RE: RamboRami in Whats the difference between the G35 coupe and ... on the subject of CVT's, as we're diverging from the original topic, but I find this interesting.

Me: How the heck is a CVT an 8-speed? I thought the whole point of a CVT was to be continuous, with an infinite gear range. Or is it a CVT in "D" and then fakes 8 gears in manual mode, similar to Audi's A4 3.0 CVT (though it's only 6 fake gears)?

RamboRami: yes, exactly dude, it simulates 8 gears when you put it in manumatic mode...it has paddle shifters mounted on the back of the steering wheel
pretty neat!
I also heard that the japanese CVT version has more HP than the american version g35
<hr>I'm not sure how the Skyline's CVT performs, but with the Audi, tests have shown that the CVT can do 0-60 and 1/4 mile quicker when left to it's own devices than when you play with the manual mode. This makes sense, as the CVT is designed to keep the engine in it's sweet spot on the RPM range, so i'd guess the Skyline works the same way. I'd be interested in seeing a long-term test of the Skyline's CVT. Audi's seems to have some issues at low speeds (such as jammed commuter traffic) where it lags and surges, and can surprise the driver, possibly lurching forward. The CVT is supposed to be the Holy Grail of transmissions... better power delivery and economy than a manual, and the stomp-and-steer trait of an automatic. In practice, economy is close to a manual, and CVT's can't handle high-torque engines yet. Nissan seems to be tackling that last issue, however. Audi and Nissan are the only CVT's I've heard of to handle 200+ HP. (The A4 3.0 makes 220.)

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

Interesting enough... I can't seem to find the 0-60 time for Skyline Skyline 350 GT-8 ... but i do find some info, as below:

272hp@6000rpm (12hp more then NA's G35 saden)
36kgm@4800rpm
Gear ratio: 2.857~0.660
Final ratio: 3.692

Hope this helps..

---
Roger K. Himura
(no, i'm NOT japanese...)

 

Yeah it seems real interesting, i read in popular science that nissan's CVT is 92% efficient whereas other CVT's are 85-90% efficient (when it comes to drivetrain loss).

<font color=blue>-BalHar</font color=blue>
Yeah, Mongolians!