As i live in London and i now have tennis leg i'm thinking of getting an auto over a turbo.

 

Which is quicker manual or auto......

 

Opinions and reasons please....

 

And lets say they're both standard!!!

MMMM auto faster - so that's why all touring cars, formula single seater racers and GT cars have auto boxes of course!

 

And what's all this crap about smoother gear changes! - That's all about driver skill in a manual car and the clearest admission of ineptitude from an auto driver.

 

If you pass your driving test in a manual you can drive an auto (obviously! - just disconnect your brain first!), pass it in an auto and are you allowed to drive a manual?? are you B0LL0CKs!!! - because you still haven't learned to DRIVE YET!!!!

 

And change down to first at 30?? Why? 2nd in a manual is in turbo rev range at 30, why wait for some sloppy auto changer to do it's stuff before you accelerate! (Waynker!).

 

Do you want to drive one of the nicest cars going, or do you want some squinty eyed Japanese Engineer to decide what gear your car is in!???

 

I rest my case!, but reserve the right to cross examine any future witnesses!

Auto vs manual. Superb. Not had one of these for a while.

Not sure Nigel that there is a squinty eyed engineer sitting in my gearbox. It seems to change down when I want it too (thats kickdown that is) and change up as required dependant upon hold and power setings etc...

 

It's probably easier to be a more consistent high speed driver in an auto, it's certainly easier in heavy slow traffic or stop start motoring to use an auto. Of course race tracks are not like that so your comment race cars is not understood, besides don't those things have paddle and quick shift semi auto boxes now?

 

Horses for course, you go on stirring the oil or what ever it is that sticky things does.

It is really down to personal choice in the end. We all like the cars we have, hence the arguments ;)

 

As for which is fastest, drive both and pick the one you feel is better. I chose an auto because it was the best Zed from the ones I tested, not because it was an auto (I didn't mind which one I bought). I don't regret my choice.

 

And the zed box is a good auto, not like the cr@p you would get in a Mondeo or low spec BW/Merc. Nissan have done a good job to keep performance similar between the models.

 

It's said that autos are quicker to 100 but that is probably because in a manwell you would have 3 gear changes which the driver could get wrong. The auto eliminates driver error - you just slam your foot down and the car does the work, so timings would be more consistent. You are also always in the right gear for risky overtaking too, which helps with my driving. However a good driver would not fekk-up the gear changes in the manual.

 

Just my 2p's worth

 

Richard :smw:

It is really down to personal choice in the end. We all like the cars we have, hence the arguments ;)

 

That's right and I have driven both and IMHO the manual was SHITE!

Auto's are you flat cap wearing people who listen to classic fm :rofl: :p

Auto's are you flat cap wearing people who listen to classic fm :rofl: :p

We will soon see Mike when it tears past your manual banana :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

how many people convert from auto to manual ?????? and how many convert from manual to auto ?????????????????. does that give you and idea which is better.

when Jun built the fastest & surely one of the most powerful Zeds on the planet, did they use an Auto or Manual????

 

(it wasnt the auto!! ;) )

:rofl: Hey, we know auto drivers are always going to have plenty of reasons for their decisions.

 

It's the same in so many walks of life - if you make a BIG mistake, do you

a - own up and tell the world

or

b - pretend that's what you intended to do all along!

 

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

(and anyone who takes these 'discussions' seriously is sadder than a sad thing - make your own mind up - it's only you that has to drive it in the end!)

It's said that autos are quicker to 100 but that is probably because in a manwell you would have 3 gear changes which the driver could get wrong. The auto eliminates driver error - you just slam your foot down and the car does the work, so timings would be more consistent.

by Richard

 

It is accepted that an auto loses loads of power in the torque converter but the manual needs 3 gear changes by 100mph and no matter how fast you think you are changing gear it still takes at least 0.2 seconds each time you do so the manual loses at least 0.6 seconds on the way to 100 but in reality it will still be beside the auto at 100mph simply because when it is in gear it is accelerating quicker than the auto.

 

So the power lost in the torque converter is roughly equivalent to 0.6 seconds to 100mph - big deal.

 

I have an auto btw I'd have liked a manual but still love my auto its the best auto car I've ever driven. I need to post a video of a red auto against a black manual on the strip at Crail!

Ok so both are good and both are fast are there really that many problems with the boxes breaking?

 

I heard early cars have problems,would i be ok with a 91 or even a 92???????

 

Should i avoid a 90?

How many times have you dropped to first gear on a manual at 30 mph ?? Dosent happen.

 

Does on an auto though.

True, but try changing in to 5th on an auto!

 

A manual box is more 'fun' because you have to use your brain and decide when to change gear. It involves you in the experience.

 

An auto does it all for you. A pleasure in traffic/town driving though.

 

Horses for courses!

Theres no advantage to having 5th over the auto's 4th :p

 

Alex - I'm not aware of any differences between the years :) Most cars around are 90/91 anyway.

 

Pete

Theres no advantage to having 5th over the auto's 4th :p

I know Pete, I was making the point that the boxes are different! ;)

Alex -

 

I'm a londoner too, I used to have a S14a 200SX Turbo, which I got to ease the suffering of the holloway road out of London on a friday night. I had it for 1 year, and sold it for my current car - a 300ZX TT with a manual gearbox.

 

I got really sick of the Auto after a while. In my view the talk about speed and 0-100 acceleration is pretty stoopid. The car's very fast anyway, and on most roads it's just not suitable to be going so quickly. Track-days are a different matter, of course. What I wanted was driver involvement, which in my experience is considerably greater with a stick-shift. I find the TT clutch fairly light (certainly in comparison to a certain 1970s rear-engined german sports car I used to own), and generally I'm much happier stirring my car along.

 

Having said that, if you loved your 928 (Mmmmm, nice car), then I could see why the Z with an autobox would be appealing to you. Whiny V6 though?! ;)

 

Auto-boxes? Rally cars, F1 cars, touring cars are all semi-automatic sequential boxes. Rubens Barrichello can either change up himself using paddles, or let the box do it for him. Plus, the Enzo ONLY comes with a semi-auto box.

 

Last thought - if Iwas sitting next to a driver who downshifted into 1st at 30MPH I'd open the door and roll out....

 

Best of luck, whichever way you go.

 

Russ.

V6 not quite the same as a V8 4.7 litre auto, although i'll check one out this weekend 300zx that is and let you know on Monday.

 

I have enjoyed a manual but non turbo nevertheless although i need more power whether it's a manual or an auto.

 

I just get tired sitting in traffic and London isn't the best place for a manual,just my humble opinion.

 

When i move out then maybe i'll go back to a manual....

 

Then again if someone does actually buy my non turbo then i may not have to trade it in anyway!!!!!

 

Ok colours what's the best black silver or red...........which is faster!!!!!!! ;o)

LOL Alex u tryin to start a war?

I think everyone agrees that yellow auto Zeds are the fastest , just watch the posts coming up , they'll all agree with me.

Pre '92 manuals are stock 300BHP and post were back down to the same as the auto (just 280)

 

or so I've always been led to believe!

 

ANyway I bought a pre '92 manual on the basis of this rumour so I'm sticking by it!

Aubergine coloured, auto, non-turbo is definitly the way to go!

 

'You gotta let the beautiful babies know you're money and looking to party.'

(name that film quote!)

Hi Alex

 

Back to your quest for a Zed (debate aside) you won't be dissapointed with whatever version you chose.

 

Even coming from a 928. (I guess yours was an S or S2, at 4.7L?)

 

I was actually looking at the S4 or early GT models (5L versions, not later GTS 5.4 - not rich enough ;) ) which were all autos to replace my old Supra. Until I drove a ZXtt.

 

A decent low mileage S4 was over £10k but the ZX was just over half that and performance almost identical (in fact up against an S4 last year my zx was first to reach an undisclosed 3 fig speed...... :D ). I test drove the two back to back one Saturday, which made up my mind. The 928 is indeed a great car - one of the best GT cars ever - but the ZX seemed more modern and easier to drive. (Then I've driven Jap cars since 1993 so I guess that's what I'm used to ;) )

 

Richard :smw:

I have always noticed in these debates that no mentions the fact you have to steer with one hand whilst changing - i like the auto because you have full concentration on steering with 2 hands & braking. Just seems more safe and secure (when driving at high speed - not that i do that officer ;) )than having to watch the rev counter/listen to engine noise and decide when to change gear etc...

 

so to sum up AUTO! (In silver of course!)

 

Barry

Yeah, Barry, you're so right, and it's a real bitch when your phone goes off when you're double declutching into a tightening hairpin at 120MPH and you've forgotton to set the auto answer!

 

WHy do Auto drivers find changing gear so complicated! - you just move your hand a couple of inches for a split second - and besides - you would normally select the right gear BEFORE you put the lock on mate (unless your auto decides to change gear for you mid bend of course!)

Funny i thought black was the fastest colour??????

 

The 928 was an s so only 3 speed the s2 had antilock brakes and a 4 speed box,the boxes were Mercedes stock and quite reliable,problem with the car as a whole was the electrics,a good idea but not at all reliable,Germans are good engineers but i'd leave electronics to the Japanese any day!!!!!!

 

So in conclusion auto's are just as good as manuals, Yellow is faster than Red, and 300's are faster than Supra's............wish they made a paddle shift!!!!!!!!! Only kidding

I was tempted by a 928 too, but I thought it was too 'GT' and not enough 'Sports' for me. Plus I thought the interior was so 1970's I half expected to find Austin Powers in the back - shagging!

 

They still look good on the road though - top design and the best looking Porche ever (bet this will start a 911 revolt! - IT's a SQUASHED BEETLE FFS!)