Quote:
Originally Posted by vant
Thank you!! I don't care what this car can or can't do if it's an automatic! Why would I want that? Throw in launch control, awd, and the motherboard from a Sony Playstation, and what you get is a very fast ROBOT. 
It is an amazing technological achievement and Nissan's engineers deserve credit for building a kick ass car. It certainly puts up some good numbers (at least those that are legitimate). But I want a clutch pedal. I want a real 6-speed.
What about the slush box from a Bimmer, you say? Paddle shifters from a Ferrari? All very advanced technology. But no thanks. I am willing to sacrifice a few fractions of a tick for a more satisfying DRIVER'S EXPERIENCE. You know, where I actually get to do something besides turn the wheel from side to side!!
Give us the option of a manual transmission, Nissan. Some of us can handle it.  |
I agree ^^ for myself. But when you really think about it, we like speed, right? I mean come on, our Z's have all kinds of things that make the car easier to drive fast, from syncros to power steering..We like that those things make the car faster for the average non-superhuman to drive. An automatic transmission up until about 5-10 years ago in supercars (and now most cars) was a detriment to speed. But now with DRG and paddles and double clutches and such, this stuff is making cars faster even for experts, all the way down to the new Evo...I think this is really a revolution. It's fun to watch....
I still like manual trannys too (partly because I have this stupid concept that they are more reliable in the back of my head, when that is not even my experience), but I don't think it's unfair to compare a car with electronic gadgets and AWD stock that is about the same price as a Z to a Z. AWD drains power. AT's are heavy. Electronics are not "active", predicting when to shift ahead of time, like a MT...There are trade-offs all around. That's what makes knowing about all different rides fun - and comparing vastly different cars on a track. And that's what makes F1 better than indy-cars, and ALMS better than say IROC or NASCAR, where all the cars are almost identical.
And I hate to predict this, I really do, but the manual clutch is going to go the way of the manual door lock and window. What's happening in racing now predicts it. And just reasoning it through, the few people who chose MTs 10 years ago are now split, some of which will chose the new "semi-auto" ATs making the call for clutch pedals even less in america, and drive them out of the market entirely - not to mention racers who see that the 60msec auto-clutch padel shift is just plain faster than a manual.
I honestly bought my Z thinking that this car is a really nice mix of new tech (traction control, AH, etc...) and old school muscle car, worthy of keeping a long time into the oh-so-uncertain future. Sorry to blogetize this thread. At least this is a little back on point...
