The new 7AT is really a good improvement over the 350Zs AT....i'd still much perfer at 6MT myself though. When doing any kind of road course/autocross track events the 6MT will really pay off. Though from what i've seen it looks like the 7AT is every bit as quick as the 6MT is in the 1/4 mile....Kudos to Nissan.

I tested this car 4x already. Lol. Since idecided to wait for the 2010 model.
Every 3 weeks I con a dealership to let me get a 45 minute run on the car
By myself... lol. And take over an hour. Lol
I luv the 7at. It drives the way I read about pdk's n dsg's.
I already learned the smooth shift (3500-4500rpm shifts) and the
Power shift (5000-6000rpm) this car revs like a screaming chicken at this range n I luv it! Lol
Its so eager in extra dramatic handling maneuvers and inspires a level of confidence that's difficult to gain in a manual. I also see so much mod potential on this tranny. When sum1 decides to take this 7at serious enough to consider serious grown up modding. I think they will be pleasantly surprised.
My gut feeling that 7at modded will be revolutionary.

7at was my choice:excited:

I agree. Though, I don't think there'd be a whole lot of improvement to be had without sacrificing something, like "cruisability".

One thing I would like is for it to be a bit more "aware" when trying to select gears on accelleration. It'll take about a half second longer than I would want.

Of late, auto transmissions sure have been refined, particularly on sporty cars and mid to high end cars. As for performance, most autos can run with or even surpass the manual transmissions. After all, it is hard to beat a computer. Modern autos tend to be more durable than manuals and the power loss for the auto is negligible. The 6AT w/paddles on my IS350 is GREAT.

Granted, shifting with the 6MT is fun, but it can be a bit tedious day in and day out. Thanks for sharing your 7AT experience!

Knowing that the sport package comes with the LSD regardless of the transmission choice, the 7AT is certainly a good choice.

Yeah, the 7AT in the 370z blew my mind. I didn't think and Auto could be so "authorative"

As for durability - sorry, I can't agree with you there. Manuals are known for being rock solid - I mean what's better than metal gears turning against metal gears, vs hydralic valves and such that wear out?

Now, a clutch vs a torque converter, the TC will outlast any clutch, I know that...

if I would have bought an Automatic, my Z Club buddies would have never let me live it down, not a deciding factor by any means, but the auto just didnt feel like a sports car to me. To each their own I suppose.

You must not drive too many manual trannys... I mean the AT is good... but it certainly should not be improving the handling of the car...and if you are talking about being able to focus more as you dont have a clutch to kick in and out - then all its doing is making up for some driver related issues...

was waiting to see how long it would take to turn into a " MT is the only real car"thread.

it already has! lol

I think all the autos have the rev-sync, I have a touring and mine blips on downshifts. Not the usual small blip, it matches the revs to perfection.

I've driven a manual all my life and thought I would never get an auto in a sports car ever. However, my wife convinced me to try the Z in an auto as a compromise for here as she is more comfortable with it. As it turns out, I am amazed how good the auto is in manual mode. I will never go back to a manual. When I'm ready for a new car the autos will be even better.

I enjoy the 7A in my daily bumper to bumper comute here in LA! and I hope your wait is long Shumby will see who blows it!

this is probably the first carguy(?) site that was so excited about AT's with torque converters.... ;)

:D

MT for me. :p

it's 2009 and autos are superior to manuals now. understandably, people that dropped a lot of money on their cars or have sworn by manuals all their lives are afraid to accept it.

i would LOVE to see the proof or information (video, article, whatever), that shows or says a manual driver can shift/downshift in 300 milliseconds. sounds physically impossible to me... if the GTR shifts in 200 milliseconds, i find it hard to believe they would use an automatic (call it what you want but theres no clutch pedal - its auto) transmission, which im sure was significantly costlier to make than a manual for a 100 millisecond difference.

im not saying one is better than the other, everyone likes what they like. its just annoying to see people say that manual is more "fun" like it's some kind of fact... its not. i drove both and my opinion was obviously that the AT was more fun. heck, maybe i just like the paddles. lol.