal preference but you better atleast know how to drive a manual.

To each it's own, if you like your Automatic than enjoy it. I love driving manual, it feels more engaging to me, but than I do not commute and never get stuck in traffic. My previous commuter car was a BMW with Automatic and I was glad not having a manual in NYC traffic. Whatever floats you boat and puts a smile on your face.



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This is bag baggage (irrational sentiments that are part of having a weener). My wife wanted a new Wrangler, I pointed her to the 370Z, she said ok if AT. I wanted a 6MT, but a small compromise not to be beat off the line by a Camry.

"I feel your pain" at times, but being able to pull close to 1 lateral G makes that pain subside quickly (versus whatever my truck will pull). More and more I care less and less about pretense; damn these are fun to drive.

Spot on! It doesn't matter you drive an auto or a manual. It's totally a personal preference and nothing shame about. But driving manual is definitely a skill to own.

Try to buy a new Lamborghini with a standard transmission. It's not gonna happen.

There is nothing wrong with having the urge to drive a MT from time to time, but pretending to drive one when you are in an AT car? :facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:


Whats next? fake blow off valve? electric superchargers? fake brembo calipers?

Just be happy with what you have and not care so much about how you THINK people would see you or judge you. Trust me, people hate posers even more.

:iagree: AT > poser

That being said, I love manual. I won't judge you, but I know that I'll enjoy my MT Z more than I would enjoy your AT.

Why is it when these types of threads pop up all the 7AT guys come in talking about "race cars have autos", "Auto is faster than 6mt", "Look at Ferrari, Lambo, GTR.. they all have auto"..ect. ect... Sounds like a bunch of insecure whiners trying to justifying their purchase of an automatic sports car. I can give 2 sh!ts about what other people drive.... I love a manual gearbox.. I wouldn't have it any other way. But that's me! OP, if you feel that way, trade the car in for 6mt. Or just be thankful that you have a really nice car.

Hey guys, sorry had to do it. Whenever there is a Nismo vs Base kind of thread, you all always say us Nismo guy are trying to justify the 10k dollar markup we paid for a body kit and wheels, lmao!

I've never understood why people compare their auto boxes with a torque converter to twin clutch, pdk or smg type gearboxes. There's very few points of comparison beyond the paddles. The high end boxes have clutches controlled by computers, not torque converters. That's a huge difference. Buy the auto if you want to. There's nothing wrong with it. The Z has a great auto. But don't kid yourself into thinking it's in any way related to the paddle shift gearboxes in Ferraris, Lambos, GTRs, Porsche, etc.

I pretend my 6MT is a 7AT sometimes... does that count? :driving:

Funny thread. I think it's because it's true. Sure you can make all the arguments and benefits of an automatic all you want, but to me personally, choosing the manual was the best choice I made. It makes driving more of an activity instead of a task. There is absolutely nothing wrong with driving an automatic. You don't need to pretend it's a manual to ANYONE. If anything, less and less sports cars have manual transmissions as an option....heck, the GT-R and just about any exotic is technically an automatic ( I know, I know it's very different mechanically). So OP, the next time you're at a light next to a riced Civic, just pretend you're driving a Ferrari.

.....on a side note, I do wish I could put it in auto when my gf is next to me ;)

Buddy if you are that insecure with your man hood you have issues. Most exotic sports cars these days are autos. I love my PDK in my Porsche. Lambos and Farraris even the GTR everyone on here so worships is an auto. Get with the times or move over. On the Porsche the auto is lighter and its a good margine faster then the manual. My Z is a 7AT because I hated, and I do mean hated the 6MT in the Z. Even my 1978 Datsun B210 had a better MT than the Z's do today.

Last week I spent over an hour in stop and go traffic, followed by another 30 minutes all on the way to Laguna Seca. I hate sitting in traffic like everyone else, but to complain about the easiest clutch to engage I've ever known, is the part that gets me, during a debate about the two transmissions.

Power to the AT! I love mine because in both the Virginia and Kentucky hillsides, I was able to "zone in" on the road. Being able to feather the accelerator in and out of the turns, catching and letting go mid-gear and smoothly cruising in and out of straitaways...remarkable :tup:

Even passengers can drive stick? ;)

That's just dangerous :p ....and I'd still have to shift gears.

I <3 my AT but would have gotten manual if I were taller. I must not have faux downshifting down, though, because mine sounds pretty angry after the first DS.

I don't get the self-consciousness??? Insecure world we live in.

I am the opposite of what most people would think to do. My daily driver is an Acura CL Type S 6MT (one of 2,700 ever made). My Z is a 2009 7AT.

I've never once complained or got annoyed that I had a MT in traffic, but I do get annoyed at there being traffic!

I got an MT CL because back then, automatics really deserved to be called slushboxes. You had power loss, crappier mileage, and particularly in the Honda 5AT of that era, a lot of reliability issues.

I got the 7AT in the Z because of the same reasons in reverse. The 7AT is quicker, more consistent, and gets better mileage.

Just get what you want and don't worry about proving yourself to random strangers on the road. The only time it matters is when a good looking girl knows how to drive an MT. :tup:

I have 6MT with stock exhaust, and I have driven Tracie's 7AT with FI exhaust. Undoubtedly, her's is the meaner of the two. The sound even when not in manual mode is a symphony of harmonious tunes, whereas mine, unless WOT, is mostly just hazardous fumes. I have driven both down Lime Creek, although I didn't drive her Z in manual mode because my paddle shifting is poor at best (my left foot gets really confused) and I had never driven her car before, much less on a road like Lime Creek. The MT is of course more comfortable to me, but I can imagine the 7AT ripping up that road same as mine does. I have absolutely no beef with those that drive an automatic and having one certainly doesn't imply you aren't a true driving enthusiast. But for me, the manual transmission will always be one of those things that attests to my love of driving and desire to be one with the car :twocents: :driving:

:wtf2:

After 26 years of owning some form of MT car, the 7AT was welcome in my house. I drive quite a bit with the paddles around town but once I get on the highway, it's all auto.

I like to roll back and catch it, then roll up... I get bored sitting at red lights. :ugh2:

That, and I like to roll back a little as traffic is coming up, then roll forward - shows them I may need the space/gives me a buffer zone.

:tup: WOT shifting? :driving:

:bowrofl: :bowrofl:

Wait, wait... what? :confused: You just pull, your left foot can pretend all it wants. :icon17: It's just like a video game when using paddle shifters.

Honestly I thought I may have a problem when I drove the F430, but when asked if I wanted paddle or AT, of course I picked paddle and it was a cinch. I don't think my left foot knew what was going on and just stayed planted. :icon17: