What tricks can a manual car do that auto can't?

[darkfact]

I really have no back-ground about manual cars. And when I ask this question... I have the 350z in my mind

[Paco]

Well, that party depends on what kind of automatic you have.
If you have a conventional auto then the differences are quite big. The difference becomes a bit smaller when it is a sequential/paddle-shift/DSG auto.

Basically you have more choice over the shift moments with a manual, which you'd find more useful if you are a sportive driver. You can get higher in the revs for a longer period and shifting back 2-3 gears goes quicker. If you know your way with techniques like rev-matching, heel-toe, clutch dumping, short-shifting and shift-locking, then you can get much more out of your manually operated car than any auto could ever give. Track racing and drifting are easier with a manual. If you don't look for this kind of advanced driving and you like to cruise along or have an occassional drag race, an auto could very well be your thing.

In general there are some things to bear in mind: auto's are usually a bit slower (although the difference is much smaller than before) in the 0-60 and top speed. Cars equiped with auto's tend to be a bit more heavy and consume more petrol. Also, overhauls/repairs on auto boxes tend to be more expensive than on manual boxes. But all depends on what kind of auto you're getting.

Oh, and if your car would ever stall: you cannot tow or push an auto

[23790554]

y is it that you can't push or tow an auto if it stall? don't you just shift to N?

[darkfact]

Originally Posted by Paco If you know your way with techniques like rev-matching, heel-toe, clutch dumping, short-shifting and shift-locking,

tell me... tell me more please...
I only know the heel-toe. Actually i just googled it this morning, looks awsom. Btw I'm thinking about getting a 350z... I want it for fun and do all the stuff I used to see other people do >_<
things that wont damage the car of course.

[stracing]

if you don't want damage, don't do light racing and drifting!

[darkfact]

Originally Posted by stracing if you don't want damage, don't do light racing and drifting!

I'm sure I wont be doing drifts... but racing? I'll be racing everything I see... from scotters to ferraris

[Paco]

Well, just for 'straight burning' you could do with an auto perhaps. The more powerful a car gets, the more proficient you'd have to be to put in a fast sprint time. You can lose a LOT of time with bad shifting. Personally, I think a manual is much more fun and since you're buying this car for fun...

Just a quick out-of-my-head pop-quiz on some of the things I named (people, feel free to elaborate):
rev-matching: when going back a gear or 2, you hit the accellerator when you have the clutch pedal in (thus increasing the revs) and then you release the clutch in the lower gear. By doing this, you prevent rev-loss so that your engine doesn't find itself below the 'rev-sweet-spot' (where you have the most torque available to you). In other words: you compensate for the low revs by revving it while applying the clutch pedal.
It also prevents your drive train having to take a beating from the sudden rev difference.

Also, it can prevent the aforementionned shift-lock, where the drive train locks up because the engine cannot handle the sudden high revs. This means you are too high in revs and the limiter or differential could protest, or worse a blown engine/gear box.

Short shifting is nothing more than shifting up well before the ideal shifting point (high revs) when you encounter a long corner. If you would enter the corner in the highest torque-area (the sweet spot) you could get into trouble when aplying the accellerator too violently. The sudden burst of torque could cause dangerous over- or understeer or a waggling tale end. Experienced drivers prefer a more gradual feed of torque over a longer stretch and will therefor use a higher gear (and lower revs) so that they can keep accellerating throughout the long curve.

Clutch dumping is something you see a lot in those Japanese drift movies: in a (tight) corner they slightly dump their clutch pedal to increase the revs while staying in the same gear. Not the best thing for your car and you can easily cook your clutch like that. Again, high revs are the sought-after thing.


Don't forget, that shifting technique in cars with N/A engines is a bit different from cars with turbo engines. The latter have a much narrower powerband than the usually higher revving N/A engined cars.

[DeMoN]

I just got my G35 (Luxury version of the 350Z) and you wont be able to race for the first 1,200 miles. Thats the break-in time. It says that it isnt adviced to drive fro long periods of time, do fast takeoffs, brake fast, or drive at one same speed for long time. Yep, I read the whole manual.

[mindgam3]

Originally Posted by DeMoN I just got my G35 (Luxury version of the 350Z) and you wont be able to race for the first 1,200 miles. Thats the break-in time. It says that it isnt adviced to drive fro long periods of time, do fast takeoffs, brake fast, or drive at one same speed for long time. Yep, I read the whole manual.

lol, it says that in just about all performance car manuals tho

[Sir_GT]

Just like to point out that the G35 is not the luxury version of the 350Z.

It is actually called the V35 Skyline GT in Japan. As oppossed to the 350Z which is the Fairlady Z over there (yes its true), and the R34 Skyline GT-R. The G35 is its own thing.

[Mopsdrops]

going IN the redline, not that you mostly do it but hell: normally it changes at 4000 RPM in D, but when you push it to the max it does about 500 for the redline. my mothers Beretta does it, so i think it is also with another auto. you probably won't go into the redline normally but sometimes it's fun. also acceleration: a Prelude 2.0i from '92 with manuel does 9.2 sec's to 100 standard and 10.8 sec's with an auto. and a NSX with manuel does 5.7 sec's to 100 and 7.5 sec's with auto. just to give you some examples. i've also found that some car's speed is a bit lower with auto then manuel not all but some.

[5vz-fe]

Originally Posted by Sir_GT Just like to point out that the G35 is not the luxury version of the 350Z. It is actually called the V35 Skyline GT in Japan. As oppossed to the 350Z which is the Fairlady Z over there (yes its true), and the R34 Skyline GT-R. The G35 is its own thing.

u are kidding right?
It's the same FM plaform, same VQ35 engine, same suspension bits.....

[darkfact]

Originally Posted by 5vz-fe Originally Posted by Sir_GT Just like to point out that the G35 is not the luxury version of the 350Z. It is actually called the V35 Skyline GT in Japan. As oppossed to the 350Z which is the Fairlady Z over there (yes its true), and the R34 Skyline GT-R. The G35 is its own thing. u are kidding right? It's the same FM plaform, same VQ35 engine, same suspension bits.....

But different enginen

[MercedeSChink]

i believe its the same engine...the g35 is actually called the 350 GT 'Skyline' in Japan and also keep in mind its straight from nissan also...btw, did you guys know the g35 or 350 GT has the highest resale value out of all cars so far!?

[BADMIHAI]

Originally Posted by thamar If you've never drivin a manual before, and you'll take a car like that to learn, then i really pitty the car! First buy a dirt cheap used manual that you can wreck and abuse. Don't look for a spicy engine, good looks or anything. The only thing thats manners is that it's a manual!

Judging from the car you drive, we can say you're still at stage one (learning how to drive manual).