Automatic w/Paddle Shifters

Nissan370z

How much do you think it'll be?

BanningZ

I am very curious of this as well. I'm sick of driving a 6speed. I love the control, but as paddle shifters, and sequential transmissions become more of a reality and not just the illusions of shifting control, I am much more apt to go for the auto.

7SPD FTW!

dutty370Z

Yeah, I'll probably be getting the 7AT w/ paddle shifters as well. I test drove a bmw 335i a few months back, and their paddle shifters are similar to the new Z. they work great. I anticipate the 370z 7AT Touring price being around $33k

Nissan370z

Ok, so during the release, they were saying that this is the first auto that is going to act just like a manual- you'll be able to feel that directness of the car and the road. Also, I believe there will be a special sport mode where only paddle shifters work. Below is info. I quoted from a post on my350, I have not modified it in any way. This should clear a lot of things up for prospective buyers. If anyone has a problem with me doing so, just pm me or have a mod remove the below part of the post. Enjoy!

" This was posted on gdriver by riversideinfiniti. I find it interesting nissan claims a half second gear change. Most likely the 370z gets the same 7 speed as the infiniti.

Originally Posted by Nissan North America
Explaining the benefits of Infiniti’s new transmission

The target: create an automatic transmission with all the best features of a manual transmission. Here’s how Infiniti engineering gives drivers the best of both worlds.


The automatic transmission traditionally represented a compromise. It gave drivers the convenience of smooth, clutchless shifting, but it sacrificed the direct connection, driver control, and enhanced fuel economy of a stick shift.

Infiniti’s new 7-speed automatic transmission, available on 2009 FX35, FX45, G37 Sedan, G37 Coupe, and the upcoming 2009 M35 (rear-wheel-drive), takes the automatic closer than ever before to the feel and operation of a manual transmission.

No More “Slush-Box”

Slippage between the engine and transmission earned early automatics the nickname “slush-boxes.” The hydraulic clutch system for making gear changes could not operate as quickly or directly as a manual transmission’s mechanical clutch.

All modern automatics have a lockup torque converter, which limits slippage by creating a solid mechanical connection between the engine and transmission. For smoother operation over a wider range of operating conditions, newer designs vary the amount of converter lockup (from a 100% solid connection to a partial lockup condition).

Infiniti’s 5- and 7-speed transmissions use a multiple disc torque converter lockup design that allows the unit to “ease” into lockup, minimizing the shudder that can occur in single-disc designs.

While Infiniti is not the first manufacturer to vary the level of torque converter lockup, it has created an extremely wide available lock-up range with the new 7-speed transmission:

With the transmission in Drive, partial lockup is available in 2nd through 7th gears while full lockup occurs in 7th.
With the transmission in manual shift mode, both partial and full lockup are available in 2nd through 7th gears.
Some amount of lockup occurs at all throttle positions and at speeds greater than about 15 mph. The result? Infiniti's 7-speed transmission provides a more direct, solid-feeling connection than drivers typically expect from an automatic transmission.

In manual shift mode, a flick of the 7-speed’s shift lever makes the half-second gear change a reality.

Driver Control

For driving enthusiasts, one of the lures of a manual transmission is the control it gives them to select and maintain the gear they want. Several features of Infiniti’s new automatic transmission directly address this concern.

One of the foremost is manual shift mode. Consider this: for anyone other than a seasoned race driver, it generally takes more than half a second to make a smooth shift with a manual transmission — depress clutch, move shift lever, release clutch, apply throttle.

But in manual shift mode, a flick of the 7-speed’s shift lever (or available steering-column-mounted paddle shifters) makes that half-second gear change a reality.

For smoother downshifting, Downshift Rev Matching (DRM) mimics the heel-and-toe maneuver used by skilled drivers during manual transmission downshifts.

The 7-speed design targets both performance and fuel efficiency.


The 7-speed includes other features first seen on Infiniti 5-speeds, including:

Adaptive Shift Control, which enhances gear selection by using a lateral acceleration sensor to detect changes in the road (such as hills and turns).
Drive Sport Mode (DSM), which allows the driver to select a more aggressive shift pattern (automatic up- and downshifting at higher rpm).
Combined, these features allow any driver to enjoy quick, smooth shifts and gear choices that are appropriate to both the road and their desired driving style — some of the enthusiast’s main reasons for choosing a manual.

Enhancing Economy

Automatic transmission vehicles typically suffer a small penalty in fuel economy estimates when compared to their manual transmission counterparts. Infiniti’s 7-speed design targets not only performance, but also enhanced fuel economy:

The wide range of torque converter lockup operation maximizes engine efficiency (less power is wasted as slippage).
In previous 5-speeds, only 5th gear provided an overdrive ratio. Now both 6th and 7th gears are overdrive ratios, allowing the engine to operate at lower rpm during a broader range of highway speeds.
Owners may not understand the penalties they have paid in the past for the convenience of an automatic transmission. But whether drivers want “hands on” or “hands off” control, Infiniti’s new transmission will provide a satisfying driving experience. "

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BanningZ

Hey thanks Nissan370z. Good info.

Nissan370z

No problem!
=)

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diskreet

I won't lie, I will test drive the Z with the auto box... but that's only cause I haven't driven a manual in a few months. I'll only buy the manual, I need to improve my heel-toe skills, but I get the feeling I'm going to love the 7 speed.

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BanningZ

I never understand the purist mentality of having to drive a manual.

I've driven both and as they have developed new sequential and paddle shifting transmissions, many reviewers are rating them as just as good or better than their equivalent manual gearboxes.

Change is inevitable and I don't want to be on the wagon with dying technology.

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MB 06' Nismo VQ40DE

diskreet

Manual transmissions are not a dying technology. Sure, they aren't common in America, but that's cause our society values ignorance and laziness. Traditional manuals are usually the most efficient, reliable and cheapest solutions. Not to mention the added control over the vehicle, as well as the increased connection with the car.

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BanningZ

Says most purists.
Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston marten and many other manufacturers disagree, and only leave manual boxes as an option. Manuals remain because of, as you did state; they are cheaper to produce.

They are not more reliable, but they are easier to replace.
Regarding control and efficiency, that was true ten years ago. This is not the case anymore, as sequentials are becoming faster with more control, and are producing better mpg.

Don't believe me? Ask an F1 driver.

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MB 06' Nismo VQ40DE

shumby

^^^ while i agree with you onn the AT being a good gear box the AT in the Z is nothing like the AT in a lambo. It is all in the torque converter. But with that said my 7AT G will out shift a 6MT driver unless you are a pro.

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Originally Posted by SAM@GTM
Engine detonation is not normal and it should never never happen, and whoever told that need to do something else for living .
Sam

BanningZ

Oh don't get me wrong, I wasn't saying that those companies are using the same technology, I was just saying that dual clutch transmissions are not the jokes that they use to be, and that they are becoming the industry standard.

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diskreet

Calling everyone who likes a manual a purist is like me calling everyone who likes an automatic lazy. A bit over-generalizing.

Petty bickering aside (sorry,) there are real advantages and disadvantages to both. The issue for me is with control. I want the car to do exactly what I tell it to do. I have never driven an automatic/automated manual car that gave me that much control, nor do I know of any. These transmissions provide the illusion of control, which is fine for soccer moms and posers. My sister, for example, would love one because it's a toy. For someone who wants to be in control, who wants to enjoy the car, who knows how to driver properly, the damn things always end up working against you.

If you really want to discuss the future of transmissions, then we are both wrong. Most likely electric engines will provide propulsion in future cars. Whether it's a generator like the Volt or a fuel cell like the FCX, electric engines make so much more sense for daily driven cars. Higher efficiency, next to no maintenance, full torque from 0 rpm, and operation ranges from 0rpm to upwards of 25k rpm, it all comes together to make a better solution than the gasoline engines we use today.

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shumby

VFD controled electric motors in the wheels on all 4 corners will be the way of the future. and the torque you will be able to get will be nuts.

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Originally Posted by SAM@GTM
Engine detonation is not normal and it should never never happen, and whoever told that need to do something else for living .
Sam

370z

i hope this 7sp will be extremely awesome!
otherwise shiiit just takes fun out of driving

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