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Detroit, 3:02 AM
Fri Dec 4
27 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/19/08
12/19/08
Bring back Super HICAS!
12/19/08
12/19/08
Think about it like this. There are times when heel-toe is appropriate--enthusiastic back-roads driving and on the track come to mind--but there are other times where you just want to putt down to a burger joint, get to work, or pass that Ford Windstar on the freeway. These are the times where the Rev Match will come into its own, making the car easier to drive for even the self-elected automotive elite. At least, that's how I look at it.
Of course, with that in mind, it's a bit stupid that what is arguably a convenience feature is part of the Sport package, but that's a whole other argument.
12/19/08
All of these real men are driving cars with leaf springs and drum brakes and carbs and they have a guy hanging out of the side oiling the valves and all sorts of other shit that makes their penis much larger than the average "man".
KEEP IT REEL, DUN.
post script: I can't believe that at least two people have called the newest Z a poseur car. When irony wears thin...
12/19/08
I guess as long as there's always an off button, we don't have a problem; if/when that option is taken away, well...
12/19/08
I don't hate the feature; after all, deride them as you will, but how many enthusiasts are going to know the intricacies of heel-toe shifting? Especially the type of people who are going to spring for this in the first place, unlike hardcore Jalops who would rather spend the money on, say, a 99-mile Mustang SVO. But seriously, it's technology, and any technological progress in the automobile is welcome in my book.
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
[ca]
12/19/08
That is pretty damned awesome, and I imagine that would be an awesome skill to be able to whip out. My roommate has a manual that I drive from time to time, but I would probably not be brave enough to try that on his car.
12/19/08
Nissan: SHIFT_Taxi
12/19/08
12/19/08
i think not. there is a bond that is developed between driver and car that doesn't really manifest in an automatic transmission, and while this isn't an auto, it IS taking some of the gritty control away from the driver. heel toeing isn't a straightforward operation - there's a lot of nuance that has to be adjusted for each individual corner. it's that connection, that driving-the-shit-out-of-your-car-but-not-trashing-it feeling of satisfaction that puts a grin on your face.
i'll take control over comfort and convenience any day.
12/19/08
Once you remove any or all of those things, it's downhill. I'm far from a hardcore purist, but I still think road connection and skill are important in driving. Once a few elements are dumbed down, the skills drop off and the carelessness increases.
12/19/08
I don't know about that.
I am all for a good and proper manual. Until it comes to my daily eighty-mile round-trip commute to work and back through the hell that is downtown LA rush hour traffic.
At that point, the simple truth is that manuals start to suck. Especially those with heavy clutches. While I can certainly drive a manual just fine, I am no master, and I sure as hell cannot heel-toe for the life of me.
That's why I really have no problem with a DSG or paddle-shift auto. Granted, you can't necessarily jump from second to fourth gear right away if you really wanted too, but how often do any of us find ourselves in the situation of actually needing to do that in our day-to-day lives?
For me the involvement in driving comes from knowing your car's weight distribution, speed, handling characteristics, power curve, adhesion limit, shift tendencies (in an auto, like I have), and finally knowing the road that you are actually driving on.
Then, once you know all that, using that knowledge to make your drive as quick, efficient, and fast as you can get away with; knowing just how long you get away with oversteer at a given speed going into a given corner, knowing at just what point to ease of the brakes and accelerate out of that corner, etc.
That is what I would call driver involvement. You don't necessarily need a manual for that.
12/19/08
If you're downshifting, you ought to at least have the presence of mind to blip the throttle to keep from spinning...
Agreed, this stuff does take away from that sacred connection between sportscar and driver.
fuck this car. seriously.
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
The saving grace, everyone here knows that driving a 370Z makes you a poser.
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/19/08
?
Really?
12/19/08
12/19/08
STOP IT ALREADY, NISSAN.
12/19/08
12/19/08
12/19/08